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
CPF National FSL Virtual Advocacy Event 2022: Starting Early for a Brighter Bilingual Future
Join us and our host, The Honourable Ginette Petitpas Taylor, Minister of Official Languages and Minister responsible for the Atlantic Canada Opportunities Agencies as we continue to advocate for French as a second language education.
Learning French in the Early Years
In this brief you will learn about the value of introducing languages to children during the formative years before school starts. This brief is an essential tool for CPF to ensure that there is equitable access for all Canadian children […]
CPF Announces Core French Teacher from Orillia, Ontario Recipient of IDÉLLO 2021 Education Recognition Award
Since 2021, CPF has sponsored the FSL Teacher in an English School category which recognizes dedicated teachers committed to their students, working in French immersion, core French , and extended French programs.
National Ambassador Youth Forum is looking for Manitoban students!
Each year, French for the Future selects a few teenagers in grades 10 to 11 enrolled in French programs across Canada (Core French, Extended French, French Immersion, or Francophone schools) to become ambassadors for bilingualism in their school throughout the […]
Canadian Parents for French Welcomes Strengthened Language within Bill C-13 to Modernize the Official Languages Act
Canadian Parents for French was gratified to learn that Bill C-13, An Act to amend the Official Languages Act, to enact the Use of French in Federally Regulated Private Businesses Act and to make related amendments to other Acts, was tabled on March 1st
Canadian Parents for French Welcomes Survey Findings from the Office of the Commissioner of Official Languages
Canadian Parents for French is gratified with the results of the public opinion survey on Canadians’ attitudes towards official bilingualism and the Official Languages Act, released by the Office of the Commissioner of Official Languages on February 24.
Good News for Official Languages as Support Remains High Across Canada
A nationwide survey conducted by the Office of the Commissioner of Official Languages found that support for bilingualism remains extremely high. Roughly 87% of the overall population supports Canada’s status as a bilingual state and the availability of services in both English and French, a win for the Francophone minority and those seeking to take advantage of French Second Language Programs.
Canadian Parents for French Releases French as a Second Language Education Enrolment Statistics 2019-2020
Canadian Parents for French is releasing the French as a Second Language Education Enrolment Statistics for the 2019-2020 school year.
Remake French Immersion Into Program for All Students, Commissioners Say
A report conducted by the provincial government of New Brunswick has found the education system to be falling far short of French language education goals with close to half of anglophone students graduating without conversational skills. The report points to a need to increase French educational programming in anglophone regions as more than 60% of anglophone students avoid second language education entirely.
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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