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Simcoe North residents rally to support francophones (5 photos)

About 200 people demonstrated Saturday outside MPP Jill Dunlop's Midland office

Franco-Ontarians have no plans to lose any of their hard-won gains or give up hope for a new French university.

Those were a couple of the key messages outlined by some of the nearly 200 area residents attending Saturday’s rally in Midland to oppose what some view as an anti-francophone bias by Premier Doug Ford’s Progressive Conservative government.

Penetanguishene resident Lucie Charlebois said that with nearly 600,000 francophones living in Ontario, it’s essential Franco-Ontarians stand up for their rights and remain united.

“It’s important that we show our children that we haven’t forgotten what past generations did to keep our language and culture strong,” she said. “We will fight for our rights. We’re not backing down.”

Midland was one of nearly 40 Ontario municipalities that featured protests, with similar events also staged in Barrie at MPP Doug Downey’s constituency office and in front of Ford’s Etobicoke office.

The rallies were organized following the Ford government’s announcement that it would downgrade the province’s independent French-language services watchdog and scrap a planned French-language university slated for the Toronto area.

And, earlier this week, MPP Amanda Simard, who worked closely with provincial cabinet minister Caroline Mulroney, left the party to sit as an independent due to the PCs’ direction on the francophone front.

With many participants dressed in green and white garb and waving placards at passing motorists who often honked back their support, the Midland group also sang several popular chansons, including what’s become the Franco-Ontarian anthem, Notre Place (Our Place), and a piece by well-known Lafontaine artist Damien Robitaille.

JulieAnne Flack, who works with the region’s French Catholic school board, said Franco-Ontarians should be able to study in their first language with a dedicated French-language university.

“Education is good for the economy,” she said, noting the university would have not only attracted Franco-Ontarians, but also French speakers from other parts of Canada and the world.

Standing in front of Simcoe North MPP Jill Dunlop’s constituency office, Flack said it’s essential that Franco-Ontarians continue to feel pride in their rich heritage and culture.

“We need to continue to fight for what we believe,” she said, noting it wasn’t long ago that Franco-Ontarians had to fight diligently to get their own French-language high schools, including Penetanguishene’s École secondaire Le Caron.

“We had our own French-language commissioner. (The Ford government is) diluting a lot of what we have and we want it back the way it was.”

Dunlop decided to attend the rally after learning about it on social media.

“I wanted to stop by and hear their concerns,” she said, pointing out the government isn’t scrapping the notion of a French-language university, but rather putting it on hold until the province’s finances are in better form.

“Our province is in a financial crisis,” she said. “It’s not a disrespect of the francophone population. It’s the financial situation in our province.

“As far as the French university, it’s not abolished or off the books. It’s on hold until we’re in a better financial situation. It’s not like we’re never going to look at it again.”

There was a time when Franco-Ontarians might change their surnames to be better accepted into English society. During those days, a person named Roi might become a King, a Lalumière Light and a Le Brun Brown.

But those attending Saturday’s rally event said they have no intention of returning to those days or seeing the rights they have fought for in any way diminished.

“If we accept these kinds of things, we would be going in reverse,” Charlebois said. “We will fight for our rights.”

Lafontaine’s Nadine Lalonde said Franco-Ontarians have called the province home for more than 400 years and have no intention of leaving.

“It’s important that we stand together as a united people,” Lalonde said, adding the current government’s moves are similar to those conducted under former Tory premier Mike Harris during the 1990s that included an attempt to close an Ottawa-area French-language hospital.

“This is very much like the Montfort (Hospital). We will remain strong.”


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Andrew Philips

About the Author: Andrew Philips

Editor Andrew Philips is a multiple award-winning journalist whose writing has appeared in some of the country’s most respected news outlets. Originally from Midland, Philips returned to the area from Québec City a decade ago.
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