Welland adds French-language section to website
If you go onto the City of Welland website, you might notice a new tab in the navigation pane: Découvrir.
The tab is part of the city’s initiative to better connect with the local and visiting francophone community.
Written completely in French, the section offers information about Welland’s local attractions, a look at Welland French heritage and provides links to other news, information and resources people might be interested in.
“We’re proud to work with local organizations and agencies to better welcome the Frenchspeaking global community and encourage them to find a cultural connection to Welland,” Mayor Frank Campion said in a media release.
Theresa Ettorre, administrative assistant to the mayor, said whether or not more French content will be included on Welland’s website in the future is still being discussed.
Welland is a designated francophone community, one of 26 in Ontario, and is partnered with the Francophone and Francophile Cities Network (FFCN). The partnership with that network is what inspired this move to include a French-language section on the website.
The FFCN connects francophone cities in Canada, the United States and the Caribbean through a virtual trail. In doing this, people can learn about the histories and ancestries of francophone and bilingual communities.
Welland’s French roots stem back to 1917, when skilled weavers from Montmorency, Que., came to the area to work for Empire Cotton Mills. From there, the community continued to evolve to what it is today.
The release indicates Welland has more than 7,800 Frenchspeaking residents. That number includes French-only and bilingual speakers.