Projects Promoting Francophone Culture in Chapleau and Hearst Receive Support from Province
Community Grant Program Funding Projects Across the Province
Ontario is investing in francophone communities across the province to promote francophone culture and encourage greater community engagement. Marie-France Lalonde, Minister of Francophone Affairs made the announcement yesterday at the Collège Boréal in Sudbury alongside Francophone community leaders. Through the Francophone Community Grants program, the province is funding 57 community projects, including Franco-Ontarian organizations, municipalities and not-for-profit groups from across the province.
The successful community projects reflect the diversity of Ontario’s Francophonie and provide programming at a local, regional or provincial level. Projects include:
- Youth and seniors outreach
- Social integration of Francophone immigrants
- Celebration of Franco-Ontarian culture
- Training of volunteers through workshops and learning-based projects
- Promotion of existing health resources for francophones.
Organizations in Chapleau and Hearst are receiving funding through the Francophone Community Grants program.:
- Club Maria Chapdelaine de Chapleau’s “A vos marques, prêts. FÊTEZ !” [$5000 grant]. This is a northern Ontario-based, steam one project that will facilitate social integration and provide opportunities to celebrate and promote an understanding of
Ontario’s Francophonie. The « À vos marques, prêts. FÊTEZ! – On your marks, ready. Celebrate!” will be delivered by the Club Maria Chapdelaine, with the aim of reaching 30 francophone seniors. This proactive initiative will have a real impact on
our community, and will take place in Chapleau, Ontario. - Conseil des Arts de Hearst (CAH) “Essor et vitalité : accueillir et célébrer la diversité culturelle à Hearst” [$24 636] The project will reach 1200 people in the Hearst region including new comers from francophone countries with the aim of developing culture days, and francophone services tradeshow which will include guest speakers and francophone artist to help reduce barriers and increase support for vulnerable groups, build capacity and promote collaboration between service providers to support the francophone populations in the region. This is a northern-based, stream three project called “Essor et vitalité”. The project will be delivered by the Conseil des arts de Hearst in partnership with the Hearst Economic Development Corporation, l’Université de Hearst and the Far Northeast Training Board.
Investing in francophone communities is part of our plan to create fairness and opportunity during this period of rapid economic change. The plan includes a higher minimum wage and better working conditions, free tuition for hundreds of thousands of students, easier access to affordable child care, and free prescription drugs for everyone under 25 through the biggest expansion of medicare in a generation.
QUICK FACTS
- Ontario is investing $3 million over three years through the Francophone Community Grant Program.
- The program aims to support projects in Ontario that: facilitate social integration, networking and volunteerism within francophone communities, reduce barriers and increase support for vulnerable groups within francophone communities, provide opportunities to celebrate and promote an understanding of Ontario’s francophone community, build the capacity of francophone organizations, promote collaboration between service providers to better serve francophone communities.
- The next phase for submitting applications for the program will begin in summer 2018.
