Ottawa, November 3, 2014 — Canada’s Citizenship and Immigration Minister, Chris Alexander, issued the following statement to recognize Francophone Immigration Week:
“As we begin Canada’s second annual Francophone Immigration Week, we recognize the important contributions of Francophone newcomers and consider this an opportunity to highlight our Government’s efforts to increase the number of Francophone immigrants in francophone minority communities across the country.
“Just over one million Francophones live in provinces and territories other than Quebec, and we believe that increasing that number will only further enrich our country’s rich linguistic duality.
“Last year, our Government unveiled our new Roadmap for Official Languages, and immigration was a key aspect of our long-range goal to strengthen and ensure the vitality of Canada’s official languages. Citizenship and Immigration Canada is investing $24.9-million dollars that directly supports immigration to Official Language Minority Communities.
“As Canada’s Citizenship and Immigration Minister, I encourage all Canadians to celebrate the many contributions of Francophone immigrants, as we work towards strengthening Canada’s diverse Francophone minority communities.”
For further information (media only), please contact:
Kevin Menard
Minister’s Office
Citizenship and Immigration Canada
613-954-1064
Media Relations
Communications Branch
Citizenship and Immigration Canada
613-952-1650
CIC-Media-Relations@cic.gc.ca
Building a stronger Canada: Citizenship and Immigration Canada (CIC) strengthens Canada’s economic, social and cultural prosperity, helping ensure Canadian safety and security while managing one of the largest and most generous immigration programs in the world.
