Three non-profit provincial organizations will receive funding to enhance services and resources for French-speaking residents in British Columbia.

A total of $250,000 will support initiatives that provide services to youth, newcomers who belong to racial minorities and seniors.

“We are pleased to work with these community organizations to deliver province-wide support to French-speaking residents,” said Adrian Dix, Minister of Health and minister responsible for Francophone Affairs. “We are committed to inclusivity, and continue to invest in initiatives that promote equity and services that recognize the diversity of British Columbia.”

The initiatives receiving financial support are:

Programme d’engagement jeunesse / Youth mentoring Program
Organization: Conseil Jeunesse Francophone de la Colombie-Britannique.
Funding: $66,000
This initiative will connect French-speaking youth, aged 14-25, with francophone non-profit organizations (NGOs) and educational institutions to spearhead and/or contribute to a community volunteer activity. This will add capacity to the francophone NGO sector, while providing youths with various life skills and experiences in their community and creating a sense of belonging and civic engagement.

Inclusion in the Labour Market of Francophone Racial Minorities
Organization: La Coopérative du Relais Francophone de la Colombie-Britannique
Funding: $94,000
This initiative will enhance job prospects for visible francophone racial minorities in British Columbia by assisting in their job search and promoting diversity in the workforce, addressing all forms of discrimination, and striving for a more inclusive and equitable work environment.

Bien veillir chez soi / Aging in place
Organization: Carrefour 50+
Funding: $ 90,000
This initiative will connect French-speaking people who are 50 and older with French-speaking paramedical service providers. The purpose of the program is to identify and provide a suite of paramedical services to francophones seniors who wish to age at home.

Quick Facts:

• Over the past six years, $1.5 million has been distributed to support 26 initiatives in priority areas, such as health, early learning and child care, prevention of violence against women, historical record preservation, and access to French resources and community information for young families with children.
• French is one of Canada’s two official languages.
• In addition to being home to thousands of French-speaking citizens, British Columbia welcomes and hosts many French-speaking domestic and international visitors, students, and workers, all of whom contribute to the social, cultural, linguistic and economic richness of the province.

Learn More:

For a list of projects supported by provincial funding, visit: https://news.gov.bc.ca/files/FundedProjects.pdf