FEDERAL-PROVINCIAL-TERRITORIAL MEETING OF THE MINISTERS' COUNCIL ON THE CANADIAN FRANCOPHONIE - The economy at the heart of the meeting of ministers responsible for the Canadian Francophonie

YELLOWKNIFE, NT, June 27, 2025 /CNW/ - The Ministers' Council on the Canadian Francophonie (MCCF) held its annual meeting in Yellowknife, Northwest Territories, June 26 and 27, 2025. The discussions focused on the Francophone economy. Under the theme Bringing our communities together by celebrating our languages, the Honourable Caitlin Cleveland and the Honourable Steven Guilbeault co-chaired this meeting of intergovernmental collaboration.

The ministers reaffirmed the Francophonie's positive contribution to the Canadian economy and the importance of promoting its competitive advantage. To this end, they discussed potential ways of fostering business opportunities and promoting market development for Francophone businesses. These discussions were a continuation of the MCCF's Agora on the Francophone economy held in Halifax in August 2024.

With regard to Francophone immigration, the ministers support the Culture d'entreprise [business culture] project, which aims at helping employers promote the retention of French-speaking employees from immigrant backgrounds, in the provinces and territories where French is a minority language. This project, led in collaboration with the Fédération culturelle canadienne-française (FCCF) and Culture pour tous, will be rolled out progressively over a three-year period, at the end of which a range of support tools will be available to all employers.

The ministers also discussed the maintenance of language competence in French between finishing high school and entering the job market. This is seen as essential in meeting workforce needs in all sectors. They also reaffirmed the importance of communications in French during emergencies.

The meeting was also an opportunity to unveil the digital strategy for the How Far Can French Take You? – Le français peut vous mener loin project. The initiative demonstrates, through a series of video clips, how the French language is a source of personal and professional growth. The video clips feature individuals whose rewarding careers are linked to their knowledge of French.

Lastly, the ministers discussed the importance of supporting the discoverability of francophone content in the digital world and increasing the presence of French in the public sphere.

The Government of Manitoba will co-chair the MCCF's next annual meeting, which will take place in Winnipeg in 2026.

"It was an honour to welcome my colleagues to Yellowknife for this year's MCCF meeting. Linguistic and cultural diversity is a source of strength, pride, and prosperity for communities across the country — and especially here in the Northwest Territories. Our discussions helped advance intergovernmental collaboration on priority issues for the Canadian Francophonie, particularly around economic development and supporting vibrant, inclusive communities."

— The Honourable Caitlin Cleveland, Minister of Education, Culture and Employment and Minister of Industry, Tourism and Investment, Northwest Territories

"The Francophonie is at the heart of Canadian identity and is a driver to help us build a strong economy. I am delighted to see that each of us within the MCCF shares a desire to work together to make French a competitive advantage all across the country and to build prosperous Francophone communities. In this third year of the Action Plan for Official Languages, we continue to act in support of Francophone communities from coast to coast to coast. I am pleased to note that we have signed agreements with each province and territory to increase support for government services offered in the minority language, with a historic level of funding, so that Canadians can have access to services in the official language of their choice."

—The Honourable Steven Guilbeault, Minister of Canadian Identity and Culture and Minister responsible for Official Languages

The Ministers' Council on the Canadian Francophonie (MCCF), created in 1994, is an intergovernmental forum that brings together the ministers responsible for the Canadian Francophonie. The MCCF works toward an inclusive and dynamic Francophonie that fully contributes to and participates in the development of Canadian society. The MCCF's website can be found at www.cmfc-mccf.ca.

SOURCE CMFC-MCCF