Manitoba eyes bilingual designation ‘to be at the table’
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WINNIPEG — The Kinew government is applying for a special designation to put its growing francophone community on the map and tap into new markets in French-speaking countries across the world.
Manitoba’s “truly bilingual province” consultations wrapped up on Oct. 31.
Francophone Affairs Minister Glen Simard is reviewing six months of oral and written feedback from Manitobans about what they want their province to sound like.
“What we’re hearing is people want to live their lives in French, and they want it to be easier,” Simard said in a phone interview Sunday.
The minister spoke to the Winnipeg Free Press, in both English and French, from his constituency of Brandon East.
He was scheduled to meet with francophone community leaders in the evening before heading back to Winnipeg to start the work week.
Simard’s office is creating a comprehensive roadmap to bolster local French-language services and cultures.
The government’s immediate actions include submitting an application to join l’Organisation internationale de la Francophonie, also known as OIF, a group with 90 affiliates.
Canada, New Brunswick and Quebec are among its 53 members — a title only given to governments with legislation enshrining French as an official language.
Manitoba wants to join OIF as an observer “to be at the table,” Simard said, noting Ontario and Nova Scotia are the only two Canadian provinces with that special title.
“It’s really important to be able to increase those diplomatic ties — whether it’s for commerce, immigration, partnerships,” the MLA for Brandon East said.
Simard was an elementary teacher at a single-track immersion school in Brandon before running for office in 2023.
École Harrison offers nearly every subject in French, including physical education — Simard’s subject area, which he likened to facilitating “10 birthday parties a day.” Students and staff at the kindergarten-to-Grade 8 site are encouraged to speak French in the hallways and during recess.
French immersion and Français — the latter program is offered via the Division scolaire franco-manitobaine — have surged in popularity over the last 25 years.
DSFM has grown about 40 per cent since it was established in 1995. There are roughly 6,400 students enrolled in 25 francophone schools this fall.
The number of Manitobans who can conduct a conversation in French is on the rise, but the demographic weight of this group is shrinking, according to Statistics Canada.
That figure reached an all-time high of 112,115 in 2021, representing 8.4 per cent of the population — a 30-year-low.
One in 10 residents reported they could speak French in 1996.
» Winnipeg Free Press