Government of Canada Announces Support for Official Languages in British Columbia
VICTORIA, August 27, 2010 - During a visit to British Columbia, the Honourable James Moore, Minister of Canadian Heritage and Official Languages, today announced the signing of an agreement on official languages with the provincial government.
"Our Government is a leader in Canada on official languages," said Minister Moore. "The important agreement that we are announcing today is of crucial value for the development of British Columbia's Francophone community and for the promotion of our two official languages."
Under the agreement on minority-language education and second-official-language instruction, the Government of Canada has announced a contribution of $64,417,672 for the period from 2009 to 2013. This investment supports the provision of French-language education to British Columbia's Francophone community, as well instruction in French as a second language.
"These funds encourage French-language education for B.C. students through Francophone, French Immersion and core French programs," said B.C. Minister of Education Margaret MacDiarmid. "B.C. schools also go beyond the classroom by providing French cultural activities, Quebec-B.C. student exchanges and e-exchanges with other French speaking students across Canada to support a stronger understanding of the French language."
The education agreement is accompanied by an initiative designed to support French-language education at the postsecondary level. The Government of Canada is announcing a contribution of $4.8 million to Simon Fraser University for the 2009-2013 period.
The funding announced today in support of our two official languages in British Columbia totals $69,217,672. Part of the funding is provided by the
Roadmap for Canada's Linguistic Duality 2008-2013: Acting for the Future, an unprecedented government-wide investment of $1.1 billion over five years.
The education agreement is an outcome of the renewal of the
Protocol for Agreements announced on September 4, 2009, and signed by the Government of Canada and the Council of Ministers of Education, Canada, a key partner for federal action in the field of education. The Protocol provides a framework for all bilateral education agreements.
The agreements between the Government of Canada and communities, provinces, and territories under the
Official Languages Support Programs are available at
www.canadianheritage.gc.ca.
