The vitality of official language minority communities depends on the right to an education in the language of one's choice, among other things. During Francophonie Month, the Government of Canada is reaffirming its commitment to protect and promote our two official languages, which are an integral part of our Canadian identity.
Today, the Honourable Ginette Petitpas Taylor, Minister of Official Languages and Minister responsible for the Atlantic Canada Opportunities Agency, along with Marc G. Serré, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Official Languages, and the Honourable Jill Dunlop, Ontario Minister of Colleges and Universities, announced more than $5.7 million in funding for two major projects at the Université de Hearst.
Specifically, the Government of Canada is investing nearly $1.9 million over three years to help the Université de Hearst enhance its academic program offerings and to bolster its reputation as an institution operated by Francophones for Francophones. This funding will also be used to hire faculty and develop a mental health and wellness strategy aimed at student retention and success. On its side, the Université de Hearst is investing more than $1.1 million in this project over three years, with support from the Ontario government.
An additional $887,500 investment from the Government of Canada will allow for renovations to several rooms and spaces, which will encourage learning and better meet the needs of a growing student body. The Université de Hearst, supported by the Ontario government, is investing more than $1.8 million to this project over two years.
Both projects are funded under the Canada-Ontario Agreement on Minority-Language Education and Second-Language Instruction (2020-2021 to 2022-2023).
