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Home : Sustainable Communities : Francophone Economic Development Initiatives
Francophone Economic Development in Western Canada
The Government of Canada is committed to respecting English and French as the nation's official languages. Part of this commitment includes contributing to the economic vitality of official-language minority communities. This includes Francophone communities outside of Québec and Anglophone communities within Québec.
In Western Canada, WD sought to enhance Francophone economic development by making Francophone Economic Development Organizations (FEDOs) part of the WD Western Canada Business Service Network (WCBSN). FEDOs are independent non-profit organizations, governed by volunteer boards of directors, mandated to promote Francophone economic development in each of the four western provinces. Support from WD enables these four provincial organizations to enhance their services to Francophones, including training, business and community economic development, access to capital, information services, marketing advice, networking and mentoring.
The partners in each province are:
What's the WD Connection?
WD's partnership with Francophone minority communities in western Canada evolved from three key actions:
- being engaged in meaningful dialogue with francophone communities in the West;
- jointly identifying economic development as the communities' primary needs;
- providing communities with the means to assume the responsibility for their economic development.
Through the Francophone Strategy developed by WD, the FEDOs have a secure funding partnership, which assists them in offering enhanced services to their clients.
WD provides core funding to the four FEDOs in Western Canada. Three-year funding expired in March 2004 and is renewed until March 31, 2005 while long-term funding is negotiated. This core funding ensures on-going services in a publicly accessible site; materials and resources available for the public; staff available to provide program referrals; training, business counseling, business development advice, and access to financing.
Support for FEDOs is an important part of WD's Official Languages Act Action Plan, which demonstrates our commitment to Section 41 of the Official Languages Act.
WD is committed to the objectives of Section 41 of the Official Languages Act, which include:
- enhancing the vitality of the English and French linguistic minority communities in Canada and supporting their development; and
- fostering the full recognition and use of both English and French in Canadian society.
What's been accomplished?
In their first two years of operation as a western network, the four FEDOs responded to 13,828 requests for information, 1,805 requests for technical advice and provided 1,658 training sessions. See Business Services for You, a guide to the Western Canada Business Service Network, for more information and success stories involving the FEDOs.
Regional and Pan Western Special Economic Development Initiatives Funds
As part of the FEDOs strategy, funding for special economic development initiatives has been made available at the regional and pan-western levels to support activities and projects that will have a long term economic impact on Francophone communities. The pan-western initiatives involve all four organizations and are managed on a rotating basis across the West. WD currently provides funding for "Le Corridor touristique francophone de l'Ouest," a pan-western francophone tourism action plan based on the "tourism corridors" concept. The tourism sector, rural development , youth, and knowledge-based industries are identified as area s of economic opportunity and growth for French speaking communities.
Entrepreneurship
The FEDOs actively support the entrepreneurial spirit in western Francophone communities by providing resources and networks to advance small and medium size enterprises. Some of the FEDOs services include:
- small business information for francophone entrepreneurs;
- referral to government programs;
- information sessions, workshops, and exhibits to strengthen the skills of francophone entrepreneurs and to allow them to explore business opportunities;
- business management skills development for francophone businesses, including marketing and bookkeeping;
- business counseling and access to financing for business development and expansion;
- community economic development .
What's on the horizon?
WD is currently negotiating multi-year funding for FEDOs and will continue to support the economic development of official-language minority communities in western Canada, in accordance with the department's statutory commitment under Section 41 of the Official Languages Act (OLA). 
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