For immediate release
June 12, 2020, OTTAWA – Following the decision of the Supreme Court of Canada in favour of the Conseil scolaire francophone de la Colombie-Britannique (CSF) and the Fédération des parents francophones de la Colombie-Britannique (FPFCB) on the constitutional right to finance French-language minority education, Lucille Collard, MLA for Ottawa-Vanier and Liberal critic for the Attorney General, Amanda Simard, MPP for Glengarry—Prescott—Russell and Liberal critic for Francophone Affairs, and Kathleen Wynne, MPP for Don-Valley-West and Liberal critic for Education, issued the following statement:
“We would like to thank the Conseil scolaire francophone (CSF) and the Fédération des parents francophones de la Colombie-Britannique (FPFCB) for all their efforts, determination and hard work over the past ten years.
This is a historic day for French-language education across the country. The Supreme Court clearly stated that children studying in French or English must receive the same quality of service and educational experience at school. Regardless of the size of the Francophone population in a region, the Court found that there was an obligation to ensure substantive equality in the educational service provided. No matter where you are in Canada, you are entitled to a quality education in French.
Education is the cornerstone of the preservation of our language and culture. Each region must be able to maintain its Francophone cultural identity and have the necessary tools to do so. Quality education must therefore be accessible in every corner of our country. The decision of the Supreme Court of Canada sets an important precedent, not only for British Columbia but for all provinces in Canada.
Our country is based on bilingualism, French being the language of one of the two founding peoples. The right to a quality education in French is a constitutional right, and every young francophone who wants to learn French must have access to it.
Our party protected and defended the rights of francophones. We created the first ministry of francophone affairs. We have supported the Université de l’Ontario français project from the beginning and continue to support its implementation.”
For more information, contact:
Liam Roche
Special Assistant, Communications for Lucille Collard, MPP
613-981-5426
Liz Davidson
Executive Assistant to Amanda Simard, MPP
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