Sudbury Francophones Await Politicians Firmly

Services in French on a daily basis exist, whether it is a form available in French, bilingual signage or a contact person who can answer questions from the community in French.

” Hospital service is better. It got better. There are slightly more francophones working at the hospital. So you have the chance to be served in your language too. »

But Franco-Ontarians deplore that too often, you have to fight, ask again and again to have access. Or too often, it’s by chance that we find someone who can help us in French.

” These are battles, often small ones, but always constant. We have to hold our own all the time, all the time »

A main issue

In the greater Sudbury region, the abolition of French language programs at Laurentian University in April 2021 still represents a great wound.

Francophones have still not come to terms with the dismantling of post-secondary education in French in the Middle North and are asking for concrete commitments from the province to make the University of Sudbury the French-language university by and for Francophones.

For Joanne Gervais, the general manager of theACFOAssociation of Francophone Communities of Ontario Greater Sudbury, this will be the fundamental file for the greater Sudbury region in this election campaign that is getting underway.

The organization will also reserve a section of the questionnaire that it sends to the parties at each election on this issue.

Francophones want to know what the intentions of political parties are in this regard.

And they hope to have answers from each party. Usually, the Progressive Conservatives do not respond to the questionnaire sent to them.

” For me, the priority, unequivocally, is the French-language university in the Middle North. We must ensure without fail that we have a strong independent institution. We must remove Laurentian University’s programming and give it to the University of Sudbury to make it a strong university. To recover our young people that we have lost for two years. »

It will take us generations to rebuild what has been taken away from us (…) The essential question for the Middle North is what are you going to do for education for Francophones?adds Ms. Gervais.

Words or actions?

Denise Perreault, Juliette Lavoie-Gaboury and Carmen Dutrisac are three sisters who have lived all their lives in the greater Sudbury area. They were raised in French. They raised their families in French.

Now retired, they will follow the election campaign very closely this year.

They are hopeful that the election campaign will be able to help Francophones in Ontario make gains, but they remain on their guard.

They have been disappointed on more than one occasion.

” They (the politicians) come to Sudbury, they make nice speeches, nice promises. We are used to these promises in northern Ontario. Often empty promises. It becomes a vicious circle. I am sorry. Can’t say it’s going to get better. It’s discouraging. »

They are demanding more commitments for postsecondary education in French in Sudbury, more money and resources for health care and long-term care in French, and ideally, party leaders who speak French.

The minority of the minority

About a quarter of Greater Sudbury’s population is French-speaking, according to ACFO du Grand Sudbury. This is without counting all those who are able to participate in a conversation in French.

Newcomers represent 5 to 10% of this Francophone population.

This minority within the minority has particular challenges, according to Gouled Hassan, project coordinator at Contact interculturel francophone de Sudbury.

These newcomers are often faced with problems of discrimination, economic challenges and integration into the Franco-Ontarian community, which adds to the difficulties experienced by Francophones already established in their community.

Francophone immigrants do not always have the same reflex of demanding loud and clear the services in French to which they are entitled.

” They don’t have that aspect or that education to ask for services in French. When you move to a new country, you lose a bit of yourself. We lose our self-esteem because we have to recreate ourselves. It takes some time to become the person who left his country of origin. »

These newcomers represent the future of the Franco-Ontarian community.

Gouleb Hassan insists on the importance of properly integrating them as soon as they arrive. He believes that politicians have a role to play at this level to ensure that the resources and tools to facilitate the arrival of these Francophones are available.