Languages plan gets extra $500M

OTTAWA — The federal government unveiled its action plan on official languages Wednesday, funded with an extra $500 million over five years that will go toward a host of services for minority-language communities across the country.

About two-thirds of the new money is dedicated to organizations that promote either French or English in cities and towns where the language is in the minority. The cash is in addition to the $2.2 billion over five years that had already been earmarked for these community groups.

Canada’s plan is a signal the federal government is serious about defending the country’s two official languages, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and Heritage Minister Mélanie Joly said during the announcement.

The government’s plan is three-fold: reinforce minoritylanguage communities; offer better access to French-language services outside Quebec; and promote bilingualism.

“It’s not a secret that the French language outside Quebec has regressed over the past few years,” Trudeau said to a friendly crowd of francophone community workers in Ottawa.

He accused the prior Conservative government of underfinancing official languages programs and of not making the country’s bilingual character a priority.

The plan includes $40.8 million over five years to help increase francophone immigration outside Quebec by 4.4 per cent by 2023, as well as $20 million over the same period for French-language daycare spaces in English Canada.

Anglophone communities in Quebec will also benefit.

There will also be funding to help the City of Ottawa become officially bilingual.

A bill to formalize the status for the Canadian capital was passed by the Ontario legislature in December.