A new agreement between Canada and B.C. means French-speaking British Columbians will have improved access to programs and provincial services in French.

Adrian Dix, B.C.’s Minister of Health and Minister responsible for Francophone Affairs in British Columbia, has signed a five-year agreement on French-language services with the Government of Canada.

Under this new agreement, the federal government and B.C. will each contribute $700,000, for a total of $1.4 million per year, for five years. B.C. conducted a provincewide consultation on the needs and priorities of the diverse francophone community and this agreement reflects what the government heard. The new agreement is aimed at providing better services for French-speaking people to ensure their increased participation in making B.C. stronger and more inclusive.

“Being the first province to sign the agreement with the federal government is great news for French-speaking individuals living in B.C.,” Dix said.

“Strengthening access to services is a priority for our government,” said Mélanie Joly, federal Minister of Tourism, Official Languages and La Francophonie. “This is one of the pillars of the Action Plan for Official Languages 2018-2023, the largest investment ever made in Canada’s official languages. The strength of our two official languages goes hand-in-hand with the vitality of the official-languages minority communities, and I recognize British Columbia’s valuable contribution in helping make this commitment a reality.”

This agreement will keep provincial French-language services funded until 2023. The agreement covers a wide range of French-language services and programs in sectors such as economic development, early childhood, justice, as well as arts and culture.

“B.C. supports Canada’s linguistic duality as a fundamental Canadian value. The signing of this agreement reaffirms B.C.’s commitment to national unity,” Dix said.