Saskatchewan gov’t encourages people to ‘Activate your Francophonie’ this month

Students and francophone groups kicked off Les Rendez-vous de la Francophonie with events highlighting French culture across the province.

In recognition of Saskatchewan’s French community, the provincial government is celebrating Les Rendez-vous de la Francophonie throughout the month of March.

On Monday at the Saskatchewan Gallery, students and Francophone organizations celebrated the proclamation to recognize the vitality of French language and culture across the province.

“Today we recognize the strength of the Fransaskois community and the role it plays in culture, social, and economic life of the people of Saskatchewan,” Alana Ross, minister responsible for Francophone affairs, said.

“This year’s theme is ‘Activate your Francophonie.’ It encourages us to get out there and create opportunities for using the French language in Canada, to create connections and get involved in your community.”

As part of this year’s theme, people are encouraged to learn and celebrate the past and current contributions French speaking people have made to Saskatchewan.

• Download the CTV News app to get breaking news alerts sent to your device

Charles-Henri Warren, executive director of Francophone Affairs, said the branch continues to work with the government and community leaders on strengthening the Francophone culture in Saskatchewan.

“It’s really about continuing our effort to support the community through translation of government documents,” Warren shared.

“We’ve increased significantly the number of French pages offered in French. There’s a growing number [of] government offices to make sure French language services are available. That’s the type of work we do.”

For the next week, the government will be holding activities such as music and art shows, educational resources and more leading into the International Day of La Francophonie on March 20.

More details about the activities are available at Les Rendez-vous de la Francophonie.