Prince George selected as a ‘Welcoming Francophone Community’
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PRINCE GEORGE— Prince George has been selected as a Welcoming Francophone Community as part of the Government of Canada’s Action Plan for Official Languages.
A total of 14 communities across Canada will receive funding so they can create programs and activities to help French-speaking newcomers feel welcomed and integrated into Francophone minority communities under the Welcoming Francophone Communities initiative. This 3 year $12.6 million initiative was announced in Budget 2018 to support the integration and retention of French-speaking newcomers in Canada.
“Francophone communities open up their hearts to welcome French-speaking newcomers to Canada. Prince George will be able to be even more inviting to Francophone immigrants so they can feel welcome and where they will have more opportunities to make Canada their home,” Minister of Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Ahmed Hussen says. “Through the launch of the Francophone Immigration Strategy, we are committed to increasing the proportion of French-speaking immigrants in Francophone minority communities.”
The new Francophone immigration strategy, ‘Meeting Our Objectives: Francophone Immigration Strategy’, announced on March 13, 2019, is a collaborative approach with federal, provincial, territorial and community partners. It’s described as “by and for Francophones”. It seeks to enhance the vitality of official-language minority communities through immigration specifically, by increasing the proportion of French-speaking permanent residents outside of Quebec, supporting the integration and retention of French-speaking newcomers, and building the capacity of Francophone communities.
