Minister Jean-Marc Fournier continues his dialogue during a mission to Winnipeg, Manitoba

28 février 2018

February 16 and 17, 2018  

As he continued his Canadian tour with a stop in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Jean-Marc Fournier had a well-filled diary. He took advantage of his visit to the Manitoban capital to continue his dialogue about the Canada of tomorrow and about recognition of collective identities, such as the Québec Nation, as proposed in Québec's Policy on Québec Affirmation and Canadian Relations. More specifically, he met with representatives of the university community and Manitoba's government. His mission also provided an opportunity to take part in activities relating to the Canadian Francophonie and the promotion of French classes in Manitoba.

Governmental meetings

Minister Fournier first met with Manitoba's Deputy Minister of Intergovernmental Affairs, Michael Richards and then, with Minister of Education and Training, Ian Wishart. Ministers Fournier and Wishart reiterated the shared position of their two governments with respect to the legalization of cannabis, in particular concerning home cultivation and public safety.

A fruitful dialogue with the community at Université de Saint-Boniface

Next, the Minister went to Université de Saint-Boniface to present Québec's Policy on Québec Affirmation and Canadian Relations to students, faculty members and university administrators. The activity was also open to members of the public, and was attended by spokespeople from several francophone organizations in Manitoba.

The Minister engaged in a discussion with students and teachers who had travelled to the meeting. The dialogue focused on the Canadian Francophonie, Québec's proposals on the future of the Canadian federation.

Francophone immigration to Manitoba

The Minister took part in activities promoting initiatives to increase Francophone immigration to Manitoba. He toured Accueil francophone du Manitoba with Salwa Meddri, coordinator of Réseau en immigration francophone du Manitoba, Teresa Collins, director of the Manitoba government's Francophone Affairs Secretariat, and other people involved in Francophone immigration to Manitoba.

The discussions covered several initiatives to improve the reception of Francophone refugees and to increase and promote economic Francophone immigration to Manitoba. The question of the role that the provinces could play in increasing Francophone immigration to Canada was also discussed.

Media interviews

Minister Jean-Marc Fournier took time out from his mission to meet with local and regional media representatives. In an  interview for L’Actuel, broadcast on Ici Radio-Canada Manitoba, Minister Fournier spoke with journalist Martine Bordeleau about Québec's goal of "building a Canada that we recognize, in which we see ourselves reflected, and in which we can meet others." He also  spoke with Arnaud Decroix about the links that exist within the Canadian Francophonie, for the program Les samedis du monde.

The Minister gave other interviews, in particular to the Winnipeg Free Press and the afternoon drive radio show on French-language station Envol 91 FM.

He also met with three columnists for the French-language newspaper La Liberté, Roger Turenne, Raymond Hébert and Michel Lagacé. All three Franco-Manitoban intellectuals play a leading role in Manitoba's Francophone community.

The Francophonie at the heart of the Minister's mission

While in the Manitoban capital the Minister enjoyed the festivities organized for the official opening of Festival du Voyageur with Manitoba's Minister responsible for Francophone Affairs, Rochelle Squires. During the festival, Saint-Boniface, Winnipeg’s French quarter, comes to life to celebrate the Francophonie and the history of Manitoba's Métis and First Nations. Festival du Voyageur is Western Canada's largest winter festival.

The Minister's mission ended with a speech to the Francophone Symposium of the Canadian Teachers' Federation on the theme of linguistic insecurity. The workshops and conferences focused in particular on the importance of helping young Francophones build a positive relationship with the French language and feel proud about speaking French.

Several dozen members of Manitoba's education community were present to talk with the Minister about Québec's role with respect to the Francophonie within the federation, and the ways in which Québec, through initiatives to promote French in Canada, can help reduce the linguistic insecurity of French-speakers in a minority situation.