Concrete support for the Franco-Ontarian community: the Governments of Canada and Ontario announce a major investment in Collège Boréal

SUDBURY, ON - The Government of Canada is committed to making sure all Canadians can learn and grow in the official language of their choice. We know that investing in post-secondary institutions is the path to take in order to equip young people for their future and promote the vitality of official-language minority communities.

Today, Marc Serré, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Official Languages, accompanied by Viviane Lapointe, Member of Parliament for Sudbury, announced more than $8 million in funding for Collège Boréal. He made this announcement on behalf of the Honourable Ginette Petitpas Taylor, Minister of Official Languages and Minister responsible for the Atlantic Canada Opportunities Agency.

Thanks to this funding, Collège Boréal will start work to develop new bachelor’s degrees that will address specific training and labour needs in Northern Ontario.

In addition to responding to a great need for programs offered in Northern Ontario, the development of Collège Boréal’s new French-language post-secondary programs will make it possible to increase access to high-quality education for the province’s student population, including rural regions.

The project is funded under the Canada–Ontario Agreement on Minority-Language Education and Second-Language Instruction (2020–2021 to 2022–2023). The Government of Canada will provide $5.1 million over three years to improve programs at Collège Boréal, and the Government of Ontario will provide just over $2.9 million over three years.

Quotes

“Thanks to today’s investment, the province will offer the Francophone and Francophile student population a wider range of training that meet the needs of the Franco-Ontarian community. Canada needs highly qualified and committed workforce in French-speaking communities. We are proud to work closely with the province on this project and to contribute to the economic, social and cultural vitality of Northern Ontario.”

—The Honourable Ginette Petitpas Taylor, Minister of Official Languages and Minister responsible for the Atlantic Canada Opportunities Agency

“Thanks to this joint investment with the province of Ontario, we are enabling Collège Boréal to stand out with an interesting service offer. In addition to representing the college’s areas of interest, the programs offered will better meet the needs of the Francophone student population and prepare them for their entry into the job market. More students who wish to pursue a career in French will now be able to do so.”

- Marc G. Serré, Member of Parliament for Nickel Belt and Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Official Languages“Our government recognizes the importance of providing learners with high-quality French-language education options, especially in Northern Ontario. That’s why we are proud to support Collège Boréal in developing more French-language post-secondary programs over the next three years, providing flexible opportunities for Ontarians to learn, live and thrive in the language of their choice.”

—The Honourable Jill Dunlop, Ontario Minister of Colleges and Universities

“Our government is committed to providing rural communities with the tools they need to capitalize on business growth and job creation opportunities. By supporting initiatives that enable municipalities, such as French River, to advance their economic initiatives and succeed in the post-Covid-19 economy, we are helping to retain youth in the region and encourage a strong sustainable future for all of Northern Ontario.” - Marc G. Serré, Member of Parliament for Nickel Belt and Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Official Languages

“Today’s $8 million investment in Sudbury, and Collège Boréal specifically, demonstrates the confidence our governments of Canada and Ontario have in our Franco-Ontarian future and the Franco-Ontarian youth.  Collège Boréal is a leader in providing quality, French-language, post-secondary education programs. I look forward to seeing the success of these programs, and more importantly, the success of our young people.”

—Viviane Lapointe, Member of Parliament for Sudbury

“This announcement marks an important milestone in the history of Collège Boréal, which recently celebrated its 25th anniversary. This new chapter promises to be a dynamic one, as we offer even more choices for post-secondary education in French in Sudbury and ultimately throughout Ontario. Thanks to this generous investment by the federal and provincial governments, our competent teams are ready to set up bachelor’s degree programs that will prepare the next generation of Francophone and bilingual citizens.”

—Daniel Giroux, President, Collège Boréal

Quick Facts

• Founded in 1995, Collège Boréal is a French-language post-secondary institution. Located in Sudbury, the college has 38 access centres in 26 communities across the province, including 7 main campuses in Hearst, Kapuskasing, Nipissing, Sudbury, Timmins, Toronto, and Windsor.
• Since its founding in 1995, more than 18,000 students have graduated from Collège Boréal. The institution currently offers 25 programs that are unique in Ontario, and over $1.2 million in scholarships and bursaries.
• In June 2008, Collège Boréal became the first post-secondary institution in Ontario to receive designation under the French Language Services Act.
• Degree programs offered by Ontario colleges are subject to approval by the Minister of Colleges and Universities via the Ministerial consent process. College degree programs are reviewed by the Postsecondary. Education Quality Assessment Board, a quality assurance agency which provides advice and recommendations to the Minister.
• Budget 2021 provides $121 million over three years (2021–2022 to 2023–2024) to support high-quality post-secondary education in a minority language. These new investments will be made primarily through existing intergovernmental collaboration mechanisms to help provinces and territories address pressing needs and help stabilize the minority-language post-secondary sector.
• Federal funding for this project is through the Official Languages Support Programs, whose overall goal is to enhance the vitality of English- and French-speaking minority communities and promote the English and French languages in Canadian society.
• The project is funded under the Canada–Ontario Agreement on Minority-Language Education and Second Official-Language Instruction 2020–2021 to 2022–2023.
• On March 1, 2022, the Government of Canada introduced an enhanced bill promoting the substantive equality of Canada’s official languages, in order to adapt the Official Languages Act to a changing society. Among other objectives, the bill aims to address the decline of French in Canada, clarify and strengthen the section of the Official Languages Act dealing with the promotion of official languages, and support official-language minority communities.
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Associated Links

• Act for the Substantive Equality of Canada’s Official Languages
• Budget 2021
• Action Plan for Official Languages – 2018–2023: Investing in Our Future
• Official Languages Support Programs
• Collège Boréal

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Media Contact
Matthew Ierino
Special Assistant, Marc G. Serré MP for Nickel Belt
[email protected]
705-507-2416

Marianne Blondin
Press Secretary
Office of the Minister of Official Languages and Minister responsible for the Atlantic Canada Opportunities Agency
[email protected]