Francophones in the Renfrew County area will be able to access more provincial services in French soon according to a recent announcement from the Ontario government.
The province announced on Tuesday, December 9th that provincial agencies in six communities across Ontario, including Renfrew County, will now be required to offer their services in French to residents.
The other communities impacted by the announcement include the United Counties of Stormont, Dundas and Glengarry, the City of Hamilton, the District of Thunder Bay, the Municipality of Chatham-Kent and the County of Essex.
“The expansion of government services in French in six communities across Ontario will help thousands more Francophone residents access the services they need, in their language of choice,” said Caroline Mulroney, Minister of Francophone Affairs.
“Marking the anniversary of the modernization of the French Language Services Act with this new milestone reflects the progress we have achieved to strengthen our Francophone communities now and into the future.”
Under the French Language Services Act, the provincial government is required to offer French-language services in the parts of the province where the majority of Ontario’s francophones live.
The act was updated on December 9th, 2021, for the first time in years. That amendment included a stipulation that the act will be reviewed every ten years going forward.
(Written by Steve Berard)