Francophone organizations urged to form umbrella group

BY WENDY BIRD

Roughly 30 percent of Greater Sudbury's population considers itself to be francophone, a significant amount of people who are represented by roughly 75 French organizations in the city - from arts and culture to education and health. However, according to a study released from the Office of the Commissioner of Official Languages, the francophone community as a whole needs a coordinating or cooperative mechanism that could bring together all of its players.

"I'm very pleased that (what we've done so far has) proven to be the right strategy. A lot of us h
ave been working for well over a year on how to improve access to quality services in all areas. So today I'm very encouraged by seeing the results of the imperative study that was done by the commission, because it tells us we're on the right track," said Lynne Lamontagne, president of the Association canadienne-française de l'Ontario in Greater Sudbury.

The study identified a series of best practices in four sectors (community governance, health care, immigration and access to government services). The information gathered "indicates there is a degree of community vitality. The francophone community is relatively concentrated and a substantial minority in a province that acknowledges its Francophone population; these are advantages for this community. The organizational density of the Sudbury Francophone community is also significant."

Putting this "organizational density" under the cover of one  umbrella will be key,  said Lamontagne. "We need both the human and financial resources to support this," she added.

Establishing an umbrella group is a feat that cannot be accomplished on a volunteer basis.Lamontagne's group has forwarded a number of funding requests to federal and provincial ministries. "We are waiting for an answer. (But) because we can't confirm a funding support, I asked today for a local investment and we did receive a promise of financial support from College Boréal," she said.

A invitation asking for financial assistance will be forwarded to the 75 organizations. In June 2008 the umbrella group is expected to have all the work plans ready for each of the sectors. That's when a forum will be held so that the francophone community can gather as a collective to determine how to improve access to quality services in all areas.

The study identified culture and education is well organized for francophones, but there are other areas, like justice, "where we have difficulty accessing quality services."

For a copy of the study, visit www.ocol-clo.gc.ca/docs/e/Vitality1_SudburyEN.pdf , or phone 1-877-996-6368.