Townshippers' Association wary of cuts to services in French in Ontario

Townshippers’ Association (TA) spoke out about the decision announced by Ontario’s provincial government to abolish the Office of the French Language Services Commissioner and strike down plans to create a new French-language university.

“Today we saw the abolition of an important mechanism in ensuring the rights and interests of Ontario’s official language minority community,” Said TA President Gerald Cutting. “This marks a significant setback for the development and vitality not only of Franco-ontarians, but for minority language communities across the country as well.”

With regards to its official language minority community, Ontario’s model included a French Language Services Act, an Office of Francophone Affairs, and a French Language Services Commissioner to safeguard the rights of Franco-ontarians.

“We stand in solidarity with our French-speaking counterparts in Ontario and we implore the Ford government to reconsider a decision that will have severe consequences for Ontario’s Official language minority community,” Cutting added.