Published plans and annual reports 2021-2022: Ministry of Francophone Affairs

Ministry Overview

Ministry’s vision

As steward of the French Language Services Act and main advisor to the government on Francophone affairs and French language services, the Ministry of Francophone Affairs works with other provincial ministries and agencies to ensure that Francophones have access to high-quality French language services in designated areas of the province and that the needs and interests of the French-speaking population are taken into account in the development and implementation of public policies and programs.

The ministry also plays a role in facilitating the participation of the Francophone community in government-related initiatives and ensuring that Francophones can contribute fully to the growth and socio-economic development of the province.

To achieve this, the ministry:

1. Oversees the administration of the French Language Services Act and works with ministries and agencies to ensure that legislative obligations are met, and French language services are available in designated areas of the province.
2. Coordinates the implementation of French language services in newly designated areas and makes recommendations with respect to the designation of new areas and agencies under the French Language Services Act.
3. Provides expert advice to ministries and agencies and develops resources to support their efforts in delivering high-quality French language services.
4. Engages with the Francophone community to identify their interests and service needs, and to facilitate initiatives that directly support Franco-Ontarians.
5. Promotes Francophone affairs inside the government and partners with key ministries on policy and program initiatives to foster the participation of the Francophone community.
6. Collaborates with other jurisdictions to establish mutually beneficial partnerships, as well as promotes Ontario’s Francophonie at the national and international levels.

COVID-19 Response

The Ministry of Francophone Affairs continues to play a key role in government efforts to reach out to Francophones across the province and ensure they have access to and understand instructions and critical information in French on ways to protect their health. Important measures implemented by the government include:

• Providing simultaneous French interpretation and French subtitling during the live broadcast of both the daily government press conferences and the Chief Medical Officer of Health updates; and
• Ensuring that the content of the Government’s multi-phased awareness campaigns is available in French and is distributed through key Francophone print, web, radio, and TV outlets.

To support the Francophone community, the ministry launched the COVID-19 Relief Fund for Francophone Non-Profit Organizations, which provides one-time emergency financial assistance to support this sector’s recovery. The COVID-19 Relief Fund is providing $3M over two years to help prevent closures and retain and recruit skilled bilingual staff. This initiative responds to issues identified through consultations with key Francophone economic and community stakeholders from the Ministerial Advisory Committee on Francophone Economic Recovery post COVID-19.

Ministry Programs

The Ministry of Francophone Affairs oversees the administration of the French Language Services Act, works with ministries and agencies to ensure that the needs and interests of the Franco-Ontarian community are taken into account in public policies and programs, and facilitates the participation of the Franco-Ontarian community in government-related initiatives.

The ministry’s key roles in this regard are:

• Working with ministries to ensure French-language services delivery in designated areas across the province.
• Monitoring and evaluating the effectiveness of the French Language Services Act by reporting on ministries’ achievements and corporate performance measures on an annual basis.
• Analyzing census data and generating statistical profiles on the province’s Franco-Ontarian population.
• Making recommendations regarding the designation of new areas and agencies under the French Language Services Act and coordinating the implementation of services in newly designated areas.
• Coordinating the transfer of federal funding to other ministries and agencies for projects and initiatives funded under the Canada-Ontario Agreement on French Language Services.
• Overseeing Ontario’s participation in national and international governing bodies including the Ministerial Conference on the Canadian Francophonie and the Organisation internationale de la Francophonie.

Additionally, the ministry facilitates a strategic approach to Francophone economic development designed to meet both the immediate and long-term needs of Francophone businesses and organizations and which supports the cultural and economic vitality of Ontario’s Francophone communities.

The ministry manages the Francophone Community Grants Program to provide the community with funding to support initiatives that raise the profile of Ontario’s Francophonie, and supports economic development for Francophone-owned businesses as well as businesses serving Francophone markets.

The ministry coordinates the joint funding of interprovincial projects and initiatives with the government of Quebec through the Ontario-Québec Cooperation and Exchange Agreement with Respect to the Francophonie.

2021-22 Strategic Plan

The Ministry of Francophone Affairs supports the government’s plan to harness Ontario’s potential to create a more competitive business environment as well as the government’s commitment to build a province where everyone can have the opportunity to share in economic prosperity. The government recognizes the contribution of the Francophone community to the province’s social, cultural and economic development. As a result, the government will continue to help Francophone communities across Ontario promote their culture, grow their businesses, and encourage greater community engagement.

In 2021-22, the ministry will focus on the following key activities:

• Building on its initial investment of $2M over two years in the COVID-19 Relief Fund for Francophone Non-Profit Organizations by providing an additional $1M in 2021-22 to support the network of Francophone non-profit organizations impacted by the pandemic with their operating costs. This funding is crucial to ensuring that these organizations can continue to contribute to the vitality of Ontario’s Francophone community.
• Investing an additional $3M over three years in the Francophone Community Grants Program to better meet the increased need and demand for support from community organizations, including social enterprises and small businesses that serve Ontario’s Francophone community across all regions. This investment will continue to support the cultural and economic vitality of Ontario’s Francophone communities.
• Working with partner ministries on a strategic approach to Francophone economic development to support Francophone entrepreneurship and innovation.
• Working with partner ministries to improve access to and the quality of front-line French-language government services, particularly in the areas of health, mental health, education, training and retraining, immigration, justice, culture and tourism, as well as community and social services.
• Completing the designation process review with partner ministries, entities and agencies to streamline the designation process under the French Language Services Act.
• Starting in 2021-22, Ontario is dedicating $0.3M annually for the next three years to support shared projects led by Franco-Ontarians under the Ontario-Québec Cooperation and Exchange Agreement with Respect to the Francophonie.
• Expected outcomes include:
  • Government services are readily available in French in designated areas across the province.
  • Francophone businesses and non-profit organizations are supported through this time of increased need due to COVID-19.
  • Francophone-owned and operated businesses and business that serve French-speaking markets have access to targeted support to help them grow their business and contribute to the prosperity of their communities.
  • Government policy, programs and initiatives that affect Franco-Ontarians are developed with consideration given to their interests and needs.

Table 1: Ministry Planned Expenditures 2021-22 ($M)

Detailed Financial Information

Table 2: Combined Operating and Capital Summary by Vote

Operating and Capital Summary by Vote

Historic Trend Table

For additional financial information, see:
https://www.ontario.ca/page/expenditure-estimates
https://www.ontario.ca/page/public-accounts
https://budget.ontario.ca/2021/contents.html

Contact:
Charles-Jean Sucsan, Director, Strategic Communications
charlesjean.sucsan@ontario.ca
416-325-4968

Agencies, Boards and Commissions (ABCs)

Provincial Advisory Committee on Francophone Affairs

Provides advice to the Minister of Francophone Affairs on the development of strategies, priorities and programs that affect Ontario’s Francophone community, and on the planning and delivery of French language services across the Government of Ontario.

Ministerial Advisory Committee on Francophone Economic Recovery post COVID-19

The Ministerial Advisory Committee on Francophone Economic Recovery post COVID-19 gathered insights from Francophone businesses and community organizations into the impacts of the pandemic on their operations and identified innovative approaches and ideas to support their return to full capacity. This information and the key findings of the Committee were shared with the Ontario Jobs and Recovery Committee.

The work of this Advisory Committee, which is now complete, has helped inform the ministry’s decisions and identify priorities regarding Francophone economic development.

Legislation

Legislation administered by the ministry:

French Language Services Act

The French Language Services Act protects the rights of Franco-Ontarians to have access to French language services provided by or on behalf of the provincial government, notably in designated areas of the province.

Franco-Ontarian Day Act, 2010

This Act proclaims September 25 of each calendar year as Franco-Ontarian Day. The act officially recognizes the contributions of the Francophone community in Ontario to the social, economic and political life of the Province and the community’s importance in Ontario.

Ministry Organization Chart

April 2021

• Minister of Francophone Affairs – Caroline Mulroney
  • Parliamentary Assistant to the Minister of Francophone Affairs - Natalia Kusendova
• Deputy Minister - Marie-Lison Fougère
  • Executive Assistant to the Deputy Minister - Laura Jamer
  • Director, Human Resources - Jennifer Stewart^{footnote 3[3]}
  • Director,Corporate Finance - Nadia Eid^{footnote 4[4]}
  • Director, Regional Services and Corporate Support - Marie Campbell^{footnote 4[4]}
  • Director, Strategic Policy Development and Planning - Kristina Lauesen^{footnote 4[4]}
  • Legal Director - Cheryl Carson (Acting)^{footnote 5[5]}
• Assistant Deputy Minister / Chief Administrative Officer - Jean-Claude Camus
  • Director, Strategic Communications - Charles Jean Sucsan
  • Director, Policy Research & Services - Maria Lamani

Appendix: 2020-21 annual report

The following outlines the Ministry of Francophone Affairs’ major accomplishments in delivering on key priorities:

• Supported Franco-Ontarian entrepreneurs and businesses through a new investment of $0.5M to fund the creation of a provincial Francophone business network to help organizations share expertise, build strategic alliances and foster product innovation and market expansion. The investment also helped to create a digital platform to promote products and services from Francophone businesses. Both of these initiatives responded to the recommendations of the Ministerial Advisory Committee on Francophone Economic Recovery Post COVID-19 which was set up to consult with key Francophone economic and community stakeholders and advise on challenges and solutions related to the pandemic.
• Provided $1M to 32 Francophone non-profit organizations through the COVID-19 Relief Fund for Non-Profit Francophone Organizations to support and strengthen Ontario’s Francophone non-profit network. Administered by the Assemblée de la francophonie de l’Ontario, the Fund provided emergency funding to Francophone non-profit organizations across the province that spanned several sectors, including health, community services, child services, immigration support, and arts and culture.
• Provided $1M to 29 organizations as part of the 2020-21 Francophone Community Grants Program. The projects, selected through a competitive process, span several key sectors, including health and wellness, information technology, community services, and arts and culture.
• Conducted a pilot project to streamline the French-language services designation process for agencies by reducing the number of requirements from 35 to 20 and by reducing the processing time for a designation request. The streamlined designation process is expected to encourage requests for designation under the French Language Services Act and thereby increase access to French-language services provided by designated agencies. Five organizations that participated in the pilot project have received their designation status. The ministry also worked to digitalize the designation process.

Table 3: Ministry Interim Actual Expenditures 2020-21