News Releases | Canadian Parents for French (en)

OTTAWA – In March of this year, the National Office of Canadian Parents for French started a social media campaign in order to engage our membership and Canadians at large in a discussion about what French meant to them.

The campaign, which was supported by various branches and chapters of CPF across the country, started by asking our audience what French is to them. From there it progressed to a French word of the Day, and then a video which has sparked many positive comments and expressions of support. The success of the ‘#French Is’ campaign can be seen in the level of enthusiasm of participants’ comments and posts on Facebook and Twitter.

French Is:

“Wonderful wines, marvellous music, expressions of delight on the faces of my young students when "the inner light bulb" goes on and they understand something they've been struggling to understand!” – Bravo French Tutoring Facebook

“It’s a gateway to more opportunities” – A. Baker Facebook

“Raising a bilingual child is the joy/amusement of hearing ‘all finit’ from your 2yr old after dinner.” – ElisiaSQ Twitter

“An important part of our school culture” – SHA_NL Twitter

These are only some of the hundreds of comments we have heard thus far, and we are look forward to seeing more.

CPF National Executive Director, Robert Rothon said “This campaign showed us how important French is to Canadians across the country. We are pleased with the results of the campaign thus far, and we are going to work hard to continue the conversation.”

Join the conversation and tell us what you think #FrenchIs on Twitter or on Facebook!

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Canadian Parents for French is the national network of volunteers which values French as an integral part of Canada and which is dedicated to the promotion and creation of French-second-language learning opportunities for young Canadians. There are currently 26,000 members across Canada.

Information:

Shaunpal Jandu, Communications Officer
Tel: 613.235.1481 x22 Email: sjandu@cpf.ca

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CPF Selects Winners for Nationwide Memorial Fund Honouring Departed Teacher Mary Joyce Booth

CPF is pleased to announce the winners of the second CPF National Mary Joyce Booth Endowment Fund lottery.

An initiative that will provide students across Canada with thousands of dollars towards French-second-language (FSL) extracurricular opportunities every year, the Fund was implemented at the national level of CPF following the passing of teacher Mary Joyce Booth. A long-time friend and devoted advocate of CPF, Booth understood the value of extracurricular activities in supporting FSL learning. Her gift of a bequest gave CPF the opportunity to properly honour her years of work with a fund that shares not only her name, but also her spirit of devotion to Canadian students.

After a successful pilot in 2012 targeting individual students and their families, CPF adapted the program in 2013 to broaden its reach. CPF chapters and associate member organizations across the country were invited to apply for up to $1000 in grant money for camps, exchanges, clubs, trips, tutoring programs, and more, all with the stated goal of promoting or complementing the provision of quality FSL education to students in their communities.

This year’s grants, awarded via random lottery following the approval of all applications for eligibility, are going to a diversity of projects, including such things as a group trip to the historic Fortress of Louisbourg, a French concert for FSL students, a summer day camp, and more.

“The strength with which Mary Joyce Booth believed in CPF’s cause, and the zeal with which she advocated for it, are an inspiration to us all,” says CPF President Lisa Marie Perkins. “CPF wanted to ensure that the generous bequest she left would be used only in support of FSL education and student programs, so with the Mary Joyce Booth Endowment Fund, her legacy lives on.”

The winners of the 2013 CPF National Mary Joyce Booth Endowment Fund lottery are:

The CPF Corner Brook Chapter (Newfoundland and Labrador)
The CPF Lindsay Chapter (Ontario)
The CPF New Westminster Chapter (British Columbia)
The CPF Port Hawkesbury Chapter (Nova Scotia)
The Société canadienne-française de Prince Albert (Saskatchewan)

The Society of Supporters of École St. Matthew (Alberta)

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Information/Renseignements:

Nicole Chatelain, Senior Communications Officer/Agente de communication principale
Tel/Tél: 613.235.1481 x26 Email/Courriel: nchatelain@cpf.ca

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Canadian Parents for French meet with the Senate’s Standing Committee on Official Languages

OTTAWA – Canadian Parents for French was the first organization to be heard during the Senate Standing Committee on Official Languages’ Study on best practices for language policies and second-language learning. Lisa Marie Perkins, CPF National Board President, Rita Parikh, CPF National Board Member, and Robert Rothon, CPF National Executive Director, gave a joint presentation that centered on the need for more inclusionary practices for immigration students to French Second Language programs.

During the presentation Ms Perkins highlighted the importance of keeping French Second Language instruction open to all students particularly immigrant students whose first language is neither English nor French. She stated that, “Research does show that immigrants are motivated to learn French, and have their children learn both of Canada’s official languages both because of the enhanced economic opportunity they feel it might afford them, and also because learning both languages fits with their understanding of what it means to be a Canadian.”

The presentation - which included broad recommendations centering on outreach and promotion of the importance of French Second Language programs, access to FSL programs, and setting achievable targets in the OLEP agreements to increase the number of children in FSL programs - was well received by the Committee.

The Committee Chair, Senator Maria Chaput of Manitoba, stated that she “was always impressed by the work conducted by Canadian Parents for French” and thanked CPF for assisting in bringing Canadian Francophonie to the level it is today.

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Information:

Shaunpal Jandu, Communications Officer
Tel: 613.235.1481 x22 Email: sjandu@cpf.ca

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Canadian Parents for French welcomes a renewed Government commitment to Official Languages

OTTAWA – Today, Minister of Canadian Heritage and Official Languages, James Moore announced the details of the Roadmap for Canada’s Official Languages. Canadian Parents for French (CPF) is pleased to see how the Government of Canada continues to believe in the importance of the country’s Official Languages.

In the announcement, Minister Moore stated, “Official Languages are a central part of Canada.” While the funding amount supporting language education was slightly lower than its predecessor, the overall financial commitment of 1.1 billion dollars was well-received by stakeholders.

During her presentation at today’s press conference, CPF National President Lisa Marie Perkins said she was “encouraged by the mention of the development of evaluation tools to recognize proficiency, funding to expand immersion opportunities, and the commitment to exchange programs.”

Yesterday, Ms Perkins was invited to a stakeholders meeting with the Minister in order to go through the Roadmap. Upon exiting the meeting, Ms Perkins stated that this was a legacy document and that she was happy to see how “our government recognizes that Canada’s Official Languages are interwoven into the fabric of what makes us Canadian.”

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Information:

Shaunpal Jandu, Communications Officer
Tel: 613.235.1481 x22 Email: sjandu@cpf.ca

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CPF applauds the renewal of the Roadmap for Canada’s Official Languages

OTTAWA - Canadian Parents for French (CPF) applauds the Government of Canada’s renewal of the Roadmap for Canada’s Official Languages as announced in the Economic Action Plan 2013.

“Canadians understand the importance of Canada’s official languages and support the values they embody, and the commitment made in the budget to renew the Roadmap illustrate how strongly the Government of Canada stands behind this nation-shaping policy,” says Lisa Marie Perkins, National President of CPF. “We are particularly grateful to Canadian Heritage minister James Moore for successfully keeping official languages among government priorities in a time of economic uncertainty and a general focus on skills training and infrastructure,” she concludes.

The action plan states that “[t]he new Roadmap represents an ongoing commitment to enhance the vitality of Canada’s official language minority communities and contribute to a strengthened linguistic duality.” Also, Canadian Parents for French is looking forward to see how the re-opening of the Federal Skills Worker Program which will put higher emphasis on language proficiency and youth will translate into French Second Language instruction for Canadians.

“Renewing the Roadmap will help French Second Language programs across the country,” states Robert Rothon, National Executive Director of CPF. “Despite the fact that programs like French Immersion are booming, and a record number of young Canadians are studying their second official language, support of this nature is crucial to keeping Canada a world leader in second language instruction and learning.”

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Information:

Shaunpal Jandu, Communications
Tel: 613.235.1481 x22 Email: sjandu@cpf.ca

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CPF Welcomes the Government of Canada’s response to After the Roadmap

OTTAWA - On March 8, Canadian Heritage Minister James Moore submitted a response to the House of Commons Standing Committee on Official Languages’ report After the Roadmap: Toward Better Programs and Service Delivery on behalf of the Canadian Government. Canadian Parents for French (CPF) applauds the Government of Canada’s intention to give consideration to the recommendations contained in the House of Commons Standing Committee on Official Languages’ report After the Roadmap: Toward Better Programs and Service Delivery.

Canadian Parents for French President Lisa Marie Perkins stated, “The government’s positive recognition of the committee’s work is very important for Canada, especially with the recent extensive media coverage on French immersion and official language bilingualism.”

The Government’s response highlighted how The Roadmap for Canada’s Linguistic Duality “represents the largest investment to support Canada’s official languages in our history,” The response also stated that that the Canadian Government is working on developing a strategy to follow up on the current Roadmap, which is set to expire in 2013. Canadian Parents for French is encouraged that the Government is considering the recommendations made by the Committee that the next official languages strategy be established with the milestones proposed in their report.

CPF was invited to speak during the Committee’s consultation process, and its statement on how “second-language learning [should] start at the early childhood stage” is echoed in the Committee’s report’s recommendations on official-language instruction.

CPF believes an increased commitment to bilingualism through FSL should include:

Addressing the shortage of qualified FSL teachers by enhancing teacher mobility and exchanges within Canada, and by speeding up the accreditation of immigrant teachers;
Increasing enrolment and retention in elementary and secondary FSL programs by encouraging the development and adoption of national French-language proficiency benchmarks;
Enabling Anglophone colleges and universities to offer courses and programs in French; and
Increasing opportunities for Anglophones to pursue their studies at Francophone colleges and universities.

Canadian Parents for French looks forward to seeing further details on the Government’s actions on Official Languages in Canada and follow up to The Roadmap for Canada’s Linguistic Duality.

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Information/Renseignements:

Shaunpal Jandu, Communications Officer
Tel: 613.235.1481 x22 Email: sjandu@cpf.ca

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Open letter to Liberal Leadership Candidates

Open letter from Canadian Parents for French to:

David Bertschi
Martin Cauchon
Deborah Coyne
Marc Garneau
Martha Hall Findlay
Karen McCrimmon
Joyce Murray
George Takach
Justin Trudeau

One of the cornerstones of Canada’s national identity is the country’s two official languages - English and French. Canadian Parents for French (CPF), an organization which values French as integral part of Canada and which is dedicated to the promotion and creation of French-second-Language learning opportunities for young Canadians, believes that the Liberal Party of Canada’s leadership campaign offers candidates an opportunity to bring Official Languages to the fore as their party seeks to renew itself and engage with the Canadian electorate.

On April 16, 2013, voting delegates will choose the next Liberal leader who best understands the issues important to Canadians. One of those issues, CPF believes, is access by Canadian children and youth to a French Second Language (FSL) education.

Therefore, on behalf of our 24,000 members, CPF is submitting six questions for your consideration and response by March 1^,2013. On March 7, we will release your responses to the media, post them on our web site – www.officiallanguagesmatter.com – and share them with our members across Canada.

Official Languages matter to Canada and to individual Canadians, and no doubt they matter to you as well. Thank you in advance for responding to our questions and for making certain that Official Languages and FSL education are among the issues discussed during your leadership campaign.

Sincerely,

Lisa Marie Perkins
President, National Board
Canadian Parents for French

Robert Rothon
Executive Director, National Office
Canadian Parents for French

To read our questions to the candidates click here

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Information:

Shaunpal Jandu, Communications Officer
Tel: 613.235.1481 x22 Email: sjandu@cpf.ca

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Why is French immersion really so popular - CPF response to Margaret Wente article

On February 5, Margaret Wente asked Why is French immersion so popular? The 24,000 members of Canadian Parents for French would like to answer that question based on its 36 years of experience advocating for French Second Language across Canada.

Academic Elitism

The article describes the students who enter French immersion a being the best and brightest students of any school district. Well, they don`t have to be since French Immersion was designed to accommodate all students, irrespective of their level of academic achievement. As leading Canadian FSL researcher Professor Fred Genesee from McGill University found, “…immersion students who are at risk in school because of below-average levels of academic ability…are not differentially-handicapped in their native language and academic development in comparison to groups of similar students in English-only programs.”

If French Immersion were truly an elitist program, then one would expect it to be bristling with all sorts of restrictive conditions of admission. But French Immersion has none. It is as accessible a programme as school districts care to make it.

Financial Elitism

Ms Wente states in her article that French immersion is “a way to get the benefits of a top public school even if you can’t afford to live near one.” Is Ms Wente arguing against excellence in the public school system? Would she apply the same arguments against an all-boys alternative program or a hockey academy? Furthermore, with over 350,000 students currently enrolled in French immersion programs across the country – a number that is growing – just how likely is it that all students come from higher socioeconomic backgrounds or are Montessori school graduates?

Keeping up with English stream

Ms Wente discusses how “Some [children] struggle in science and math” when enrolled in French immersion. The truth is while French immersion students may lag behind at Grade 3, but by Grade 4 or Grade 5 they not only match but often surpass English program students in math and English-language skills. Many Globe & Mail readers probably remember struggling in math went they went to school – in their mother tongue. Perhaps we should simply say that math is hard, and leave it at that.

Geographic use of French

Many factors go into the choice of a second or third language, but as the second most spoken language in Canada – and that by a huge margin over languages like Punjabi or Mandarin – there is a strong case for French to be a first choice. In addition, as the second most learned foreign language in the world after English, French is a uniquely well-positioned international language. It is the official language of more than 33 countries and is the only language other than English to be spoken on five continents.

Retention Rates

Retention rates in French immersion programs vary across the country, and we would certainly like to see them improve. However, school districts are increasingly successful in keeping children in the program. For example, in a 2012 review of the French immersion program in Ontario’s Peel District School Board, figures showed that more than half the students stay in French immersion from grades 1 to 8. In a similar vein, the Toronto District School Board claims a 70% retention rate from grades 1 to 6.

Early entrance to FSL programs

Studies find that adoption of languages is easiest during early instruction. So while parents demand French immersion programs at the Kindergarten and Grade 1 level, this is not because “It’s all about the parents.” It`s about the children getting the best opportunity to learn and master a second or other language.

Canadian Parents for French works hard to dispel the myths around French Immersion with evidence-based research. We would like to thank Ms Wente for providing us an opportunity to clarify many of the myths around French immersion and to provide us with a platform to spread the good word about the benefits of French Second Language instruction.

To read Ms. Wente’s article please click here.

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Information/Renseignements:

Shaunpal Jandu, Communications Officer
Tel: 613.235.1481 x22 Email: sjandu@cpf.ca

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CPF Response to Canadian Living article

Recently, Ryan Stuart wrote an article for Canadian Living on his assessment on the pros and cons of French immersion schooling. He spoke with leading Canadian researcher Prof. Fred Genesee from McGill University, and we are happy to hear that after his discussion Mr. Stuart will be keeping his daughter in French immersion!

In his article, Mr. Stuart raised some of the questions regarding French immersion many parents ask themselves as they look at French immersion for their child. CPF would like to take a quick moment to address these concerns, maybe dispel some myths, and assist parents in making their decisions about enrolling their children into French immersion.

Retention

Mr. Stuart raised the issue of French immersion programs having a low retention rate, “one in four children who enroll in kindergarten French immersion graduate in French immersion.” While this may be true in some parts of Canada, the reality is that this is not true across the country. Unfortunately, with multiple entry points to the program (Kindergarten, grades 1, 3, and 6) it is difficult to calculate exact French immersion retention rates from kindergarten to graduation.

However, if we look at retention rates in primary school we can see that the numbers can be higher than those quoted in Mr. Stuart’s article. For example, in a 2012 review of the French immersion program in Ontario’s Peel District School Board, figures illustrated that more than half the students stay in French immersion from grades 1 to 8. In a similar vein, the Toronto District School Board claims a 70% retention rate from grades 1 to 6.

Elitism

One of the points raised by Mr. Stuart is the issue of elitism surrounding the French immersion program, pointing to a Statistics Canada report from 2004 that states “French immersion students are more likely to come from higher socioeconomic backgrounds and to have parents who have a post-secondary education.” This, we feel, is a changing reality. The truth is that with over 350,000 students currently enrolled in French immersion programs across the country – a number that is growing – not all students come from higher socioeconomic backgrounds or live in privileged communities. Moreover, there are no admission tests to French Immersion, no admission criteria to meet, and in this regard, French Immersion is open to all.

Keeping up with English stream

One concern many families face when their children are enrolled in the French immersion program is the ability to keep up with their peers in the English stream. Mr. Stuart noticed that his daughter was “falling behind in reading in both French and English” when she was in the 3^rd grade. The truth is while French immersion students may lag behind at Grade 3, by Grade 4 or Grade 5 they not only match but often surpass English program students in math and English-language skills.

French vs. Other languages

The last point we would like to comment on is Mr. Stuart’s comment about how “a Mandarin, Spanish or Hindi immersion program would be even more beneficial.” Many factors go into the choice of a second or third language, but as the second most spoken language in Canada – and that by a huge margin over languages like Punjabi or Mandarin – there is a strong case for French to be a first choice. In addition, as the second most learned foreign language in the world after English, French is a uniquely well-positioned international language. It is the official language of more than 33 countries and is the only language other than English to be spoken on five continents.

Canadian Parents for French is happy that Mr. Stuart decided to keep his daughter in French immersion, and we wish the Stuart family many happy years of involvement with our country’s official languages.

Click here to read the article.

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CPF Welcomes "After the Roadmap"

OTTAWA—On November 8, the House of Commons Standing Committee on Official Languages issued its report on a successor to the Roadmap for Canada’s Linguistic Duality, a 1.1 billion dollar investment in official languages in Canada. Canadian Parents for French (CPF) applauds the recommendations on French-second-language (FSL) education from the report, After the Roadmap, and looks forward to seeing the federal government’s response.

CPF’s brief to the committee on how “second-language learning [should] start at the early childhood stage” was an important piece in the Committee’s report’s recommendation:

“That, in a future horizontal official languages initiative, the Department of Canadian Heritage consider supporting a bursary program for immersion school graduates and Francophile or Anglophile students wishing to pursue some or all of their studies in their second language at a postsecondary institution in Canada.”

In addition, CPF’s stance on the importance of targeting Allophone parents was the first of four priority areas of government action on second-language education.

In the context of the latest census figures released by Statistics Canada, which noted a decrease in the number of unilingual English and French speakers and a rise in immigrant languages, and higher employment rates for official-language bilinguals, CPF hopes to see the federal government respond with a renewed commitment to official-language bilingualism. While the current approach to the Official Languages Act protects each linguistic community separately, CPF believes that enshrining the principle of individual official-language bilingualism is the natural next step for this government to take in meeting the evolving reality of the linguistic landscape in Canada.

An increased commitment to bilingualism through FSL could include:

Addressing the shortage of qualified FSL teachers by enhancing teacher mobility and exchanges within Canada and by speeding up the accreditation of immigrant teachers;
Increasing enrolment and retention in elementary and secondary FSL programs by encouraging the development and adoption of national French-language proficiency benchmarks;
Enabling Anglophone colleges and universities to offer courses and programs in French; and
Increasing opportunities for Anglophones to pursue their studies at Francophone colleges and universities.

To see more ways CPF feels that the federal government can increase the proportion official-language bilinguals in Canada please read our brief to the House of Commons Standing Committee of Official Language here.

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Information/Renseignements:

Nicole Chatelain, Senior Communications Officer
Tel: 613.235.1481 x26 Email: nchatelain@cpf.ca

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2011 Census Finds Positive Numbers in Canada's Bilingual Labour Force

OTTAWA—On November 1^st, Statistics Canada released a second set of findings from its much-anticipated 2011 Census. The new data sets illustrate Canada’s linguistic landscape in the workforce. As with the first batch of language statistics, Canadian Parents for French has identified some very positive numbers regarding bilingualism and linguistic duality across Canada’s job market.

There are some great trends for French-English bilinguals across the country. Aside from Quebec, unemployment rate of French-English bilinguals is significantly lower than the national average, with the highest levels being just above 4%. Also, across Canada, the majority of bilingual workers earn more than $500 a week, with almost 30% earning more than $800 a week.

Looking at labour indicators for English-French speakers who have a mother tongue which is not necessarily an official language of Canada, the employment rate is over 5% higher than the national average. And, the unemployment rate is just under the national average.

An interesting conclusion from the Census is that while one of the big selling points of official language bilingualism is the ability to work in government, just over 6% of this population is employed in public administration. Robert Rothon, Executive Director of CPF’s National Branch commented about this by saying “that official Language bilingualism is proving to be of added value in the private sector as well.”

While the overall numbers of Francophones in the labour market are not as high as Anglophones with unemployment numbers of 8.3% and 7.4%, respectively, Statistics Canada is quick to point out that this “is more a reflection of the distribution of Francophones and Anglophones in Canada than a lower level of ‘performance’ in the labour market by a particular language group.”

Seeing these results, CPF is happy with the language trends occurring within Canada’s employment sector. These trends demonstrate that there is a great demand for French-English bilingualism in the labour market and CPF encourages parents to enroll their children in bilingual programs that will help give them an extra edge in the workforce.

For more information please contact your local CPF Chapter or Branch and see how you can contribute to Canada’s official bilingualism.

Read the Census report here.

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Information/Renseignements:

Shaunpal Jandu, Communications Officer/Agent de communication
Tel/Tél: 613.235.1481 x22 Email/Courriel: sjandu@cpf.ca

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2011 Census Finds Positive Gains in Numbers of Bilingual Canadians

OTTAWA—On Wednesday, Statistics Canada released the findings of its much-anticipated 2011 Census. Since its release there has been an outpouring of information regarding Canada’s linguistic landscape. Some of the most prominent trends are those regarding the decrease of French and English speakers across the country. However, Canadian Parents for French sees some very positive numbers regarding bilingualism and linguistic duality across the country.

A major takeaway which is directly related to the efforts of CPF is that bilingualism is increasing faster among young Canadians than the general public. This trend mirrors our own research in CPF’s Annual FSL Enrolment in Canada 2006-2011 report which shows an increased proportion of students in immersion programs since 2006.

While there has been a minor increase in the proportion of French-English bilingual speakers across the country from 2006 to 2011 (17.4% and 17.5% respectively), the actual number of people who can conduct a conversation in both official languages is up by 350,000. While this is only a small increase, it is a very positive finding, especially when compared to the number of unilingual English and French speakers which is currently in decline in Canada.

It is important to also note that the percent of households who speak both English and French at home has increased from 3.8 % in 2006 to 5.4 % in 2011. This shows that despite a low increase of official-language bilingualism across the country, a growing number of people are encouraging and practicing bilingualism at home.

Finally, one of the largest conclusions from the 2011 Census is the number of Allophones in Canada. According to the census almost 70% of the population who speak a non-official language at home also speak either French or English. In the 2010 issue of CPF’s The State of French-Second-Language Education in Canada, the focus was on Allophone engagement in FSL programs. The report stated that 40% of Allophone parents enrolled their children into French Immersion programs. Given the numbers from the Census it could be inferred that there are over 100,000 FSL students from Allophone families.

Echoing the importance of Allophone engagement in FSL programs, Robert Rothon, Executive Director of CPF National, stated that “with the increasing presence of Allophone communities in Canada through immigration, it is important that all parties work together to ensure that Allophone youth be able to learn both official languages as part of their settlement and integration process.”

There is a slew of information on Canada’s linguistic landscape in the 2011 Census, and while there are some positive notes regarding official bilingualism in Canada we cannot sit idly by and hope that these trends continue. We should take an active role in encouraging bilingualism and FSL enrolment.

For more information please contact your local CPF Chapter or Branch and see how you can contribute to Canada’s official bilingualism.

Read the Census report here: http://www.statcan.gc.ca/daily-quotidien/121024/dq121024a-eng.htm

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Information/Renseignements:

Shaunpal Jandu, Communications Officer/Agent de communication
Tel/Tél: 613.235.1481 x22 Email/Courriel: sjandu@cpf.ca

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Research Report Calls for More Support for Academically Challenged Students in French-Second-Language Education

Canadian Parents for French (CPF) has launched its tenth research report, entitled The State of French-Second-Language Education in Canada 2012: Academically Challenged Students and FSL programs.

The 2012 report, the most recent in a line of publications exploring trends, challenges, and successes of French-second-language (FSL) education in Canadian schools, highlights the unique obstacles faced by students with learning difficulties in an FSL environment. The report features summaries of presentations by six researchers studying this subject in Canada to a round table of diverse participants in June. The round table included representatives from CPF, researchers, federal and provincial government officials, school board officials, academics, and other stakeholders concerned with accessibility in FSL programming.

“Too many FSL programs are closed off to students with learning difficulties, when these are the very programs that might be able to help such children really shine,” says CPF President Lisa Marie Perkins. “The majority of students — including many of those with academic challenges — can succeed in becoming bilingual, especially when adequate resources are in place to help with student academic development.“

The 2012 report includes comprehensive recommendations to facilitate better access to, and success in, FSL programs for students with learning difficulties that were developed by round table participants. CPF believes that given adequate resources, more awareness about academically challenged students’ abilities, and sufficient teacher support, more Canadians than ever before can become bilingual in both of Canada’s official languages. All FSL programs, and in particular French immersion—the FSL program best suited to the widest range of student ability—should be sufficiently resourced in order to offer all students the chance to become bilingual. CPF Executive Director Robert Rothon notes that preventing academically challenged students from full participation in a standard-curriculum program may in some cases amount to discrimination:

“For too long, and by too many, French immersion has been seen as a program for the gifted child or the child from the ‘right’ background or the child without any kind of learning challenge or difficulty,” says Rothon. “Actually, French immersion is a program designed for all children where the standard curriculum is taught in both official languages. Until we understand this and change discriminatory practices and policies identified by our round table participants and presenters, many—too many—children will never get a fair deal.”

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Information/Renseignements:

Nicole Chatelain, Senior Communications Officer/Agente de communication principale
Tel/Tél: 613.235.1481 x26 Email/Courriel: nchatelain@cpf.ca

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Announcing the Winners of the CPF National Concours d'art oratoire 2012

OTTAWA—Canadian Parents for French (CPF) is pleased to announce the winners of the CPF National Concours d’art oratoire 2012, held on Saturday May 26 at the University of Ottawa.

The Concours d’art oratoire program draws students from across Canada in the competition that offers over $170,000 in scholarships to the University of Ottawa. This year, 34 national finalists in five different categories were welcomed to Ottawa after winning their provincial or territorial championships. The five categories that students compete in are based on linguistic ability, and range from Level 1 (Core French) to Level 5 (Francophone).

“The runaway success of the Concours program, now in its tenth year and still growing, is proof that Canadian students want to be bilingual,” says CPF president Lisa Marie Perkins. “And why wouldn’t they? Bilingualism will open cultural and professional doors to them, enrich their minds, and graduate them to full citizens of both Canada and the world. Young people are smart, and know a good thing when they see it.”

First place winners in each category were awarded with an offer for a $20,000 scholarship to the University of Ottawa, generously donated by the school itself. In addition to the five grand prizes, the University also offers $5,000 scholarships to the first runner-up in each category, and $2,000 entrance bursaries to every national competitor.

The winners of the 2011 edition of the CPF National Concours d’art oratoire are:

Level 1 [Core French]
1st Place: Jeremy Wang (Toronto, Ontario)
2nd Place: Joshua Fernandez (Vancouver, British Columbia)
3rd Place: Breanne Nemez (Narol, Manitoba)

Level 2 [Core French Extended]
1st Place: Colin Taylor (Bell Island, Newfoundland and Labrador)
2nd Place: Alan Zhou (Scarborough, Ontario)
3rd Place: Tzu-Wei Tseng (Halifax, Nova Scotia)

Level 3 [Late French Immersion]
1st Place: Shaul Gordon (Richmond, British Columbia)
2nd Place: Kate Lavergne (Ste-Anne-Des-Plaines, Quebec)
3rd Place: Emily Smith (Yellowknife, Northwest Territories)

Level 4 [Early French Immersion]
1st Place: Olivia Dorey (Stillwater Lake, Nova Scotia)
2nd Place: Liam Bekirsky (Mississauga, Ontario)
3rd Place: Caitlin Berger (Dollard-Des-Ormeaux, Quebec)

Level 5 [Francophone]
1st Place: Maha Temkit (Ottawa, Ontario)
2nd Place: Bénédicte LeMaître (Winnipeg, Manitoba)
3rd Place: Ghislain d’Entremont (Dartmouth, Nova Scotia)

Participants spent two nights at the University of Ottawa dorms and were taken by CPF staff and volunteers on several excursions to some of the city’s most popular tourist landmarks. These included a tour of Centre Block on Parliament Hill, shopping at the Rideau Centre, dinner in the Sandy Hill neighbourhood and a trip to the Théâtre de l’île in Gatineau, Quebec for a chance to see La petite poule d’eau, a play based on the book of the same name by Manitoban author Gabrielle Roy.

CPF thanks Canadian Heritage, the University of Ottawa, Voyages Rideau Travel, Radio Enfant-Ado, and individual donors for their assistance with this event.

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About CPF

Information: Nicole Chatelain, 613.235.1481 x26, nchatelain@cpf.ca

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Advisory: $20,000 scholarship to be awarded to each of five grand prize winners in national French-language public speaking competition

OTTAWA - On Saturday May 26, Canadian Parents for French (CPF) is hosting its tenth annual public speaking competition, CPF National Concours d’art oratoire 2012, at the University of Ottawa.

The grand prize for the first place winners in each of five categories is a $20,000 scholarship to the University of Ottawa, generously donated by the University. Second-place winners receive a $5,000 scholarship and each of the other national finalists who competes will be awarded a $2,000 entrance scholarship.

The competition brings together senior high school students from across Canada who will deliver the speech that won them first prize at the school, regional, and/or provincial and territorial levels. The CPF National Concours d’art oratoire has five language categories: Level 1 (Core French), Level 2 (Core French Extended), Level 3 (Late Immersion), Level 4 (Early Immersion), and Level 5 (Francophone).

Date: Saturday, May 26, 2012
Time: 9:30 a.m. (Welcoming Remarks)
Place: University of Ottawa, Tabaret Hall, 550 Cumberland, Ottawa, ON
CPF Spokespersons: Lisa Marie Perkins, President; and Robert Rothon, Executive Director

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Information/Renseignements:

Nicole Chatelain, Communications Officer/Agente de communication
Tel/Tél: 613.235.1481 x26 Email/Courriel: nchatelain@cpf.ca

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Open Letter to Minister Moore In Support of CBC/Radio-Canada

The Honourable
James Moore, P.C., M.P.
Minister of Canadian Heritage and Official Languages
House of Commons
Ottawa, Ontario
K1A 0A6

Dear Minister:

The following member organizations of the French Second-language (FLS) Partner Network—Canadian Association of Immersion Teachers (CAIT), Canadian Association of Second-Language Teachers (CASLT), Canadian Parents for French (CPF), Canadian Youth for French (CYF) and French for the Future—congratulate you on your support of the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation (CBC) and of the Société Radio-Canada (SRC).

The CBC/SRC offers a service that no other broadcaster in Canada is able and/or willing to provide: a commitment to engage with both of Canada’s official languages. We are pleased to see Canada’s Minister of Official Languages show such strong support for the CBC/SRC as an institution of linguistic duality. We echo your comments that “the importance of CBC to ensure that both of Canada’s official languages are represented all over the regions of this country is essential.”

Of particular relevance to the Network, and to families across Canada, is the CBC/SRC’s role in helping foster official-language bilingualism in Canada’s youth. You expressed acknowledgement of this crucial role on December 1, with your comments that the CBC/SRC can help FSL teachers bring French-language resources and entertainment into the classroom. We thank you for your recognition of this effective and helpful method for encouraging students to embrace and engage with linguistic duality and we greatly hope that for all of these reasons, the CBC/SRC will not be ignored as a cultural institution in the Canadian media landscape.

Your support for the CBC/SRC is appreciated by the undersigned members of the FSL Partner Network and by countless Canadians on a nationwide level.

Yours sincerely,

Chantal Bourbonnais, Canadian Association of Immersion Teachers
Myriam Lafrance, French for the Future
Guy Leclair, Canadian Assocation of Second-Language Teachers
Justin Morrow, Canadian Youth for French
Robert Rothon, Canadian Parents for French

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CPF To Host 35th National AGM October 15 in Charlottetown

OTTAWA, October 11, 2011—Canadian Parents for French (CPF) will be hosting its 35th National Annual General Meeting (AGM) on Saturday, October 15, in Charlottetown, Prince Edward Island. More than 40 delegates nationwide will be in attendance at the meeting.

The 2011 AGM Weekend, with the theme “Our CPF,” will run from Friday October 14 to Sunday October 16. All official CPF activity will be taking place at the Delta Prince Edward, except for the welcoming reception on Friday evening, which will be held at Founders Hall in downtown Charlottetown, and the Saturday night President’s Banquet, which will take place at the Stanhope Beach Resort & Conference Centre in Stanhope, PEI.

Charlottetown mayor Mr. Clifford J. Lee will deliver a note of welcome to the delegates at Friday evening’s reception.

Date and time of the AGM:
Saturday, October 15, 1:15 pm

Place:
Delta Hotel, 18 Queen Street, Charlottetown, PEI Elfin/Pekeha Room

Spokespersons:
Lisa Marie Perkins, President, Canadian Parents for French Robert Rothon, Executive Director, Canadian Parents for French

For information on other events, or to request a media pass and/or weekend program book, please contact Nicole Chatelain, Communications Officer, at 613-794-9324.

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Information:
Nicole Chatelain, Communications Officer
Tel: 613.235.1481 x26 Email: nchatelain@cpf.ca

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Robert Rothon Selected as Canadian Parents for French's New National Executive Director

For Immediate Release Ottawa, July 19, 2011
Canadian Parents for French (CPF) is pleased to announce the selection of a new national executive director.

CPF congratulates Robert Rothon on his appointment. Effective September 12 2011, Rothon will be leading an Ottawa-based national staff under the management of the CPF national board of directors.

Rothon, an 18-year consultant for the non-profit industry with a strong communications background, is currently the executive director of the British Columbia & Yukon branch of CPF, the largest in Canada. He will be succeeding James Shea, whose nine-year turn as current national executive director will be officially ending on September 30.

"We are very pleased that Robert has accepted the position as national executive director because of his professional background and personal commitment to the organization and what is stands for," says Lisa Marie Perkins, CPF national president and chair of the Executive Director Search Committee. "Our efforts were focussed on finding a progressive individual who will provide operational leadership to a national organization and staff in pursuit of the goals and objectives as set by the national board. Robert's commitment to the direction that the national board is taking, and his professional background were of crucial importance in our hiring decision, and his communications background complements nicely the diverse skill set possessed by the rest of the national office staff."

A graduate of Concordia University and of the Université du Québec à Montréal, Rothon's career in communications began with his employment in French language services at the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation (CBC) in 1986. For over a decade, Rothon worked as a researcher, broadcaster and producer for the Canadian media powerhouse in Vancouver before moving to the Fédération canadienne pour l'alphabétisation en français in 2004 as a research and project coordinator for the Western and Northern members of the national network. In 2006, Rothon began a new research and communications role at Educacentre College, British Columbia's sole Francophone college, moving quickly to Head of Continuing Education and Training, before finally landing his role of executive director with CPF British Columbia & Yukon in 2008. Prior to his joining CPF, from 1990-2008, Rothon also took on consultant work with various cultural, educational and other not-for-profits on a freelance basis.

Rothon is committed to CPF's mission to provide official languages education for all students in Canada and is looking forward to stepping into his new role in order to advocate for this cause at the federal level. "Not only do I strongly believe in personal bilingualism as a reflection of Canada's linguistic duality, I can honestly say that I have lived it all my life, even before the Official Languages Act came into existence," says Rothon. "It was my great good luck to be raised in a bilingual household, to attend English and French language schools and post-secondary institutions, and to move freely from one official-language-dominant work milieu to the other. I'm living proof that bilingualism does work. It is my profound conviction," he concludes, "that every child in Canada should have a right to a bilingual education."

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The Embassy of France Cultural Service focuses on the exchanges between France and Canada in sectors such as education and linguistic co-operation, academic relations, artistic and cultural co-operation, and audio-visual co-operation.

Information/Renseignements:
Nicole Chatelain, Communications Officer/Agente de communication
Tel/Tél: 613.235.1481 x26 Email/Courriel: nchatelain@cpf.ca

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An Open Letter from James Shea: This Is My Canada

I remember the first time I met Melanie Young.

We were both attending a CPF advocacy event in Winnipeg, in 2004. She had a baby with her—her son, Quinn, and the youngest of four. Melanie was new to CPF and had recently fallen into the role of Chapter President for The Pas, Manitoba. She wasn’t quite sure how she had ended up in her presidency position so quickly, but she was looking forward to representing parent advocates in her community and standing up for bilingual education.

Over the years, I would meet Melanie again several more times, and a truer personification of all we stand for at CPF would be hard to find. A hardworking, devoted parent with a fundamental belief in the power of languages, Melanie was counselled by many to keep all four of her children out of the immersion system. And in every case, Melanie refused to listen.

Alexa, her eldest child and only daughter, struggled with a phonological delay in kindergarten and it was suggested that the immersion program might be too complicated for her. Ignoring the advice of speech therapists who suggested that Alexa might be better suited to a less intensive French-second-language (FSL) program, Melanie opted to give her daughter a chance to prove what she could do. Now 15, Alexa is poised to graduate from high school in a few years with full French immersion creditation, and she has just been named a member of SEVEC’s Youth Advisory Committee. Alexa hopes to continue her bilingual studies one day at the University of Ottawa.

Melanie’s sons were, like their older sister, recommended for removal from the French immersion stream. The oldest, Dylan (now 13), has battled Asperger’s; McKenzie (10) battles Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder, or ADHD; and young Quinn is facing his own learning difficulties at seven, although nothing has yet been diagnosed. Melanie has enrolled all four in the early French immersion program, the program that researchers have consistently found is the best suited to the widest range of student abilities, including those with learning difficulties. All four, she proudly proclaims, remain in the program to this day—and they are flourishing in their bilingual studies.

Through my nine years as the national executive director of CPF, I’ve encountered many success stories like Melanie’s. She credits CPF with giving her the support she needed to insist on the right programs for her children, but it’s plain to anyone who talks to her that the fight for the students in her community was in her all along. When the immersion program was under threat of elimination in The Pas, she joined CPF and took a stand in the fight to keep the program alive. The efforts of Melanie and her colleagues did not go unrewarded: today, the program is thriving in her community.

I am honoured to have known, talked to, and worked with Melanie Young. It has been my pleasure to call her a colleague and to hear her proudly discuss her children’s accomplishments in school and in life. So I would like to take this time to say thank you to Melanie Young, and to all of the mothers, fathers and caregivers just like her who’ve taken an active role in pushing for students’ rights in Canada.

Many of you have been in Melanie’s position. You might be native-born Canadian or new to this country; you could belong to any political or religious persuasion; you could be a teacher, police officer, tribal chief, public servant, doctor, farmer, Bay Street executive or stay-at-home parent. The one thread connecting you all is your passion for bilingual education. Whether you’re doing what you can to support CPF with your annual fee, or taking time to work with your school board and insist on the rights of your children to learn both of Canada’s official languages, you’re a part of this organization. CPF is filled with members just like Melanie: people who’ve used what resources they had available to advocate the best they can for their children and all children in their communities.

This may be my final word as your national executive director, but that does not mean that my journey on this path is finished. I am inspired by the volunteerism and the activist spark that I see in Melanie. It is my greatest wish that although I may no longer be in a position to call the hundreds of directors, volunteers and staff in this organization my colleagues, I can continue to call you my friends—friends who believe in a common vision and work towards a common goal. I firmly believe that Canada will see a day where all of its residents support and appreciate official bilingualism—and that is thanks to you. Please continue the great work that has built CPF into what it is today: please remember Melanie Young and her colleagues, and most of all, remember the four children in The Pas, Manitoba who’ve been given the wonderful gift of bilingualism because their mother refused to let it pass them by.

Thank you all for the nine wonderful years I have had here with you, and remember—it is you who have made CPF, and who have helped make bilingualism a reality in your homes, your schools, your communities and indeed, in all of Canada.

À bientôt!

James Shea
Executive Director, CPF

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Information:

Nicole Chatelain, Communications Officer
Tel: 613.235.1481 x26 Email: nchatelain@cpf.ca

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Allons en France 2011 contest awards Canadian student with a trip to France

For immediate release June 21, 2011
Ottawa–Canadian Parents for French (CPF) and the Embassy of France are pleased to announce the winner of the Allons en France 2011 competition. Julia Sinkovits, of Oakville, Ontario, was selected among 52 competitors to receive a 10-day trip to France.

“Dozens of youth in Canada have come home from the prize trip year after year exhilarated by a once-in-a lifetime experience,” says CPF president Lisa Marie Perkins. “We are so happy at CPF to have the occasion to partner with the Embassy of France each year, bringing this opportunity to students all across Canada. Congratulations to Julia Sinkovits and to all participants for a fantastic contest!”

Students were asked to submit a piece of literature in French, using 10 words provided, that illustrates the contest theme. This year’s theme was “Français: langue olympique,” and invited students to submit poetry, stories, essays or other literature about the Olympics themselves or other sports and competitions. Each submission was evaluated based on originality, French language quality, and content development.

“All I can say right now is wow,” said Sinkovits upon hearing the news of her win. “Thank you so much for this opportunity!”

Sinkovits’ poem, “Tout commence avec un seul fil,” will soon be available for viewing at www.cpf.ca. The prize consists of a 10-day trip to France which will take place in July. The prize package includes travel, accommodation, activities and insurance.

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Information/Renseignements:
Nicole Chatelain, Communications Officer/Agente de communication
Tel/Tél: 613.235.1481 x26 Email/Courriel: nchatelain@cpf.ca

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Announcing the Winners of the CPF National Concours d’art oratoire 2011

For immediate release May 30, 2011
OTTAWA—Canadian Parents for French (CPF) is pleased to announce the winners of the CPF NationalConcours d’art oratoire 2011, held on Saturday May 28 at the University of Ottawa.

The Concours d’art oratoire program draws students from across Canada in the competition that offers over $175,000 in scholarships to the University of Ottawa. This year, 36 national finalists in five different categories were welcomed to Ottawa after winning their provincial or territorial championships. The five categories that students compete in are based on linguistic ability, and range from Level 1 (Core French) to Level 5 (Francophone).

“This year’s edition was, as always, filled to the brim with talent and enthusiasm,” says CPF president Lisa Marie Perkins. “It is heartening to see so many young people who care about official bilingualism. These are youth who work hard at their French, whether they come from Francophone homes or have learned the language through classes at school. Every one of these students deserves utmost praise for their outstanding efforts here today.”

The winners of the 2011 edition of the CPF National Concours d’art oratoire are:

Level 1 [Core French]
1st Place: Camille Pabalan (Winnipeg, Manitoba)
2nd Place: Sophie Starke-Hellwig (Bathurst, New Brunswick)
3rd Place: Christian Norton (Annandale, Prince Edward Island)

Level 2 [Core French Extended]
1st Place: Julia Romanski (Toronto, Ontario)
2nd Place: Megan Freimann (Sainte Agathe, Quebec)
3rd Place: Nicola Jones (Halifax, Nova Scotia)

Level 3 [Late French Immersion]
1st Place: Aislin Flynn (Halifax, Nova Scotia)
2nd Place: Tanya Bagai (Delta, British Columbia)
3rd Place: Raquel Albert (Gatineau, Quebec)

Level 4 [Early French Immersion]
1st Place: Sean Leonard (Mount Pearl, Newfoundland and Labrador)
2nd Place: Maria Debly (Quispamsis, New Brunswick)
3rd Place: Avnee Paranjape (Regina, Saskatchewan)

Level 5 [Francophone]
1st Place: Alice Brun-Newhook (St. John’s, Newfoundland and Labrador)
2nd Place: Julien Jefferson (Waterloo, Ontario)
3rd Place: Nastastya Hénault (Wakefield, Quebec)

Participants spent two nights at the University of Ottawa dorms and were taken by CPF staff and volunteers on several excursions to some of the city’s most popular tourist landmarks. These included a tour of Parliament, shopping at the Rideau Centre, dinner in the ByWard Market and a viewing of Herman Kolgen’s interactive art film Dust at the Dai-Mon gallery in Gatineau, Quebec.

CPF thanks Canadian Heritage, the University of Ottawa, Rideau Travel, the Rideau Centre, Park-Ex Pictures, and individual donors for their assistance with this event.

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Information/Renseignements:
Nicole Chatelain, Communications Officer/Agente de communication
Tel/Tél: 613.235.1481 x26 Email/Courriel: nchatelain@cpf.ca

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CPF Asks for Reversal of CBE Decision

For immediate release April 29, 2011
Ottawa, April 29—Canadian Parents for French (CPF) is asking the Calgary Board of Education (CBE) to reconsider their decision to eliminate mandatory core French from their community. "CPF is firmly in support of parental and student choice, because no one program works best for all students," says CPF president Lisa Marie Perkins. "But removing the requirement for students to have any second-language instruction at all doesn't introduce more options, it eliminates them."

Under the new program, administrators of individual schools will be allowed to determine whether second-language instruction is right for their school for students in grades 4 - 6. Previously, schools in Calgary had to offer at minimum enough second-language instruction to constitute a core French or equivalent program from grades 4 through 9, with the option of offering more hours of instruction as per the school's wishes. The new policy may have technically introduced options by eliminating a mandatory component for younger students, notes CPF, but these options are superficial and do not translate into greater program accessibility.

"Schools in each district can do what they want for the younger kids, so it remains to be seen how many will opt for a bilingual or multilingual approach," says Perkins. "This might lead to cuts or reductions in program offering, and Calgary might start seeing admissions lotteries or enrolment caps plaguing the schools who offer any second-language programming at all. Experience has demonstrated that access to quality French-second-language (FSL) programs is reduced under charges of elitism when they are forced to compete with English-only programs that are wrongly perceived as more universally suitable. Every student deserves a chance to excel in FSL."

CPF executive director James Shea shares Perkins' concern. "This decision was not made in consultation with parents, or even with parent advocates, such as the Calgary chapter of Canadian Parents for French," states Shea. "On what basis was this decision reached, if local families couldn't even voice their input? School boards are supposed to listen to the people that they represent, not decide what's best for them without consultation. From an executive standpoint, this decision was hasty at best."

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Information/Renseignements:
Nicole Chatelain, Communications Officer/Agente de communication
Tel/Tél: 613.235.1481 x26 Email/Courriel: nchatelain@cpf.ca

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Announcing the winners of Français pour mon succès 2011!

For immediate release March 23, 2011
Ottawa, March 20 2011 – L’Association de la presse francophone (APF) and Canadian Parents for French (CPF) are thrilled to announce the winners of the 2011 edition of the Français pour mon succès competition.

The four regional winners are Ksenia Pinski of Eric Hamber Secondary School in Vancouver (Western/Northern Canada category); Will Medeiros of Regiopolis-Notre Dame in Kingston (Ontario); Robyn Brewer of Pierrefonds Comprehensive High School in Pierrefonds (Quebec) and Ashna Hammad-Asim of Harbourview Montessori School in Sydney, Nova Scotia (Atlantic provinces category). The winners were chosen by a jury for the linguistic quality and originality of each piece.

These four winning students will see their writing published in the APF’s member newspapers and will be awarded with a scholarship from the University of Ottawa, as well as a package of French-language materials.

Six writers were also selected as finalists in their respective categories: Emily Drouin and Danica Lagassé of Regiopolis-Notre Dame (Ontario), Christophe Marmouche of St. Paul’s Jr. High and Laura Bailey of St. Paul’s Intermediate in Newfoundland & Labrador (Atlantic provinces category) and Cristina Makowecki and Kellie Sych of École St. Thomas in Saskatchewan (Western/Northern Canada category).

"CPF is very pleased with the success of the 2011 edition of the competition. We've received just over 100 submissions in total--proof that today's youth really do think about the imporance of French in regards to their future," said CPF president Lisa Marie Perkins. APF president Étienne Alary added: “I offer congratulations to all the contest winners and encourage them to continue using French in their daily life. Students enrolled in French-second-language programs are important to the French-speaking community; they add a richness and diversity that can inspire us all.”

To participate in the competition, students were asked to submit a piece of writing in French explaining why learning French was important to them.

APF and CPF would like to thank Canadian Heritage for funding this project, as well as the University of Ottawa, Scholastic and l’Association des professionnels de la chanson et de la musique, who contributed to the prize packages for the finalists and winners.

To read the winning entries, obtain a copy of your local APF member Francophone community paper in the next few weeks, or visit the APF and CPF websites.

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About APF

L’Association de la press francophone is the only network of Canadian French-language newspapers published outside Quebec. Its mission is to unite, support, serve and represent its member publications so as to contribute to the development and reach of Canada's Francophone press, and the vitality of Canada's Francophone and Acadian communities. It vigorously defends the principles of free speech and freedom of the press.

www.apf.ca
Information : Geneviève Gazaille, 613.241.1017, communications@apf.ca

About CPF

www.cpf.ca
Information : Nicole Chatelain, 613.235.1481 x26, nchatelain@cpf.ca

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CPF National's Executive Director James Shea Announces Retirement

For immediate release January 14, 2011
Happy New Year to you all. As is the tradition with new beginnings, we at CPF are embarking on a new adventure. After nine years of dedicated service as our Executive Director, James Shea has decided to move on from CPF. He will be ending his tenure in September 2011. On behalf of the National Board, I know I speak for many when I say that CPF would not be where it is today without Jim. His knowledge, dedication and passion for our vision and the organization have brought us much success and it is now time for us to wish him well as he explores new options. As a National Board, we realize the importance of the Executive Director to CPF's success. Thus, we have formed a committee of the National Board to oversee this transition and to take leadership in selecting a new Executive Director. This committee consists of Lisa Marie Perkins, CPF President;Jordan Wright, CPF Vice-President; and Claude Parent, CPF Board Member. To begin, we will be conducting a needs-assessment and soliciting feedback from the CPF network, our partners, and staff. Based on this feedback and other research, we will draft and finalize a job description. Thereafter, we will advertise, interview, and select an appropriate candidate. The National Board is hoping to have someone hired by this summer, which will allow for some transition between Jim and his successor. We thank everyone for your patience and cooperation as we go through this process. If you have any questions about our ED search, please contact a member of the committee. On behalf of the committee, Lisa Marie Perkins National President Chair, ED Search Committee

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Immersion Graduates Take Control of Canadian Parents for French

For immediate release October 19, 2010
OTTAWA—October 16 2010 marked a historic day for Canadian Parents for French (CPF) when officials at the 34th Annual General Meeting for the organization elected a French immersion graduate as its national president for the first time ever. Lisa Marie Perkins, a native of Alberta, has been an enthusiastic member of the National Board of Directors for several years now. As president, she will represent a network of approximately 26,000 members nationwide who support the advancement of French-second-language (FSL) opportunities for youth in Canada.

A mother of a 13-year-old son studying FSL himself, Perkins looks forward to taking on a leadership role for more students across Canada. “I’ve gone through the French Immersion program, first as a student and now as a parent,” says Perkins. “I know first-hand what FSL can do. I’m honoured and excited to represent this amazing community and deliver its message to our country: the message that every student in Canada can become bilingual, and deserves opportunities to make that dream a reality.”

Perkins is backed by a talented and diverse Board of Directors, including Newfoundland’s Jordan Wright, newly elected national vice-president. Wright is also a graduate of the French Immersion program and together, Perkins and Wright represent an important evolution in CPF’s governance structure, with the students who benefited from the organization’s advocacy years ago now stepping into place as its leaders.

Albertans have a unique relationship with official bilingualism, says Perkins. “Some people in Canada might be surprised to learn that there are many supporters of official bilingualism in Alberta, but I can say with pride that Francophile Albertans are here, and we’re vocal and active in our communities. Alberta does indeed have a strong support base for linguistic duality and that’s the support base I come from—one that does not shy away from activism and is not afraid of a challenge.”

Perkins has degrees in Political Science, History, and French from Simon Fraser University and a Master's Degree in Leadership and Training from Royal Roads University. Currently employed as a corporate strategist for the City of Red Deer in Alberta, Perkins also works with other community organizations in facilitating strategic planning and learning sessions.

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Information/Renseignements:
Nicole Chatelain, Communications Officer/Agente de communication
Tel/Tél: 613.235.1481 x26 Email/Courriel: nchatelain@cpf.ca

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Canadian Parents for French Publishes Research Report in Support of Canada’s French-Second-Language Programs

For immediate release October 15, 2010
OTTAWA—Inequitable access to French-second-language (FSL) programming in Canada is hurting our country’s youth, says Canadian Parents for French (CPF).

CPF, a parent-led advocacy group that advocates for opportunities for students to learn and use French in Canada, today published a research report entitled The State of French-Second-Language Education in Canada 2010. This report, which is the latest edition in a series that is published generally every two years and coincides with the biennial CPF National Conferences held in Ottawa, focuses on the need for equitable access to FSL programs nationwide.

“For years, FSL stakeholders have identified barriers to access,” says CPF president David M. Brennick. “Enrolment caps, differential program and transportation fees, admission criteria and limited FSL entry points in small, rural and remote communities preclude the participation of many students. Furthermore, there are great discrepancies in school district practice regarding inclusion and academic support for academically-challenged and Allophone students, both between and within provinces and territories.”

This lack of access for Allophone students (those who speak neither French nor English as a first language) is addressed in detail in a research study conducted by Callie Mady, Ph.D., and commissioned by CPF. This research study is presented as part of the report’s findings and demonstrates the accessibility challenges that are unique to new Canadians.

Allophone families are among FSL’s greatest supporters in Canada, notes CPF Executive Director James Shea. “Despite the fact that 80% received no information about French immersion options from the school system, Allophone parents pursue second-official-language education for their children. In the absence of clear ministry policies, however, 33% of Allophone students surveyed reported that their school had discouraged them from enrolling in immersion, while 42% reported that their school had disallowed their enrolment.”

Such a gap between immigrant support for FSL education and access to it is telling of the current state of affairs of FSL education in our country, says CPF—a gap that must be bridged if Canada is to pave the way to true equity for newcomers to Canada. CPF urges the Government of Canada and provincial/territorial ministries of education to rectify this situation by encouraging universal access to FSL programs for all students in Canada, including Allophones and those who are otherwise disadvantaged.

To access a copy of the report, visit CPF at www.cpf.ca.

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Information/Renseignements:
Nicole Chatelain, Communications Officer/Agente de communication
Tel/Tél: 613.235.1481 x26 Email/Courriel: nchatelain@cpf.ca

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Canadian Parents for French (CPF) and the University of Ottawa select five Canadian students to win $20,000 scholarship

For immediate release May 31, 2010
OTTAWA—Canadian Parents for French (CPF) is pleased to announce the names of the five grand-prize winners of the eighth annual edition of the CPF National Concours d’art oratoire, which was held at the University of Ottawa on May 29th, 2010.

Concours d’art oratoire, a public-speaking contest held in conjunction with the University of Ottawa for its sixth consecutive year, is a nationwide event with competitors reaching the national level after first winning in the provincial and territorial finals. Grand prize winners in five categories—based on level of proficiency with French—each take home an offer for a $20,000 scholarship to the University of Ottawa, donated generously by the University itself. All competitors receive a $2,000 entrance scholarship, and new this year, the school is offering a $5,000 scholarship to each of the five second-place winners. This year’s competition welcomed 37 high-school students to Canada’s capital for the competition and some sightseeing.

“Concours d’art oratoire is in its eighth year at the national level, and it just gets better every year,” says CPF president David M. Brennick. “The students we’ve seen compete today are wonderfully talented and worked so hard to get here. This competition really demonstrates that students in Canada are driven to succeed linguistically, and it’s exactly why we at CPF support this cause. These students are smart and every one of those 37 teenagers deserves our recognition.”

CPF congratulates the following contest winners:

Core French
1st place: Charles Park (Richmond Hill, Ontario)
2nd place: Tanisha Gallichon (Gatineau, Quebec)
3rd place: Jenny Tan (Coquitlam, British Columbia)

Core Extended
1st place: Sarah Hillier (Amherst, Nova Scotia)
2nd place: Carly Welham (Gimli, Manitoba)
3rd place: Henry Annan (Halifax, Nova Scotia)

Late Immersion
1st place: Madeline Dodds (Mississauga, Ontario)
2nd place: Chuqiao Wang (Ottawa, Ontario)
3rd place: Gerianne Rowe (Carbonear, Newfoundland & Labrador)

Early Immersion
1st place: Hilary Ball (Fredericton, New Brunswick)
2nd place: Katrina Leong (Winnipeg, Manitoba)
3rd place: Scott Harvey (Pointe-Claire, Quebec)

Francophone
1st place: Yann Lacoste (Victoria, British Columbia)
2nd place: Alice Brun-Newhook (St. John’s, Newfoundland & Labrador)
3rd place: Amber O’Reilly (Yellowknife, Northwest Territories)

CPF acknowledges and thanks the following for their contributions toward the competition: the Government of Canada’s Department of Canadian Heritage, the University of Ottawa, Rideau Travel,Radio Enfant-Ado, the Rideau Centre, and individual donors.

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Information/Renseignements:
Nicole Chatelain, Communications Officer/Agente de communication
Tel/Tél: 613.235.1481 x26 Email/Courriel: nchatelain@cpf.ca

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Beyond Obligations: Canada's Responsibility

For immediate release May 27, 2010
OTTAWA—Canadian Parents for French (CPF) is pleased with Beyond Obligations, the 2009-2010 Annual Report of the Office of the Commissioner of Official Languages (OCOL). The report includes a wealth of information and recommendations for improving Canada’s linguistic learning opportunities.

“It is refreshing to see this report to Parliament point out significant limitations within one of our country’s most essential social services: public education,” says CPF Executive Director James Shea. “The Commissioner’s report rightly applauds the signing of the Protocol for Agreements for Minority-Language Education and Second-Language Instruction for 2009-2010 to 2010-2013, which will better fund second-language instruction across our country. However, as the report points out, this Protocol currently has significant productivity gaps; commitments to stakeholder consultation are geographically inconsistent. Parents are stakeholders and they want to be consulted, and it is clear to us that OCOL is aware of the importance of groups like CPF.”

The report specifies a recommendation that “the Minister of Canadian Heritage and Official Languages actively encourage all provinces and territories to consult all concerned associations and groups” and CPF believes this consultation should be a requirement.

The report also recognizes the lack of accessibility to second-language education programs in school districts across our country. CPF President David M. Brennick agrees that this is a severe problem and notes that the idea is consistent with CPF’s position statements: “There are caps on immersion enrolment, lotteries that limit access, transportation roadblocks, admissions criteria and numerous other obstacles to families who want their children to learn a second language. Canada is a country with two official languages, and its government should guarantee the right for each and every student in Canada to learn his or her second official language through their program of choice.”

In addition to mandating students’ rights to FSL, a common framework for language learning should be adopted. Such a framework, also discussed in the report, would be useful in bridging the gap between the school system and the labour force; improving teacher and student mobility; informing parents of proficiency levels; and helping schools determine their students’ needs by implementing proficiency benchmarks across all school levels, from elementary to postsecondary education.

CPF is disappointed, however, in the report’s lack of attention given to the specific needs of immigrant families. “There is no real discussion in this report of the distinct needs of immigrant families, and this topic is current and is being readily addressed by researchers and second-language advocates around the country,” says Mr. Shea. “Allophone families are frequently discouraged from FSL programs, due to a lack of information, negative misconceptions about Allophone learning potential and a number of other issues fuelled by stereotypes and indifference. This has to stop. I hope that future reports will address this injustice.”

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Information/Renseignements:
Nicole Chatelain, Communications Officer/Agente de communication
Tel/Tél: 613.235.1481 x26 Email/Courriel: nchatelain@cpf.ca

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Research report an important step in addressing students’ post-secondary linguistic needs

For immediate release October 30, 2009
OTTAWA—Canadian Parents for French (CPF) is pleased with Two Languages, a World of Opportunities: Second-Language Learning in Canada’s Universities,the research study released yesterday by the Office of the Commissioner of Official Languages (OCOL) which reviews the current state of post-secondary second-language education in Canada. Results from the study confirm that there are too few second-language learning opportunities for students presently entering university in Canada, a view shared by CPF.

“This report is a confirmation of the fact that students in Canada need more opportunities to study the French language in an academic environment than the few that currently exist,” says David M. Brennick, CPF national president. “The transition from high school to university is a crucial time for program retention and with the lack of French-second language (FSL) programs available in universities, attrition at this time is extremely common.”

CPF notes particular points of interest in the content of the report, including the need for successful programs to be built “from the bottom up through community involvement,” and a recommendation that CPF “could work with governments, institutions and other organizations in each province and territory to encourage them to develop proposals tailored to their needs.” CPF looks forward to accepting this responsibility. “Collaboration in each community, between parents, teachers, students, school boards and community groups, is where the real work toward bilingualism is accomplished,” says Brennick. “CPF is pleased that OCOL looks to us for support. We very much hope that in the follow-up to this study, not only will governments look intrinsically at their policies toward addressing the need for a bilingual workforce at the university level, but activists will solidify their relationships with governments and educational institutions at all levels and policies can be generated through teamwork and mutual understanding.”

The report includes recommendations to document the “employer and labour market demand for knowledge of a second language” and the “additional data and information relating to second-language learning in university,” and CPF echoes these recommendations and hopes that the government of Canada will follow up with an action plan for post-secondary education that includes a discussion of students’ linguistic needs.

Along with the report, OCOL has also launched an online interactive map detailing the various pan-Canadian second-language university programs to help inform students of their options. “This is a useful tool for students and guidance counsellors,” says CPF executive director James Shea. “Knowing what opportunities exist beyond high school will encourage more students to continue in FSL education at the secondary level.”

For information on other events, or to request a media pass and/or weekend program book, please contact Nicole Chatelain, Communications Officer, at 613-235-1481 x26.

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To access the study and interactive map, please visit www.ocol-clo.gc.ca.

Information/Renseignements:
Nicole Chatelain, Communications Officer/Agente de communication
Tel/Tél: 613.235.1481 x26 Email/Courriel: nchatelain@cpf.ca

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Canadian Parents for French Mourns The Loss of Dr. Wallace Lambert

For immediate release September 10, 2009
OTTAWA, September 10, 2009 – It is with sincere sadness that we announce the death of world-renowned researcher Wallace (Wally) Earl Lambert on Sunday, August 23, 2009 as a result of complications from pneumonia.

Dr. Wallace was born on December 31, 1922, in Amherst, Nova Scotia and moved with his family to Taunton, Massachusetts during the Great Depression. He completed his undergraduate studies at Brown University in Providence, Rhode Island, and went on to complete MA and PhD degrees at Colgate University and at the University of North Carolina.

Dr. Wallace was a professor in the Department of Psychology at McGill University from 1954 until his retirement in 1990, when he was awarded emeritus status. His ground-breaking research on the psychology of bilingualism earned him the title of ‘Father of Research on Bilingualism’.

His landmark study in 1960 represents a milestone in research into the cognitive effects of knowing two languages. It demonstrated that bilingual individuals could in fact outperform unilingual individuals on certain cognitive tasks- challenging earlier studies suggesting that the acquisition of two languages resulted in cognitive deficits. Dr. Wallace’s research on the attitudes and perceptions of bilinguals was even more influential, as these studies created an entirely new discipline of psychology; the social psychology of language.

Dr. Wallace went on, along with his McGill colleagues, to study the development of Canada’s first second language immersion program in St. Lambert, Quebec. The program was begun by Anglophone parents who wanted effective French-language education for their children, as they realized that the core French programming taught in Anglophone schools could not provide the desired level of French proficiency. Dr. Lambert’s early interest and research paved the way for French immersion to become the most carefully researched educational program. ‘The Bilingual Education of Children: The St. Lambert Experiment’ is one of the most widely cited studies in the field of bilingual education in history. Today, it serves as the handbook for numerous other experiments in bilingual education, not only in Canada, but worldwide.

Canada has truly lost one of its most dedicated and passionate minds; Dr. Wallace’s tireless efforts towards the promotion and progression of bilingualism will always be remembered and sorely missed.

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Information:
Nicole Chatelain, Communications Officer/Agente de communication
Tel/Tél: 613.235.1481 x26 Email/Courriel: nchatelain@cpf.ca

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Canadian Parents for French Proudly Supports Signing of Official Languages in Education Protocol

For immediate release September 10, 2009
OTTAWA, September 10, 2009 - The Honourable James Moore, Minister of Canadian Heritage and Official Languages, and the Honourable Diane McGifford, Minister of Advanced Education and Literacy for Manitoba and Chair of the Council of Ministers of Education, Canada (CMEC), announced on Friday, September 4, of the renewal of the Protocol for Agreements for Minority-Language Education and Second-Language Instruction. Approximately $938 million will be invested over four years in provincial and territorial bilateral agreements, complementing the provincial and territorial investments in minority-language education and second-language instruction.

The protocol paves the way for bilateral agreements on official-languages education. Under the protocol, the federal government will invest more than $1 billion over a four-year period in the provinces’ and territories’ delivery of minority-language education and second-language instruction (English in Quebec and French in the other provinces and territories). The protocol, which extends from 2009–2010 to 2012–2013, reiterates the objectives pursued in past protocols and includes, for the first time, an outcomes framework that will serve as a basis for the development of performance targets and indicators in provincial and territorial action plans. This framework will enable governments to provide relevant and timely public information on the outcomes of this intergovernmental collaboration.

"This agreement marks another important step in our Government’s plan to ensure that both our country’s official languages are promoted and respected,” said Minister Moore. “Having studied in an immersion program from elementary through high school, I can personally attest to the value of having the opportunity to learn in one’s second language. I’m proud that our Government is standing up for second-language and minority-language education by making such an important investment.”

The Government of Canada’s investment in official languages education comes, in part, from theRoadmap for Canada’s Linguistic Duality 2008–2013: Acting for the Future. The Roadmap is an unprecedented, government-wide investment and reaffirms the Government’s commitment to linguistic duality and to the vitality of minority official-language communities.

This promising news coincides with the 40th anniversary of the Official Languages Act, which came into effect September 9, 1969, and ensured that both French and English have equal statuses as Canada’s languages of government and justice. The Act expanded the scope of the constitutional guarantee regarding the use of French and English in Parliament and federal courts (set out in section 133 of the Constitution Act, 1867) to cover all federal institutions, including federal departments, agencies and Crown corporations as well as quasi-judicial bodies and administrative agencies.

Canadian Parents for French is extremely pleased to support the signing of Official Languages in Education Protocol, and looks forward to the promising opportunities it presents to Canadians.

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Information/Renseignements:
Nicole Chatelain, Communications Officer/Agente de communication
Tel/Tél: 613.235.1481 x26 Email/Courriel: nchatelain@cpf.ca

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Allons en France 2009 contest awards three students a trip to France

For immediate release June 2, 2009
Ottawa – Canadian Parents for French (CPF) and the Embassy of France are pleased to announce theAllons en France 2009 contest winners who have won a 10-day trip to France. The winners are Katie Chung of Prince of Wales Secondary School in Vancouver, BC; Sandra Uwase of St Paul High School in Ottawa, ON; and Meriam Hurmiz of Holy Names High School in Windsor, Ontario. Also winning the grand prize to France is teacher Ana Baptista, who teaches French at Blessed Mother Theresa Secondary School in Scarborough, Ontario and who was chosen in a random draw. “This contest gives many students the chance use the French language creatively,” says CPF president David M. Brennick. “The theme this year was urban arts and culture, which is a genre of art that really speaks to today’s youth. By giving FSL students an opportunity to use French not only outside the classroom, but also within an art form that is so widely embraced by many youth in Canada, students have the chance to see the fun side of French, the playful side, the side that helps them really test their vocabulary in ways that are new and exciting.” Students were asked to submit a piece of literature in French, using 10 words provided, that illustrates the future and is written within a medium of urban arts and culture. Each submission was evaluated based on originality, French language quality, and content development. “The French language transcends national boundaries, and that’s why it’s so wonderful to be able to bring international students together in celebration of the beauty that is français,” says Etienne Manuard, Education Attaché with the Embassy of France. “The Embassy’s partnership with CPF is important, and not just because Canadian parents care about French, but also because Canadian students should have the opportunity to truly understand Canada’s place in the global French-speaking community. We are honoured to work with CPF to make this happen for the talented students who have expressed a gift and a love for French.” The prize consists of a 10-day trip to France which will take place in July. The prize package includes travel, accommodation, activities and insurance. - 30 - Canadian Parents for French is the national network of volunteers which values French as an integral part of Canada and which is dedicated to the promotion and creation of French-second-language learning opportunities for young Canadians. There are currently more than 26,000 members across Canada. Information: Nicole Chatelain, Communications Officer Tel: 613.235.1481 x26 Email: nchatelain@cpf.ca

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$20,000 Scholarships Awarded to Five Canadian Students for Excellence in Public Speaking

For immediate release June 2, 2009
Ottawa – Canadian Parents for French (CPF) is pleased to announce the winners of this year’s national Concours d’art oratoire, held at the University of Ottawa on Saturday, May 30.

CPF and the University welcomed 35 students to the nation’s capital on Friday, for the renowned speech contest held every year by CPF. Contestants compete in five categories to win the first-place spot, which grants eligible students a $20,000 scholarship to the University of Ottawa. The national participants come to Ottawa from all across the country, having won already at the school, regional, and finally provincial/territorial levels.

“It is no small feat for these participants to have made it to the national finals,” said CPF president David M. Brennick following Saturday’s competition. “Having come this far is in itself an extraordinary accomplishment, and all the students who competed today deserve recognition for being talented public speakers in French.”

The national competition has five language categories: core French (basic French), core extended, late French immersion, early French immersion, and Francophone. In addition to the five grand prizes of a $20,000 scholarship, the University of Ottawa also offers each of the 35 finalists a $2,000 entrance bursary.

The winners of the core French category are:

1st Place—Suhani Thakore, Burnaby, BC
2nd Place—Carolina Crescenzi, Winnipeg, MB
3rd Place—Kimberly Martin, Gatineau, QC

The winners of the core extended category are:
1st Place—Matthew Blackshaw, Owen Sound, ON
2nd Place—Anja Bielefeld, Port-Aux-Basques, NL
3rd Place—Regina Prost, Yorkton, SK

The winners of the late French immersion category are:
1st Place—Khue-Tu Nguyen, Burnaby, BC
2nd Place—Stephen Spence, Rothesay, NB
3rd Place—Suganya Kandasamy, Dollard-des-Ormeaux, QC

The winners of the early French immersion category are:
1st Place—Naomi Francis, Delta, BC
2nd Place—Anton Stefani, Rothesay, NB
3rd Place—Joe McGrade, Toronto, ON

The winners of the Francophone category are:
1st Place—Sandra Uwase, Ottawa, ON
2nd Place—Imane Habi, Pierrefonds, QC
3rd Place—Emily Briand, Mainland, NL

CPF acknowledges and thanks the following for their contributions toward the competition: the Government of Canada’s Department of Canadian Heritage, the University of Ottawa, Bank of Montreal Mosaik Mastercard, Voyages Rideau Travel, Radio Enfant-Ado, the Rideau Centre, Cineplex Odeon, and individual donors.

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Information:
Nicole Chatelain, Communications Officer
Tel: 613.235.1481 x26 Email: nchatelain@cpf.ca

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"One Common Space" an Important Goal for Canada’s Future

For immediate release May 26, 2009
Ottawa – Canadian Parents for French (CPF) is very excited to recognize that the 2008-2009 annual report released by the Office of the Commissioner of Official Languages, Two Official Languages: One Common Space, is in line with CPF’s advocacy position statements.

Two Official Languages: One Common Space, which serves as the annual report for the year that represents the 40th anniversary of the Official Languages Act, is the third such report released under current Commissioner Graham Fraser. Fraser’s educational recommendations are to secure access to second-official-language education for all students studying in Canada.

"Commissioner Fraser's recommendations are a reflection of CPF’s position that every child should have equitable access to French-second-language educational programming," CPF president David M. Brennick stated in response to the document, which is being launched today. "We are pleased with the recommendations for action and the strengthened commitment to enhance this fundamental Canadian right for all students. We further recognize the need for an advocacy strategy targeting post-secondary opportunities for students."

CPF is also pleased that the Commissioner recognized both the organization’s contributions to language learning in his report and the overall contributions of all the associations making up the FSL Partner Network. "The recommendation for the Minister of Canadian Heritage to coordinate mechanisms bringing together all partners involved in English- or French-second-language learning in Canada is anticipated and welcomed," notes CPF Executive Director James Shea. "We are extremely pleased that the Commissioner’s report recognized the FSL Partner network as a significant partner group working towards official language representation."

There are five groups working together within this network to coordinate efforts into FSL education. Along with CPF, they are the Canadian Association of Immersion Teachers, the Canadian Association of Second Language Teachers, the Society for Educational Visits and Exchanges in Canada, and French for the Future.

CPF is first mentioned in the report on Page 6, with references to Pat Webster and Jos Craven Scott, two exceptional volunteers instrumental in founding the 32-year-old association with a membership that has grown exponentially over the years.

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Information:
Nicole Chatelain, Communications Officer
Tel: 613.235.1481 x26 Email: nchatelain@cpf.ca

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CPF Video Promotes a Healthy Bilingual Identity

For immediate release March 18, 2009
Ottawa – Canadian Parents for French (CPF) will launch a new video promoting French-second-language (FSL) education among Canadian youth this Friday.

The seven-minute video, called I Want to Become Bilingual Because and produced by Collings Media, includes a set of interviews with FSL students across the country. The students range in age from primary to high school level and they all answer questions about why it’s important to them to learn French.

“This video puts forth the image of a type of student that is growing demographically in all of our provinces and territories,” says CPF executive director, James Shea. “A student that learns French proudly, not reluctantly. A student that is aware of the opportunities and careers that will be open to him or her because of a working competency in French. A student that, in many cases, has made these realizations before middle school has even begun.”

The video will be available for download at www.cpf.ca following the lunchtime launch. CPF members can also receive a free hard copy by contacting the CPF national office in Ottawa at 613-235-1481. The DVD will include a slightly edited version of 1995’s Proud of Two Languages, CPF’s most recent video prior to I Want to Become Bilingual Because, as a special feature.

The launch will happen this Friday at 11:00 am, in the library of South Hull School, 86 Crescent Drive, Gatineau, Quebec. Two South Hull students are featured in the film. To obtain a media pass to this event, please contact Nicole Chatelain at 613.235.1481 x26.

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Information:
Nicole Chatelain, Communications Officer
Tel: 613.235.1481 x26 Email: nchatelain@cpf.ca

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40 years of bilingualism represents a right, not a burden

For immediate release February 4, 2009
Ottawa – With four decades and six Commissioners of Official Languages under its belt, Canada’s Official Languages Act (OLA) has proven to be a successful initiative in advancing the rights and opportunities of individuals across the country—and according to Canadian Parents for French (CPF), it’s an initiative best honoured by guaranteeing its continued development.

This year, the OLA celebrates its fortieth anniversary. Introduced under the parliament of Pierre Elliott Trudeau in 1969, the OLA protects all Canadians’ rights to access federal services in the official language—English or French—of their choice. And while some may argue that the OLA is no longer necessary or relevant in this time of economic instability, CPF President David M. Brennick reminds Canadians that bilingualism is not only a cherished element of the Canadian identity, but also a genuine component of the national demographic.

“Through the Official Languages Act, millions of Canadians have been able to exercise autonomy and real choice in accessing, interpreting and delivering the federal services that keep us united,” Brennick stated Friday. He added that in the midst of a global recession, it’s important to increase the overall accessibility of essential public services rather than financially limiting programs that do not relate directly to fiscal development.

“This is no time to say that language rights issues are inferior concerns to industry bailout or job creation plans. Language rights are an essential part of ensuring the widespread functionality of those very systems; the government must be responsible for each of its citizens in each part of this diverse and multilingual country.”

CPF believes an anniversary is not only time for celebration, but also for innovation and reflection. The next 40 years will round off the first half of the 21st century, sure to be a time of social progress and advancement, and it is the hope of CPF that governments will use this time to expand and enhance Canada’s internationally renowned French immersion programming. “French immersion needs redefinition in our public consciousness as a universal, non-elitist program,” declared CPF Executive Director James Shea. “Our research indicates, time and again, that students with learning disabilities—as well as students who are learning French as a third or even fourth language—can be just as successful academically in an appropriate French-second-language program.”

Current Minister of Canadian Heritage and Official Languages James Moore is the first Anglophone-born Canadian to hold the position in the federal cabinet. “Minister Moore is an ideal personification of the success of FSL programs,” noted Shea. “He holds the highest position in the country responsible for honouring Canadian culture and identity, and his personal commitment to bilingualism represents a significant sociological shift.”

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Information:
Nicole Chatelain, Communications Officer
Tel: 613.235.1481 x26 Email: nchatelain@cpf.ca

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‘#French Is’ a success!

CPF Selects Winners for Nationwide Memorial Fund Honouring Departed Teacher Mary Joyce Booth

Canadian Parents for French meet with the Senate’s Standing Committee on Official Languages

Canadian Parents for French welcomes a renewed Government commitment to Official Languages

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Open letter to Liberal Leadership Candidates

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Academic Elitism

Financial Elitism

Keeping up with English stream

Geographic use of French

Retention Rates

Early entrance to FSL programs

CPF Response to Canadian Living article

Retention

Elitism

Keeping up with English stream

French vs. Other languages

CPF Welcomes "After the Roadmap"

2011 Census Finds Positive Numbers in Canada's Bilingual Labour Force

2011 Census Finds Positive Gains in Numbers of Bilingual Canadians

Research Report Calls for More Support for Academically Challenged Students in French-Second-Language Education

Announcing the Winners of the CPF National Concours d'art oratoire 2012

Advisory: $20,000 scholarship to be awarded to each of five grand prize winners in national French-language public speaking competition

Open Letter to Minister Moore In Support of CBC/Radio-Canada

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An Open Letter from James Shea: This Is My Canada

Allons en France 2011 contest awards Canadian student with a trip to France

Announcing the Winners of the CPF National Concours d’art oratoire 2011

Level 1 [Core French] 1st Place: Camille Pabalan (Winnipeg, Manitoba) 2nd Place: Sophie Starke-Hellwig (Bathurst, New Brunswick) 3rd Place: Christian Norton (Annandale, Prince Edward Island)

Level 2 [Core French Extended] 1st Place: Julia Romanski (Toronto, Ontario) 2nd Place: Megan Freimann (Sainte Agathe, Quebec) 3rd Place: Nicola Jones (Halifax, Nova Scotia)

Level 3 [Late French Immersion] 1st Place: Aislin Flynn (Halifax, Nova Scotia) 2nd Place: Tanya Bagai (Delta, British Columbia) 3rd Place: Raquel Albert (Gatineau, Quebec)

Level 4 [Early French Immersion] 1st Place: Sean Leonard (Mount Pearl, Newfoundland and Labrador) 2nd Place: Maria Debly (Quispamsis, New Brunswick) 3rd Place: Avnee Paranjape (Regina, Saskatchewan)

Level 5 [Francophone] 1st Place: Alice Brun-Newhook (St. John’s, Newfoundland and Labrador) 2nd Place: Julien Jefferson (Waterloo, Ontario) 3rd Place: Nastastya Hénault (Wakefield, Quebec)

CPF Asks for Reversal of CBE Decision

Announcing the winners of Français pour mon succès 2011!

CPF National's Executive Director James Shea Announces Retirement

Immersion Graduates Take Control of Canadian Parents for French

Canadian Parents for French Publishes Research Report in Support of Canada’s French-Second-Language Programs

Canadian Parents for French (CPF) and the University of Ottawa select five Canadian students to win $20,000 scholarship

Core French 1st place: Charles Park (Richmond Hill, Ontario) 2nd place: Tanisha Gallichon (Gatineau, Quebec) 3rd place: Jenny Tan (Coquitlam, British Columbia)

Core Extended 1st place: Sarah Hillier (Amherst, Nova Scotia) 2nd place: Carly Welham (Gimli, Manitoba) 3rd place: Henry Annan (Halifax, Nova Scotia)

Late Immersion 1st place: Madeline Dodds (Mississauga, Ontario) 2nd place: Chuqiao Wang (Ottawa, Ontario) 3rd place: Gerianne Rowe (Carbonear, Newfoundland & Labrador)

Early Immersion 1st place: Hilary Ball (Fredericton, New Brunswick) 2nd place: Katrina Leong (Winnipeg, Manitoba) 3rd place: Scott Harvey (Pointe-Claire, Quebec)

Francophone 1st place: Yann Lacoste (Victoria, British Columbia) 2nd place: Alice Brun-Newhook (St. John’s, Newfoundland & Labrador) 3rd place: Amber O’Reilly (Yellowknife, Northwest Territories)

Beyond Obligations: Canada's Responsibility

Research report an important step in addressing students’ post-secondary linguistic needs

Canadian Parents for French Mourns The Loss of Dr. Wallace Lambert

Canadian Parents for French Proudly Supports Signing of Official Languages in Education Protocol

Allons en France 2009 contest awards three students a trip to France

$20,000 Scholarships Awarded to Five Canadian Students for Excellence in Public Speaking

1st Place—Suhani Thakore, Burnaby, BC 2nd Place—Carolina Crescenzi, Winnipeg, MB 3rd Place—Kimberly Martin, Gatineau, QC

The winners of the core extended category are: 1st Place—Matthew Blackshaw, Owen Sound, ON 2nd Place—Anja Bielefeld, Port-Aux-Basques, NL 3rd Place—Regina Prost, Yorkton, SK

The winners of the late French immersion category are: 1st Place—Khue-Tu Nguyen, Burnaby, BC 2nd Place—Stephen Spence, Rothesay, NB 3rd Place—Suganya Kandasamy, Dollard-des-Ormeaux, QC

The winners of the early French immersion category are: 1st Place—Naomi Francis, Delta, BC 2nd Place—Anton Stefani, Rothesay, NB 3rd Place—Joe McGrade, Toronto, ON

The winners of the Francophone category are: 1st Place—Sandra Uwase, Ottawa, ON 2nd Place—Imane Habi, Pierrefonds, QC 3rd Place—Emily Briand, Mainland, NL

"One Common Space" an Important Goal for Canada’s Future

CPF Video Promotes a Healthy Bilingual Identity

40 years of bilingualism represents a right, not a burden

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CPF graciously thanks the Department of Canadian Heritage for their continued support.

Level 1 [Core French]
1st Place: Camille Pabalan (Winnipeg, Manitoba)
2nd Place: Sophie Starke-Hellwig (Bathurst, New Brunswick)
3rd Place: Christian Norton (Annandale, Prince Edward Island)

Level 2 [Core French Extended]
1st Place: Julia Romanski (Toronto, Ontario)
2nd Place: Megan Freimann (Sainte Agathe, Quebec)
3rd Place: Nicola Jones (Halifax, Nova Scotia)

Level 3 [Late French Immersion]
1st Place: Aislin Flynn (Halifax, Nova Scotia)
2nd Place: Tanya Bagai (Delta, British Columbia)
3rd Place: Raquel Albert (Gatineau, Quebec)

Level 4 [Early French Immersion]
1st Place: Sean Leonard (Mount Pearl, Newfoundland and Labrador)
2nd Place: Maria Debly (Quispamsis, New Brunswick)
3rd Place: Avnee Paranjape (Regina, Saskatchewan)

Level 5 [Francophone]
1st Place: Alice Brun-Newhook (St. John’s, Newfoundland and Labrador)
2nd Place: Julien Jefferson (Waterloo, Ontario)
3rd Place: Nastastya Hénault (Wakefield, Quebec)

Core French
1st place: Charles Park (Richmond Hill, Ontario)
2nd place: Tanisha Gallichon (Gatineau, Quebec)
3rd place: Jenny Tan (Coquitlam, British Columbia)

Core Extended
1st place: Sarah Hillier (Amherst, Nova Scotia)
2nd place: Carly Welham (Gimli, Manitoba)
3rd place: Henry Annan (Halifax, Nova Scotia)

Late Immersion
1st place: Madeline Dodds (Mississauga, Ontario)
2nd place: Chuqiao Wang (Ottawa, Ontario)
3rd place: Gerianne Rowe (Carbonear, Newfoundland & Labrador)

Early Immersion
1st place: Hilary Ball (Fredericton, New Brunswick)
2nd place: Katrina Leong (Winnipeg, Manitoba)
3rd place: Scott Harvey (Pointe-Claire, Quebec)

Francophone
1st place: Yann Lacoste (Victoria, British Columbia)
2nd place: Alice Brun-Newhook (St. John’s, Newfoundland & Labrador)
3rd place: Amber O’Reilly (Yellowknife, Northwest Territories)

1st Place—Suhani Thakore, Burnaby, BC
2nd Place—Carolina Crescenzi, Winnipeg, MB
3rd Place—Kimberly Martin, Gatineau, QC

The winners of the core extended category are:
1st Place—Matthew Blackshaw, Owen Sound, ON
2nd Place—Anja Bielefeld, Port-Aux-Basques, NL
3rd Place—Regina Prost, Yorkton, SK

The winners of the late French immersion category are:
1st Place—Khue-Tu Nguyen, Burnaby, BC
2nd Place—Stephen Spence, Rothesay, NB
3rd Place—Suganya Kandasamy, Dollard-des-Ormeaux, QC

The winners of the early French immersion category are:
1st Place—Naomi Francis, Delta, BC
2nd Place—Anton Stefani, Rothesay, NB
3rd Place—Joe McGrade, Toronto, ON

The winners of the Francophone category are:
1st Place—Sandra Uwase, Ottawa, ON
2nd Place—Imane Habi, Pierrefonds, QC
3rd Place—Emily Briand, Mainland, NL

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