HALIFAX, August 9, 2010 - During a tour of the Atlantic provinces, the Honourable James Moore, Minister of Canadian Heritage and Official Languages, with the Honourable Graham Steele, Minister of Acadian Affairs of Nova Scotia, today announced the signing of agreements on official languages with the Government of Nova Scotia and the province's Acadian and Francophone community.
"Our Government is a leader in Canada on official languages," said Minister Moore. "The important agreements we are announcing today are crucial to the development of Nova Scotia's Acadian and Francophone community and the promotion of our two official languages."
Under an agreement on minority-language education and second-language instruction covering the period from 2009 to 2013, the Government of Canada announced a contribution of $30,632,320. This investment supports the provision of French-language teaching for Nova Scotia's Acadian and Francophone community, as well as French second-language instruction.
Accompanying the education agreement are a series of projects intended to support teaching at the elementary, secondary, and postsecondary level. The Government of Canada is providing support to the Centre provincial de ressources pédagogiques ($200,000 in 2009-2011), the "Grandir en français" program ($400,000 in 2009-2011), and the construction of community facilities at École Belleville ($400,000 in 2009-2011) and at the École acadienne de Truro ($500,000 in 2009-2013).
Under another agreement covering the period from 2009 to 2013, the Government of Canada will provide $5.6 million for the delivery of provincial government services in French. The agreement on official languages will assist with developing and implementing specific measures to help the provincial government in providing services to the Acadian and Francophone community.
"Our ongoing partnership with the Government of Canada is vital for the preservation and growth of the Acadian and Francophone Community," said Minister Steele. "The funding agreements we're announcing today will help ensure that Nova Scotia can continue to provide quality French-language services as well as French first- and second-language education for families in every region of the province."
In addition, the Government of Canada announced ratification of the cooperation agreement between the Department of Canadian Heritage and Nova Scotia's Acadian and Francophone community. This type of agreement promotes dialogue between the community and the Department, allows for a more strategic approach to cooperation, and stresses the follow up steps required to achieve the planned objectives. The Government of Canada is providing yearly funding of $1,772,000 to organizations representing Nova Scotia's Acadian and Francophone community. As part of this support for community organizations, the Minister announced funding for a group of projects, including the youth summit of the Conseil jeunesse provincial de la Nouvelle-Écosse ($18,900), cultural activities at the Centre communautaire de la Rive-Sud ($33,000), and creation of Rout'Arts, a Francophone arts and culture presentation network of the Fédération culturelle acadienne de la Nouvelle-Écosse ($10,600).
The announcement includes funding totalling $37,732,320 to support our two official languages in Nova Scotia. Added to that amount is yearly support of $1,772,000 to community organizations. Part of the funding announced today is provided under the Roadmap for Canada's Linguistic Duality 2008-2013: Acting for the Future, an unprecedented government-wide investment of $1.1 billion over five years.
The education agreement is an outcome of the renewal of the Protocol for Agreements announced on September 4, 2009, and signed by the Government of Canada and the Council of Ministers of Education, Canada, a key partner for federal action in the field of education. The Protocol provides a framework for all bilateral education agreements.
Intergovernmental Cooperation on Minority-Language Services seeks to help provincial and territorial governments provide provincial, territorial, and municipal services, including the necessary infrastructure, in the language of the official-language minority community. Shared costs are funded under multi-year cooperation agreements with provincial and territorial governments. Attached to the agreements are multi-year action plans.
The Government of Canada is proceeding with the ratification of agreements with official-language minority communities under Cooperation with the Community Sector, part of the Community Life component of the Development of Official-Language Communities Program. This program of the Department of Canadian Heritage is designed to foster the vitality of Canada's French- and English-speaking minority communities and enable them to participate fully in all aspects of Canadian life.
The agreements between the Government of Canada and the communities, provinces and territories under the Official Languages Support Programs are available on the following site: www.canadianheritage.gc.ca
For more information (media only), please contact:
Matthew Deacon
Press Secretary
Office of the Minister of Canadian Heritage
and Official Languages
819-997-7788
matthew.deacon@pch.gc.ca
Media Relations
Canadian Heritage
819-994-9101
1-866-569-6155
media@pch.gc.ca
