Ministry of Francophone Affairs

The Ministry of Francophone Affairs (French: Ministère des Affaires francophones) in the Canadian province of Ontario is responsible for the provision of government services to Franco-Ontarian citizens and communities.[2]

Ministry of Francophone Affairs
Ministère des Affaires francophones  (French)
Ministry overview
Formed1986[1]
Preceding Ministry
  • Office of Francophone Affairs
JurisdictionGovernment of Ontario
Ministers responsible
Websitewww.ontario.ca/page/ministry-francophone-affairs

It was originally founded as the Office of Francophone Affairs (French: Office des affaires francophones) in 1986 by the government of David Peterson,[3] as an expansion of the former Office of the Government Coordinator of French-Language Services.[4] It was upgraded to a full ministry in 2017 by the government of Kathleen Wynne.[5]

Following the 2018 Ontario general election, the new government of Doug Ford announced plans to demote the department from a ministry back down to an office,[6] but was forced to backtrack in the face of community opposition.[7]

Under the province's French Language Services Act, the provincial government provides French language services if a community or region's francophone population exceeds 5,000 or 10 percent of the community's total population. There are 25 areas of the province so designated. The office also has a role in the governance of Ontario's francophone public television network, TFO, as well as francophone school boards and other government offices, and acts as a liaison office between the government and other francophone cultural agencies and social services.

The current Minister of Francophone Affairs is Caroline Mulroney.

Ministry Agencies

[8]

  • Provincial Advisory Committee on Francophone Affairs
  • Special Advisor on Francophone Affairs
  • Special Advisor on Francophone Economic Development

Ministers

References
  1. "Franco-Ontarian history". Retrieved 29 August 2018.
  2. "En francais, s'il vous plait". Windsor Star, October 27, 1989.
  3. "Languages of the law". The Globe and Mail, May 16, 1986.
  4. "Francophones forced to re-defend their rights". Timmins Daily Press, November 24, 2018.
  5. "Reaction mixed to Ontario Liberals creating francophone affairs ministry". CBC News Ottawa, August 1, 2017.
  6. "Francophones aren't 'just another community'". Montreal Gazette, November 19, 2018.
  7. "Doug Ford backtracks after days of backlash over cuts to francophone institutions". The Globe and Mail, November 23, 2018.
  8. https://www.pas.gov.on.ca/Home/Agencies-list?SelectedMinistryId=13&q=
This article is issued from Wikipedia. The text is licensed under Creative Commons - Attribution - Sharealike. Additional terms may apply for the media files.