Niagara francophones protest provincial government cuts
It was a sea of green and white along King Street in Beamsville on Saturday as Niagara’s francophone community and its Anglophone allies rallied to show their discontent over the Ford government’s cuts to services for Franco-Ontarians.
With green and white stripes painted under his eyes, Benoit Mercier of Welland had the megaphone mic for most of the event. He said the nearly 100-strong crowd had gathered to protest outside the only Progressive Conservative Party MPP’s office in Niagara.
“We’re protesting because we have rights. We’re one of the two official languages and to diminish the francophone community to the sign of a dollar is certainly a lack of respect for all of the good we have done since the Franco-Ontarians have been in the province,” he said.
Similar protests and demonstrations took place across Ontario on Saturday, and even in Quebec. The community is asking the government of Ontario to reinstate the French language commissioner, who served not just as a watchdog but also promoted French language in Ontario and acts proactively to ensure the province delivers services to francophones in Ontario where the numbers warrant.
The community also wants to see the government move for-
ward with plans for Ontario’s first French-language university.
“The premier has stated numerous times that it doesn’t exist, when it fact it does exist. There are employees who are working out of office in Toronto, programs are about to be approved by the government. To cut a francophone university is to cut the feet out from under us. It reduces our language and our culture to the sign of a dollar,” said Mercier.
The Beanmsville demonstration started at Shoppers Drug Mart on Serena Drive, where people walked along Ontario Street to the King Street plaza where Oosterhoff’s office is located. The rally then took place along the sidewalk in front of the plaza.
The event was hard to miss for anyone coming down King Street Saturday afternoon. Oosterhoff himself made an appearance, bringing out hot chocolate and Timbits to the crowd and addressing the group in French.
Oosterhoff said the government had some very important decisions to make when it came to the fall economic statement and tackling the deficit in Ontario.
Mercier said while francophones are appreciative of the fact that Oosterhoff came out and spoke at the rally, he’s hoping the MPP will bring their message back to Queen’s Park.
“Mr. Oosterhoff was very open with us. He has listened to us and understands our point of view and hopefully bring our message back to his caucus, to the premier of Ontario and re-establish what was cut,” said Mercier.
He also said the Franco-Ontarian community will continue to push for cuts to be reinstated.
“There are people who came long before me who fought for francophone rights in Ontario and there will be people long after me who will do the same,” he said.
“Every morning when I get up and I look at myself in the mirror, I have a big decision to make. That decision is: Do I abandon my language and culture and assimilate to the majority or do I continue to fight on? I choose to fight on; I believe that my language and my culture is part of my identity. It’s a part of who I am and we’re fighting for the kids today as my predecessors did for me back when I was a youngster.”