Promoting our two official languages helps keep Canada's communities vibrant and engaged, and allows citizens to be open to the benefits of linguistic duality.
At a virtual announcement this morning, René Arseneault, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Economic Development and Official Languages (Atlantic Canada Opportunities Agency and Official Languages)- along with Darrell Samson, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Veterans Affairs and Associate Minister of National Defence and Member of Parliament (Sackville-Preston-Chezzetcook), and representatives of Université Sainte-Anne-unveiled $579,500 in funding to upgrade the learning spaces and technological infrastructure at the campus of Université Sainte-Anne in Pointe-de-l'Église. This announcement was made on behalf of the Honourable Mélanie Joly, Minister of Economic Development and Official Languages. Funding for the project comes from the Action Plan for Official Languages 2018‒2023: Investing in our Future. It will be used to purchase technological equipment and furnishings, and to renovate the interior of five heavily used learning spaces. These renovations include the conversion of the Chapelle Gustave-Blanche into a 150-seat amphitheatre and the transformation of an existing learning space into a "makerspace" designed to foster ideas, discussion and group work at the Centre de l'entrepreneuriat Louis-E.-Deveau.
Parliamentary Secretary Arseneault took the opportunity to reiterate the Government of Canada's support for groups working to promote official languages in Nova Scotia. Eighteen Francophone organizations will receive a total of $2,116,800 in funding through the Cooperation with the Community Sector sub-component of the Development of Official Language Communities Program. The funds will enable these groups to deliver rich and dynamic annual programming to Nova Scotia's Acadian and Francophone community.
The investments will strengthen official-language minority communities in Nova Scotia and allow organizations to continue their work to preserve and promote the vitality of these communities' cultural heritage.
