FEDERAL-PROVINCIAL-TERRITORIAL MEETING OF THE MINISTERS' COUNCIL ON THE CANADIAN FRANCOPHONIE - The economy at the heart of the meeting of ministers responsible for the Canadian Francophonie
YELLOWKNIFE, NT, June 27, 2025 /CNW/ - The Ministers' Council on the Canadian Francophonie (MCCF) held its annual meeting in Yellowknife, Northwest Territories, June 26 and 27, 2025. The discussions focused on the Francophone economy. Under the theme Bringing our communities together by celebrating our languages, the Honourable Caitlin Cleveland and the Honourable Steven Guilbeault co-chaired this meeting of intergovernmental collaboration.
The ministers reaffirmed the Francophonie's positive contribution to the Canadian economy and the importance of promoting its competitive advantage. To this end, they discussed potential ways of fostering business opportunities and promoting market development for Francophone businesses. These discussions were a continuation of the MCCF's Agora on the Francophone economy held in Halifax in August 2024.
With regard to Francophone immigration, the ministers support the Culture d'entreprise [business culture] project, which aims at helping employers promote the retention of French-speaking employees from immigrant backgrounds, in the provinces and territories where French is a minority language. This project, led in collaboration with the Fédération culturelle canadienne-française (FCCF) and Culture pour tous, will be rolled out progressively over a three-year period, at the end of which a range of support tools will be available to all employers.
The ministers also discussed the maintenance of language competence in French between finishing high school and entering the job market. This is seen as essential in meeting workforce needs in all sectors. They also reaffirmed the importance of communications in French during emergencies.
The meeting was also an opportunity to unveil the digital strategy for the How Far Can French Take You? – Le français peut vous mener loin project. The initiative demonstrates, through a series of video clips, how the French language is a source of personal and professional growth. The video clips feature individuals whose rewarding careers are linked to their knowledge of French.
Lastly, the ministers discussed the importance of supporting the discoverability of francophone content in the digital world and increasing the presence of French in the public sphere.
The Government of Manitoba will co-chair the MCCF's next annual meeting, which will take place in Winnipeg in 2026.
"It was an honour to welcome my colleagues to Yellowknife for this year's MCCF meeting. Linguistic and cultural diversity is a source of strength, pride, and prosperity for communities across the country — and especially here in the Northwest Territories. Our discussions helped advance intergovernmental collaboration on priority issues for the Canadian Francophonie, particularly around economic development and supporting vibrant, inclusive communities."
— The Honourable Caitlin Cleveland, Minister of Education, Culture and Employment and Minister of Industry, Tourism and Investment, Northwest Territories
"The Francophonie is at the heart of Canadian identity and is a driver to help us build a strong economy. I am delighted to see that each of us within the MCCF shares a desire to work together to make French a competitive advantage all across the country and to build prosperous Francophone communities. In this third year of the Action Plan for Official Languages, we continue to act in support of Francophone communities from coast to coast to coast. I am pleased to note that we have signed agreements with each province and territory to increase support for government services offered in the minority language, with a historic level of funding, so that Canadians can have access to services in the official language of their choice."
—The Honourable Steven Guilbeault, Minister of Canadian Identity and Culture and Minister responsible for Official Languages
The Ministers' Council on the Canadian Francophonie (MCCF), created in 1994, is an intergovernmental forum that brings together the ministers responsible for the Canadian Francophonie. The MCCF works toward an inclusive and dynamic Francophonie that fully contributes to and participates in the development of Canadian society. The MCCF's website can be found at www.cmfc-mccf.ca.
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Access articles from across Canada with one account Share your thoughts and join the conversation in the comments Enjoy additional articles per month Get email updates from your favourite authors Don't have an account? Create Account The Bay, which filed for creditor protection in March, ran a process over the last several months to find buyers for leases belonging to it and Saks Canada. It agreed to sell up to 28 spaces to Liu. Three leases were transferred to her without any hiccups because they're in B.C. malls she owns, but another 25 are at properties held by a who's who of Canadian commercial real estate firms. Landlords for 23 of those sites oppose the transfer. Several have said in court they've been 'very troubled' with their interactions with Liu and have had 'no productive discussions, no meaningful disclosure.' Liu insists if the court hands her the leases, landlords will warm to her and her plan to open a new department store in their properties. Your noon-hour look at what's happening in Toronto and beyond. By signing up you consent to receive the above newsletter from Postmedia Network Inc. Please try again This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. While the disagreement could serve as a roadblock to the Bay closing on its agreement with Liu, lawyers not involved in the case say the retailer has another route it can take to get a deal done. That route lies in changes to the Companies' Creditors Arrangement Act — Canada's main insolvency law — made in 2009, said Jeff Lee, a Saskatoon-based partner at MLT Aikins LLP. The changes laid out three criteria courts must consider when asked to assign leases to a new tenant. The first is whether or not the sale has the support of the monitor, a court-appointed, independent third party which helps guide businesses through creditor protection. In the Bay's case, the monitor is Alvarez & Marsal. It has yet to reveal whether it supports the Liu deal and did not respond to requests for comment. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. 'Before any court application is brought forward, typically the company will test that out with them,' Lee said. 'They're not going to just sort of fly in blind and hope for the best.' The second aspect for the court to mull is whether the proposed new tenant is suitable. Lee said that's determined by looking at whether they can perform the duties of the tenant and pay rent. Liu, who made her money in Chinese real estate, appears to have deep pockets but her experience comes from being a landlord rather than a tenant. The final aspect the court will consider is whether a transfer of a lease to Liu is 'appropriate.' 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A court faced with a request to reassign leases will weigh this context and think about whether 'the landlord's world is being turned upside down by having this new tenant,' said Geoffrey Dabbs, a B.C.-based founding partner at Gehlen Dabbs Cash. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. 'The more it's a minor inconvenience for the landlord, the more likely the judge will order it,' he said. While the Bay hasn't said whether it will seek an assignment, it's likely because any company in creditor protection has a duty to show the court it's doing its best to pay back companies and people it owes money to, Dabbs said. The Bay has a 26-page list of creditors, with some lenders owed more than $100 million each. Liquidation sales and a deal to sell the Bay trademarks to Canadian Tire for $30 million have put a dent in what's owed but selling leases to Liu would also help. Anyone who made an offer for leases had to make a deposit of 10 per cent of their estimated purchase price. Court documents show Liu made a deposit of $9.4 million, in addition to $6 million for the three approved leases, which would equate to a purchase price of $100 million for 28 leases. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. When a deal like this is reached, Dabbs said a company typically seeks landlord consent because commercial leases tend to have provisions stopping anyone from transferring a lease without a property owner agreeing. It's not uncommon for landlords to object because any leases that can't be sold and aren't assigned get turned back over to property owners who can choose how to fill them and under what terms. 'Remember, these are anchor leases, so they're probably very favourable to the Bay or to the tenant in a lot of respects,' said Tolensky, alluding to the fact that anchor tenants are often given attractive rents or terms. 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