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London is one of 10 new communities nationwide chosen for a federal program aiming to entice more French-speaking immigrants to Canada to settle outside Quebec.
Only a tiny fraction of Londoners are francophones – about two per cent of the population in the last census – but the Welcoming Francophone Communities program aims to increase that by making it easier for francophone newcomers to integrate, including by improving programs and access to settlement services.
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“Promoting French is of prime importance to us,” Immigration Minister Marc Miller said in a statement. “By welcoming francophone immigrants and supporting them in their integration process, we contribute to the revitalization of these communities, while meeting their skilled workforce needs.”
Cornwall, in eastern Ontario, and Cochrane District, in northern Ontario, are the other two communities in the province joining the program, which now has 24 participating communities across Canada.
Last year alone, 19,600 French-speaking immigrants settled in francophone communities outside Quebec. The government’s goal is that six per cent of all new permanent residents admitted to Canada this year should be French-speakers.
Having two French school boards and two francophone settlement agencies made London an easy choice as Ottawa sought to expand the program, said Nabila Sissaoui of the Francophone Immigration Network of Central-Southwestern Ontario (RIFSCO).
“I’m very happy that London has been chosen,” she said. “I think London has a great potential to be an example for the other communities.”
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Though the francophone community in London is small – about 8,500 people in 2021 – it has been growing rapidly, especially in the last two years, Sissaoui said.
Most francophone newcomers come from countries such as Cameroon, Nigeria, Belgium and Morocco.
In total, the feds are spending $11 million to expand the welcoming community program. Some of that money will go to projects and initiatives designed by participating communities.
“The first step will be to form an advisory committee to be working and supervising the initiative and analyze. what are the community’s and the newcomers’ needs? What can we do better?” Sissaoui said.
“At the end, what we want is that newcomers, when they come to our community, they feel welcome, respected and . . . become part of the community as well.”
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