Minister Moore Meets with Leaders of the Canadian Francophonie

OTTAWA, Sept. 26, 2012 /CNW/ - The Honourable James Moore, Minister of Canadian Heritage and Official Languages, today took part in a forum of leaders of the Canadian Francophonie. At the meeting, representatives of some 40 organizations, including the Fédération des communautés francophones et acadienne du Canada (FCFA), shared their ideas with Minister Moore about how official-language minority communities can continue to benefit from Government of Canada funding for official languages.

"Canada's two official languages help define who we are as Canadians. They are the languages of our national dialogue and the ones that allow new arrivals to this country to participate fully in our society," said Minister Moore. "Thanks to our official languages, together we are building a prosperous Canada."

This summer the Government met with close to 400 Canadians in small groups throughout the country to hear their thoughts about the challenges and priorities associated with Canada's linguistic duality. More than 20 separate consultations were held to consult with community stakeholders, representatives, or leaders hailing from different communities and working in various fields, such as health, education, immigration, and the arts.

Canadians can express their views on the future directions to be recommended by the Government regarding Canada's official languages by accessing the online consultations at www.pch.gc.ca/olconsultationslo.

The Roadmap for Canada's Linguistic Duality 2008-2013: Acting for the Future is an unprecedented government-wide investment of $1.1 billion over five years that reaffirms our Government's commitment to our two official languages and to official-language minority communities.

SOURCE: Canadian Heritage