Happy International Day of La Francophonie!

GATINEAU, March 20, 2024

Today, the Honourable Randy Boissonnault, Minister of Employment, Workforce Development and Official Languages, issued the following statement to mark the International Day of La Francophonie:

“On this International Day of La Francophonie, I join Francophone communities across Canada and around the world in celebrating the richness of the French language and its contribution worldwide. Our commitment to promoting and protecting French remains unwavering, and I am delighted to share with you the considerable progress that we have made in this area. As part of our Action Plan for Official Languages 2023–2028, we are implementing, in collaboration with other departments, provinces, territories and community stakeholders, innovative measures to strengthen the status of French in all parts of society.

With the modernization and strengthening of the Official Languages Act last year, we can better address the needs of our country’s official minority language communities. This modernized Act reflects our commitment to linguistic and cultural diversity, while ensuring increased protection for French and English. It also commits the federal government to promoting bilingualism and the use of French on the international stage.

Together, by celebrating our Francophone heritage, implementing bold policies and embracing our linguistic diversity, we will continue to build a stronger, more inclusive Canada.

Happy International Day of La Francophonie!”