Quebec's Anglophone Community Seventh Group to Sign a Canada-Community Agreement with Federal Govt.
OTTAWA, November 24, 1995 The Minister of Canadian Heritage, the Honourable Michel Dupuy, has just signed an agreement with Quebec's Anglophone community, under the federal program to support minority official-language communities. This is the seventh such community after the Francophone communities of Manitoba, Saskatchewan, Alberta, Newfoundland, Nova Scotia and the Northwest Territories to take advantage of this type of arrangement.Since the adoption of the Official Languages Act in 1969, the federal government has been providing financial support to minority official-language communities. This new approach to funding was put in place in June 1994, in collaboration with minority official- language groups (Quebec Anglophones and Francophones in the other provinces and the territories), in order to ensure the best possible use of available resources in the current situation. The Canada-Community Agreements are administrative measures designed to direct resources to priority projects identified by the communities. They also allow for the development of projects over longer periods of time. However, they do not constitute new spending, since they are negotiated within the limits of previously established budgets.
"The signing of this new type of agreement demonstrates that the federal government is listening to official-language communities to encourage their full participation in all areas of Canadian life," said Mr. Dupuy.
The agreement with Quebec's Anglophone community is $8.4 million over a four-year period. Negotiations with the Francophone communities of the other four provinces and the Yukon are still under way.
Funding for these agreements is provided for in the February 1995 federal budget and is therefore built into the existing fiscal framework. These agreements are an example of how the federal government is setting its spending priorities so that it can better serve Canadians by making efficient use of their tax dollars.
Information:
Alain Garceau
Media Relations
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