REGINA - French language education got a boost in Saskatchewan on Friday with the announcement of funding for Fransaskois post-secondary institutions.
The federal and provincial governments announced $7.1 million in funding for three projects at Saskatchewan’s French-language post-secondary educational institutions, the University of Regina’s La Cité universitaire francophone and Collège Mathieu.
The first project goes to stabilization and consolidation of Francophone post-secondary programs at the two institutions. The plan is to increase programs, courses and services offered. Funding is $3,590,000 from the Government of Canada in Budget 2021 to support high-quality post-secondary education in the minority language: the province also supports the project.
Funding also goes towards renovation of De Mazenod Hall at Collège Mathieu to restore classrooms, conference rooms and a library. Additional upgrades to such items as drainage, ventilation and HVAC are also being supported. The Feds are contributing $1,060,000 to this project.
The third project is modernization of classrooms, meeting rooms and community spaces at the University of Regina’s La Cité universitaire francophone. Spaces are being modernized to provide a quality teaching environment and meet the growing demand of the Fransaskois community; the plan is also for these spaces to host community cultural activities. Equipment for hybrid teaching, distance learning and simultaneous translation services will be installed. The Feds are providing $133,525, with the province also supporting the project.
The announcement was made at the University of Regina’s La Cité universitaire francophone by Hon. Ginette Petitpas Taylor, federal Minister for Official Languages and Minister responsible for the Atlantic Canada Opportunities Agency, and by Hon. Gordon Wyant, Minister of Advanced Education for Saskatchewan. Also on hand for the announcement were representatives including Emmanuel Aito, Director, La Cité universitaire francophone, René Archambault, Chair of the Board of Directors, Collège Mathieu, and Jeff Keshen, President and Vice-Chancellor of the University of Regina.
The three projects are being funded through the Canada–Saskatchewan Agreement for Minority-Language Education and Second-Language Instruction 2019–20 to 2022–23. Of the $7.1 million being allocated, the federal contribution is $4.7 million.
In speaking to reporters Petitpas Taylor cited the importance of making sure these post-secondary institutions are properly supported for minority languages.
“If you truly want to retain and to recruit immigrants in this area, we have to make sure they have access to the institutions, the training facilities, access to services and the list goes on. This investment today again is going to enhance that student experience at these two facilities and that is really, really key. Students want to have access to state of the art programs and they want to have access to quality education. And we have to make the investment in these facilities.”
She also pointed to the importance of having those institutions available to allow Francophones to be able to stay in their home province instead of go elsewhere, especially ones where it is the minority language.
“Being from New Brunswick and living in a minority community language, I had the opportunity to study in French and as a result I've stayed in my community and worked for 30 some years now. I really Have to say it's because of the access to institutions that we have in the province why I chose to stay there and why I chose to study there. If not the option was going to be other Francophone institutions across the country, and I’m not sure I would have returned home. We just don’t know what the future would have brought.”
Wyant thanked the federal government for their support, noting the importance of French language education in bringing people to Saskatchewan.
“Immigration to this province is key to continuing to support our workforce needs in the province. Certainly immigration from a number of a French speaking countries continues to be important,” said Wyant.
“Ensuring we can provide adequate French language education, specially with their children when they come here, is critically important to our economy.”
In addition to the funding announcement, Minister Petitpas Taylor was also on hand in Regina for consultations for the Official Languages Action Plan for the next five years.
The plan was to meet with stakeholders and intervenors in the field of official languages to look at the issues and challenges and also the opportunities, and then incorporate those into their Action Plan.
