Province antes up $5.9M for Francophone celebrations

The Ontario government will provide $5.9 million to support cultural celebrations marking the 400th anniversary of Francophone presence in Ontario next year, Premier Kathleen Wynne announced in Sudbury today.

Wynne was in town to take part in the raising of the Franco-Ontarian flag.

The funding will support a wide range of local and regional events that celebrate Franco-Ontarian culture. Commemorative events will take place from June to September 2015, and are expected to yield long-term economic benefits for Ontario, said a news release from the province.

The events will help to boost tourism and create jobs in Ontario communities as visitors from across the province, Canada and the world join in the celebrations.

A number of community and agency partners are also planning tourism, cultural, educational and legacy projects for the 400th anniversary celebrations. Many of these projects will dovetail with the Pan American and Parapan American Games, so the province can showcase Franco-Ontarian culture to an international audience.

More than 600,000 Francophones live in Ontario, the largest French-speaking community in Canada outside of Quebec. About 14 per cent of Franco-Ontarians were born outside of Canada.