Agreement for the Construction of a French School in Iqaluit
OTTAWA, November 14, 1999 -- Minister of Canadian Heritage Sheila Copps today announced the signing of an agreement with the Government of Nunavut for the construction of a French school in Iqaluit. Under this agreement, construction of the school will begin in the spring of 2000 and will be completed in September 2001.The new school will have a surface area of 1,536 square metres and will be able to accommodate 132 students from kindergarten to grade nine. Included in the school will be classrooms, a community hall, a library and a daycare centre for the Iqaluit Francophone community as a whole.
The Government of Canada's financial participation in this project is part of the Auxiliary Agreement for the Construction of a French School in Iqaluit, ratified by the Nunavut Minister of Education, the Honourable James Arvaluk, during the first annual general meeting of the Association des francophones du Nunavut. The total cost of the project is $5.53 million and the Department of Canadian Heritage's contribution is $4.5 million.
"The Government of Canada's contribution is a testament to its ongoing commitment for the development of official language communities and the promotion of linguistic duality in Canada," said Ms. Copps. "The future of a faraway Francophone community such as Iqaluit relies in great part on the teaching in French. This school will be a francophone home for students and for all members of the community."
"This new French school will give us an opportunity to demonstrate our belief in cultural diversity within Nunavut," said Mr. Arvaluk.
Financing for this project was included in the federal budget tabled in February 1999 and is part of the financial framework already in place.
For more information:
Catherine Gagnaire
Communications Assistant
Office of the Canadian Heritage Minister
(819) 997-7788
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