Western Economic Diversification Official Languages Action Plan 2020-2023

Over the years, Manitoba’s Francophone population has been transformed into a dynamic, structured and prosperous community. Despite the difficulties it has experienced in its history, Manitoba’s Francophone community has persevered and today totals approximately 110,000 Manitobans (Francophones and Francophiles). These Francophones live mainly in Winnipeg’s Francophone neighbourhoods and in some 40 Francophone villages located primarily in the southern part of the province.

Tenacity.

That is the word that sums up the history of Manitoba’s Francophone community and the people who have chosen to be a part of it. Otherwise, how can we explain that a modern and dynamic Francophone community still exists in Manitoba?

To fully understand Franco-Manitoban tenacity, we must remember the history of the Francophone community in Manitoba. French was the language of Canadian voyageurs who came from Lower Canada as early as the 18th century. It was then the language of the Métis, the children of these voyageurs who became “free men,” and of their Indigenous spouses. French was the language of the Catholic religious men and women who worked in the Red River Colony and in Western Canada starting in 1818. French is still the language of French Canadians from Quebec and New England and of many immigrants who have come to us from various Francophone populations for a hundred years.

Francophone Métis, French Canadians and other Francophones share a common sense of belonging: that of being part of this country, a country where French language and culture are an integral part of the heritage. This sense of belonging has, for a long time, tempered reactions to the unconstitutional legislation passed by the Manitoba legislature in 1890. This sense of belonging, this well-established feeling of being at home in Manitoba despite all the difficulties, has fuelled Manitoba Francophones’ normal and natural desire to improve their lot and that of their community.

Today, more than at any other time in their history, Francophones can flourish in French in Manitoba. With the official recognition they enjoy at the provincial and federal levels, these women and men have the economic, educational, social and community tools they need to ensure that the Francophone community has a prominent place in the province of Manitoba.

Source: Société de la francophonie manitobaine

The era of the fur trade and its voyageurs led to the first French-speaking settlements in western Canada. These small outposts grew steadily but often retained their original names, a reminder of their French origins. French was the first European language spoken in the territory that later became the province of Alberta. It also became the trading language of Fort Edmonton, built in 1795 by the Hudson Bay Company. Although the massive influx of settlers led to the end of French’s first-language status in Alberta, a tenacious French-speaking community set down roots and survived.

Today, Alberta is home to Canada’s third largest minority francophone population after Ontario and New Brunswick. According to 2016 Census data, Alberta’s Francophones (2% of Albertans) are among the fastest growing French-speaking populations in Canada. Although increasing in numbers, the francophone community is considered fragile since its members struggle to work and live in French and are thinly dispersed across the province. To support Alberta’s francophone community, WD has funded various initiatives designed to enhance their vitality and assist in their economic development. Recent initiatives include business incubator services for francophone entrepreneurs, a francophone college and community radio station, and tourism circuits that provide a francophone experience.

Sources: Encyclopedia of French Cultural Heritage in North America, Government of Alberta.

The Société de développement économique (SDE), WD’s official partner for the support and economic development of minority communities in British Columbia, which celebrated its 20th anniversary in 2018, continues to place great value on diversity and inclusion in the implementation of their mandate. In their 2018-2019 annual report, SDE served over a thousand clients, the vast majority of whom were from outside that province and from outside Canada. In addition, 280 businesswomen were able to improve their skills through Femmes d’affaires en Mouvement (FAM), a comprehensive program of services for women, including mentoring. Young British Columbians, in addition to having the workshops offered on entrepreneurship, now have 11 modules to encourage financial literacy. Finally, to properly support immigrants, the SDE has set up several partnerships to develop, among other things, two virtual support tools to better meet immigrants’ needs.

Despite a rich francophone and Métis presence prior to the founding of Saskatchewan in 1905, francophone rights to use French as a language of education for their children were severely limited and eventually abolished. Francophones created associations and organizations to support their struggle to maintain their language and culture, such as the newspaper Le Patriote de l’Ouest in 1910, the Association catholique franco-canadienne de la Saskatchewan in 1912, and Collège Mathieu, a french-language college in Gravelbourg in 1918. In the 1960s, federal policies favourable to the French language, such as the Official Languages Act, prompted Saskatchewan to amend the Education Act to once again allow education in French. However, challenges still exist for Francophones in Saskatchewan due to the relatively small population scattered over a large territory, who by the way are called Fransaskois. Of the community organizations representing Fransaskois, the Conseil économique et coopératif de la Saskatchewan (CÉCS) has carved out a special place for itself in the economic development of this community. A WD partner, the CÉCS continues to stimulate the creation, development and expansion of Francophone businesses in Saskatchewan from its five offices. In the fall of 2019, a collaboration with the Société des Économusées resulted in the opening of the first Économusée in Saskatchewan.