Quebec Justice Minister Sonia LeBel tables legislation, Thursday, June 13, 2019 at the legislature in Quebec City.Jacques Boissinot/The Canadian Press
Quebec is proposing setting aside one day every year to celebrate the Canadian Francophonie as part of a three-year plan to reinforce French language across the country.
Treasury Board Chair Sonia LeBel says she will push for the adoption of March 22 as an official day at the National Assembly, and an occasion for Quebecers to learn about other francophone communities.
The proposal was part of an 80-solutions policy unveiled at a news conference Sunday where she said Quebec has a role to play in supporting other French-speaking communities.
She says reinforcing and supporting French-speakers doesn’t diminish English communities but is a reminder there are two official languages.
The government also pledged additional funding toward the promotion of the French language across Canada, for a total of $24.5 million over the next three years.
Quebec introduced the policy on Canada’s Francophonie in 2006, to establish strong relationships between provinces that are home to French-Canadians. There are more than 10 million francophones in Canada, and 2.7 million live outside of Quebec.