Latest news with #FrancoOntarian
CTV News
25-06-2025
- General
- CTV News
Sudbury marks Saint-Jean Baptiste Day
Ceremonies were held Tuesday in Greater Sudbury as many French speaking Canadians celebrated Saint Jean Baptiste Day. French-speaking Canadians were celebrating their culture Tuesday on Saint-Jean Baptiste Day. In Greater Sudbury, officials hoisted the Franco-Ontarian flag at the Gerry McCrory Countryside Sports Complex. Sudbury is the birthplace of the green and white flag that represents the Franco-Ontarian community. Saint Jean Baptiste French-speaking Canadians were celebrating their culture Tuesday on Saint-Jean Baptiste Day. In Greater Sudbury, officials hoisted the Franco-Ontarian flag at the Gerry McCrory Countryside Sports Complex. (Angela Gemmill/CTV News) 'It's an opportunity to get together, to showcase … the importance of the culture in our community, but also open up a conversation to realize the (evolution), as well as the contributions, of the Francophone community in our great city,' said Mayor Paul Lefebvre. Saint Jean Baptiste Day is a holiday in Quebec, but Francophones across the country also celebrate the patron saint, including in northern Ontario. The day is about celebrating culture, heritage, traditions and the French language. 'We're proud of who we are, we're proud of where we come from, of our language, of our culture,' said Nickel Belt MPP France Gélinas. Deep cultural pride 'Most Franco-Ontarians in Sudbury are bilingual and we'll switch to English whenever it's appropriate. But at the same time, we keep this deep-down cultural pride that we belong to this culture.' St. Jean 3 French-speaking Canadians were celebrating their culture Tuesday on Saint-Jean Baptiste Day. In Greater Sudbury, officials hoisted the Franco-Ontarian flag at the Gerry McCrory Countryside Sports Complex. (Angela Gemmill/CTV News) Saint Jean Baptiste French-speaking Canadians were celebrating their culture Tuesday on Saint-Jean Baptiste Day. In Greater Sudbury, officials hoisted the Franco-Ontarian flag at the Gerry McCrory Countryside Sports Complex. (Angela Gemmill/CTV News) 'We made our community better because of our culture and we want it to continue,' Gélinas added. Roughly one-third of the population in Greater Sudbury identifies as Francophone. 'Thirty-five per cent of the population says that they can keep a conversation in French,' said Joanne Gervais, executive director of L'Association canadienne-française de l'Ontario du grand Sudbury. 'That means 35 per cent of the population speaks French. Those that identify as Franco-Ontarian, as first language, etc. we're down around 25 per cent … The Francophone community is growing -- the problem is we're not growing as quickly as the English population.' In Sudbury, many schools, institutions and groups are committed to keeping the language thriving and Franco-Ontarian issues represented. The green and white flag was first flown in Sudbury on Sept. 25, 1975, and was recognized as the official emblem of the Franco-Ontarian community in 2001. Plans are in the works to mark the 50-year anniversary of the flag this fall.
CBC
30-05-2025
- Business
- CBC
Students, community groups protest program cuts at La Cité
Social Sharing Students, faculty, their unions and community organizations are protesting a move by Ottawa's La Cité, the largest French-language college in Ontario, to cut nine programs this fall. Groups opposed to the cuts held a march and rally Thursday, ending in front of MP Marie-France Lalonde's office on Centrum Boulevard in Orléans. During the event, attendees placed candles near a Franco-Ontarian flag as a way to mourn the cuts. Among the participants was 17-year-old Samuel Pilon, who was accepted into La Cité's television production program in January, but was told in April the program is being suspended. "I had two options: go to Quebec or stay here in English. I chose to study at Algonquin College in English because for me, it's important to stay in my region. It's a good program, but it won't be the same. It won't be in my mother tongue," he told Radio-Canada. "I speak English well, but that would mean giving up on what we fought for and saying that what is happening right now is acceptable," he added in French. Patricia Dostie, executive director of l'Association pour l'intégration sociale d'Ottawa, said the majority of the association's employees graduated from two programs at the college that are designed to support people with disabilities. She said more than 25 agencies in Ottawa and the Outaouais, and their clients, also rely on those graduates. "We represent thousands of people with intellectual disabilities who have no voice today," she told Radio-Canada. "Suddenly, employers were left behind ... forgotten. They weren't consulted." Dostie said she hopes to meet with Lynn Casimiro, the college's president and CEO, to discuss possible solutions. 'Status quo is not an option' The college announced its decision to cut the nine programs in May. As with other colleges that have made similar cuts, Casimiro cited decline in international student enrolment, a key source of revenue. "The status quo is not an option. If the college does not take the measures we are taking now, there will be more cuts later," Casimiro told Radio-Canada. Additionally, 50 positions including 16 teaching jobs and other unfilled positions, will be eliminated. The programs being discontinued include: Automotive maintenance technician. Television production. General arts and sciences program — university track. Dental care (Levels I and II). Occupational therapist assistant and physiotherapist assistant. 911 and emergency service dispatch. Protection, security and investigation — safety. Special education techniques. Intervention with people with disabilities. La Cité's faculty union, which is affiliated with the Ontario Public Service Employees Union (OPSEU), said it plans to file a complaint with the Ontario Labour Relations Board.
