Co-operation Agreement Signed by the Department of Canadian Heritage and New Brunswick's Acadian Community Organizations

MONCTON, August 18, 2005 -- Liza Frulla, Minister of Canadian Heritage and Minister responsible for Status of Women, and Marie-Pierre Simard, President of the Forum de concertation des organismes acadiens du Nouveau-Brunswick, today signed a Co-operation Agreement between the Department of Canadian Heritage and New Brunswick's Acadian community organizations for 2005-06 to 2008-09.

"I am delighted to see that we are continuing a long tradition of co-operation between the Government of Canada and New Brunswick's Acadian community organizations," said Minister Frulla. "In signing this new Agreement, we are reaffirming our commitment to the vitality of New Brunswick's Acadian and Francophone community."

"The Acadian community is pleased to renew this agreement with the Government of Canada," said Ms. Simard. "The agreement will help eligible Acadian organizations to benefit from multi-year funding. It will give them greater stability, and will enable them to carry on their efforts to strengthen linguistic duality and the equality of New Brunswick's official-language communities."

The Agreement provides a framework to help the Department of Canadian Heritage and Acadian community organizations -- represented by the Forum de concertation des organismes acadiens du Nouveau-Brunswick -- better serve New Brunswick's Acadians and Francophones.

This agreement will enable the Forum and the Department to:

  • strengthen cultural vitality and sense of identity;

  • increase participation and community capacity;

  • reinforce the structure of community representation;

  • strengthen local and regional governance;

  • revitalize the use of French in the community; and

  • enhance the duality and equality of New Brunswick's official-language communities.


In the spring, the Government of Canada announced that it would increase the regular financial commitment for Acadian and Francophone communities for 2005-06. The funding provided to New Brunswick's Acadian and Francophone community has been increased from $2,198,000 to $2,440,000. The community will have increased access to the Atlantic regional envelope now $450,000 by proposing strategic projects.

More information on this agreement and on co-operation agreements between the Department of Canadian Heritage and communities across Canada can be found in the backgrounder attached to this news release at www.canadianheritage.gc.ca, under Media Room.

Information:

Jean-François Del Torchio
Press Secretary
Office of the Minister of Canadian Heritage and Minister responsible for Status of Women
(819) 997-7788

Daniel Thériault
Forum de concertation des organismes acadiens du Nouveau-Brunswick
(506) 850-6945

Jean-Guy Beaupré
Chief, Media Relations
Canadian Heritage
(819) 997-9314


BACKGROUNDER

Co-operation with the Community Sector

The Community Life component of the Development of Official-Language Communities Program involves creating, improving and delivering activities and services geared to the official-language minority communities to ensure their long-term development.

Co-operation agreements with the community sector are agreements-in-principle that define how the Department of Canadian Heritage and official-language minority community organizations of a particular province or territory will work together. The Department of Canadian Heritage undertakes to support the activities of the community sector in question (representation, awareness, networking, etc.) and to help these communities maintain or establish the infrastructure necessary to establish public spaces in their own language (such as community centres, community radio stations and theatres).

The Canada-Community Agreements expired on March 31, 2004. In 2004-05, the Department of Canadian Heritage maintained the funding allocated to each community.

The audits and evaluations conducted on this component recommended increased involvement by Canadian Heritage in terms of delivery and reporting, as well as the clarification of expected outcomes.

The baseline budget for this component of the program is distributed as follows:

Co-operation agreements with communities: $27.5 million
Strategic Fund: $ 4.3 million
Total: $31.8 million

Renewal of co-operation with the communities

The Department of Canadian Heritage intends to renew its co-operation with the official-language minority communities in 2005-06 by signing co-operation agreements that call for an 11% increase for the current year. The communities will also have the benefit of a $2-million special fund this year, raising the total increase to 19%. In 2006-07, the Department of Canadian Heritage plans to combine these agreements with a multi-year funding framework for official-language communities across Canada.

The Co-operation Agreement between the Department of Canadian Heritage and New Brunswick's Acadian community, represented by the Forum de concertation des organismes acadiens

The Government of Canada and New Brunswick's Acadian community have a long tradition of co-operation with respect to enhancing the well-being of New Brunswick's Acadians and Francophones. They share a commitment to help build dynamic communities.

Ten years of co-operation structured by two cycles of Canada-Community agreements have advanced the relationship between the Department and Acadian community organizations toward the common objective of having the community play a greater role in its own development. This Agreement continues the work begun and endeavours to improve the relationship between these two partners, while respecting the responsibilities of each.

The Forum de concertation des organismes acadiens is responsible for promoting a
co-ordinated approach for all organizations involved in developing New Brunswick's Acadian community. For the 2005-09 period, the Forum and Canadian Heritage have set the common objective of involving developmental organizations in the creation of a global vision, determining the sequence of strategic priorities, and implementing the community's overall development plan.

At the request of the Francophone and Acadian community sector of Canada, the financial commitment of the Department of Canadian Heritage in support of implementation of this agreement is identified for 2005-06 only.

The envelope reserved for Co-operation with the Community Sector in New Brunswick is $2.44 million for the 12-month period from April 1, 2005, to March 31, 2006. It is allocated as follows:

  • The Supporting Action component represents a maximum of 80% of the envelope, and

  • the Supporting Innovation component represents a minimum of 20% of the envelope, including interprovincial investments.


An additional envelope of $2 million will support formative initiatives developed within the entire Francophone and Acadian community sector of Canada. New Brunswick's Acadian organizations have been invited to submit projects within the scope of this envelope.