An attack against Franco-Ontarians is an attack against all Francophones throughout the country

Despite stating the contrary during the electoral campaign, Doug Ford’s Conservative government has brushed aside the few, hard-won governmental services for which Franco-Ontarians struggled. The situation is shameful.

He seems annoyed and not the least ashamed of the outcry caused by the cutbacks. The best stance he has found is to blatantly state that he was misunderstood. All the while, he is disregarding the two fundamental objectives of the Official Languages Act, which are:

1. ‘’enhancing the vitality of the English and French linguistic minority communities in Canada and supporting and assisting their development; and
2. fostering full recognition and use of English and French in Canadian society.’’

The UNE, through its Francophone Committee, denounces this act which constitutes an attack on Francophones.

Long live French in Canada!

The UNE Francophone Committee

Saint-Jean-Baptiste Day

Saint-Jean-Baptiste Day

Saint-Jean-Baptiste Day is the National Holiday of Quebec and part of the 11 days of Celebrate Canada. It was first celebrated in Lower Canada in 1636, when the colony mainly operated as a fur-trading venture. Today, the national holiday is a celebration of French culture within Canada. In many cities and towns in Quebec and other francophone communities across the country, parades and parties are held and fireworks light the sky.

When asked what Saint-Jean-Baptiste Day means to them, Louise Patrice and Jean-Pierre Nault, co-presidents of the Francophone Committee, pointed to the following words drawn from fetenationale.info:

An occasion to meet again

Around a joyous fire, a large table or before scenes in which our artists sing, let us take advantage of these worthwhile occasions offered by Quebec’s National Holiday to tell stories, as have people done here for centuries, from the moment they first gathered. Let us do it in total friendship and in complete solidarity, because these are features of our community, which, throughout literature, have often been made clear. Let us therefore tell each other stories… and let us sing them too, because many of them have been brilliantly made into music.

Bonne Saint-Jean tout le monde!

The Francophone Committee

The Francophone Committee

The National Component is proud to announce the creation of a new standing committee: the Francophone Committee.

During last January’s National Executive meeting, the creation of a new standing committee was approved. We are proud to announce that the National Component will henceforth feature a Francophone Committee within its official structure. More information will be made available shortly, via the Francophone Committee’s webpage on the National Component’s website. Please note that you may contact the committee via this email address: francophones@national-component.org

Present on the Committee’s photo: Ben René (technical advisor), Larry Rousseau, Jean-Pierre Naud (co-chair), Patrice Rémillar, Francine Auclair, Jean-Pierre Ouellet, and Louise Parice (co-chair).

Absent: Yvon Beaudoin, Suzanne Cadieux, Géraldine Fortin, and Michèle Milotte.