Our Initiative
The Welcoming Francophone Communities initiative is an outcome of the goal to create an integration model for Francophone immigrants in a minority setting, where French is not the main language spoken.
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At the initiative of the Fédération des communautés francophones et acadienne du Canada (FCFA) and funded by Immigration Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC), the Welcoming Francophone Community initiative has been planned and launched in selected communities in each province, including here in Prince George, British Columbia.
Mission
The goal of this project is to welcome francophone newcomers in regions that are further from the major cities and to ensure their lasting integration in the community. This makes it a great opportunity to expand both the size and the visibility of the francophone community in the province of British Columbia!
Implementation of the initiative
The implementation is carried out by three stakeholders:
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Le Cercle des Canadiens Français de Prince George (CCFPG) develops and sets up the services outlined in the community plan and offers them to Francophone newcomers, in partnership with local and provincial organisations.
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Le Réseau en immigration francophone (RIFCB) is mainly involved in awareness raising, mobilisation and community co-ordination around the initiatives of B.C.’s Welcoming Francophone Community. It implements the indirect activities of the community plan and supports the members of the Community Advisory Committee.
The Community Advisory Committee (CAC) is the instance in charge of the concertation and follow-up of the advancement of the community plan.
History
In 2018, following a request for proposals, Prince George was selected for the Welcoming Francophone Communities pilot project, launched by Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC), with provincial support from the B.C. Francophone Immigration Program.
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In 2019, a Community Advisory Committee (CAC) was set up to draft the road map for the project. The members analysed the needs of the sector in terms of the reception and integration of immigrants and they designed a community plan detailing the activities intended for francophone newcomers.
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In 2020, the activities were officially launched for a 3-year period and the community was provided with a full settlement service in French!
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