Franco-Ontarian Day – Statement by the Leader of the Liberal Party of Canada

September 25, 2019

The leader of the Liberal Party of Canada, Justin Trudeau, today issued the following statement on Franco-Ontarian Day:

“Today we celebrate the rich history and significant contribution Franco-Ontarians have made to our country. On this Franco-Ontarian Day, I would like to acknowledge the largest Francophone minority community in the country.

On September 25, 1975, the beautiful Franco-Ontarian flag was raised for the first time in front of the University of Sudbury. I want to recognize the work of all those who still today defend their presence and their choice to live in French in Ontario. I also want to take the occasion to emphasize our ongoing commitment to always denounce injustice and to stand with the Franco-Ontarian community and with all Francophones.

Strengthening our official languages and the vitality of linguistic minority communities is rooted in the values of the Liberal Party of Canada. Everyday we work to make Canada a country where we can live and grow in the language of our choice.

Over the course of our mandate, we worked diligently with official language minority communities across Canada and we are proud of the work we accomplished. From our Action Plan for Official Languages which includes an historic $2.7 billion investment, to the restoration of the Court Challenges Program, the nomination of bilingual judges to the Supreme Court of Canada, and the recent memorandum of co-operation for the creation of a Francophone University in Ontario, we are and will be here for you.

As part of the modernization of the Official Languages Act, a re-elected Liberal government will continue its work and do even more. Together, we will take on important projects to benefit future generations of Francophones and Francophiles in Ontario and across Canada.”