The Ministry of Francophone Affairs (French: Ministère des Affaires francophones) in the Canadian province of Ontario is responsible for the provision of government services to Franco-Ontarian citizens and communities.^[2]

It was originally founded as the Office of Francophone Affairs (French: Office des affaires francophones) in 1986 by the government of David Peterson,^[3] as an expansion of the former Office of the Government Coordinator of French-Language Services.^[4] It was upgraded to a full ministry in 2017 by the government of Kathleen Wynne.^[5]

Following the 2018 Ontario general election, the new government of Doug Ford announced plans to demote the department from a ministry back down to an office,^[6] but was forced to backtrack in the face of community opposition.^[7]

Under the province's French Language Services Act, the provincial government provides French language services if a community or region's francophone population exceeds 5,000 or 10 percent of the community's total population. There are 25 areas of the province so designated. The office also has a role in the governance of Ontario's francophone public television network, TFO, as well as francophone school boards and other government offices, and acts as a liaison office between the government and other francophone cultural agencies and social services.

The current Minister of Francophone Affairs is Caroline Mulroney.

Ministry agencies

• Provincial Advisory Committee on Francophone Affairs
• Special Advisor on Francophone Affairs
• Special Advisor on Francophone Economic Development

Source: Public Appointments Secretariat^[8]

Ministers

• Bernard Grandmaître (1986-1989)
• Charles Beer (1989-1990)
• Gilles Pouliot (1990-1995)
• Noble Villeneuve (1995-1999)
• John Baird (1999-2003)
• Madeleine Meilleur (2003-2016)
• Marie-France Lalonde (2016-2018)
• Caroline Mulroney (2018-present)

References

External links

• Official website