In 1977, Keith Spicer was serving as Canada’s first-ever Commissioner of Official Languages. Interested in the bilingualism of Canada’s youth, he met with groups of parents across Canada who wanted their children to learn French as a second language (FSL) but who ran into roadblocks at the local school boards.
To get the ball rolling, Mr. Spicer offered to find some seed money—enough to organize a national conference of like-minded parents. The result was an event called “Parents’ Conference on French Language and Exchange Opportunities,” which took place in Ottawa in March of 1977. It was during this weekend-long conference that Canadian Parents for French was officially founded as a volunteer-based advocacy group, a collective of parents who wanted to ensure that children would have the opportunity to become bilingual in the Canadian school system.
The first conference determined a few things that are fundamental to the history of CPF. The group outlined its goals and elected its first National Board of Directors, led by inaugural president Pat Webster of Ontario. Her fellow directors were Judith Madley (British Columbia), David Sanders (Prairie Region), Elizabeth Annesley (Quebec), and Mary Lou Morrison (Atlantic Region).
This original small group of concerned parents who met in Ottawa over 40 years ago has evolved into a proactive national network with 12 Branches and Offices and some 150 Chapters in communities coast to coast to coast.
CPF Milestones
Come with us on a journey through time! Discover the beginnings of Canadian Parents for French, learn about our leading accomplishments over the last 40+ years, and follow the winding road of our quest to change the face of education in Canada.
Timeline
Under Construction
CONTENT COMING SOON!!!
Welcome to Our New Website!
Do you smell that? That’s new-website smell. It’s similar to new-car smell just a bit more binary. Luckily, you won’t find any more bad computer jokes on our website. However, you will find amazing resources for parents, educators, and Francophiles for helping young Canadians learn and use French.
Concours virtuel – Ensemble à distance
Concours virtuel is BACK. Last spring, over 900 students from across Canada submitted videos en français and we’re coming back for more in 2021. Tell us about everything from your favourite hobby to current events… we want to learn all about what students are passionate about!
Goodnight Bags
If you’re the parent of a young child, you know a good bedtime routine is imperative. That’s why CPF created an awesome new resource for families who have children aged 3-5 years old. We combined learning French with a bedtime routine to bring you the CPF Good Night Bag!
O’Poésie Winners
CPF’s national poetry competition just finished and it was a huge success. With over 400 entries, it was our biggest year ever. Check out some of our wonderful winners from wise whippersnappers who waxed poetic!
‘An impossible choice’: Parents plead with TDSB to save French immersion classes at their school
“Parents of French immersion students at one Toronto school are trying to persuade the school board to change its mind, after receiving an email telling them to put their children in the English-language program or switch to a different school.”
Campaign aims to save French courses at University of Alberta’s Campus Saint-Jean
“The University of Alberta’s Campus Saint-Jean has been a home for French education for more than 100 years, but now, thanks to reduced funding by the Alberta government and a freeze on reserve funds, nearly half of its courses could be axed.”
Quebec Community Groups Network: It’s time to update the Official Languages Act
“Bilingualism serves as a cornerstone of our nation. It is an essential element that provides a durable foundation. It must not and cannot be shunted aside. An updated Act is required to continue to promote our linguistic duality, properly adapted to the many changes experienced – not just by Canada as a whole but also by the English-speaking community of Quebec.”
Liberals’ proposed language reforms seek ‘equality’ of English and French in Canada
“The Trudeau government is proposing a series of sweeping language reforms that will “intervene vigorously to counter and remedy” the decline of French in Canada.”
Joly: Canada’s bilingualism is under pressure, and reform can’t wait
“Too often, parents who want to enrol their kids in French immersion can only do so through a wait list or lottery system, due in large part to an insufficient number of French teachers in their community. And too often, our federal public servants don't feel comfortable using French either.”
Come with us on a journey through time! Discover the beginnings of Canadian Parents for French, learn about our leading accomplishments over the last 40+ years, and follow the winding road of our quest to change the face of education in Canada
CPF recognizes individuals who have rendered significant service to the organization and who have demonstrated leadership in the advancement of French second language education.
CLICK HERE TO VIEW 2020 AWARD RECIPIENTS AND TO NOMINATE FOR 2022 AWARDS.
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