Work underway in northern Ont. to attract and retain Francophone newcomers

Reseau du Nord is a Francophone Immigration Support Network that helps settle Francophone newcomers in northern Ontario.

The federal government recently included the organization as one of 24 Welcoming Francophone Communities Initiatives in the country.

Reseau du Nord, a Francophone Immigration Support Network, celebrated National Francophone Immigration Week by hosting public consultations in the northeast region to gather new ideas on how to attract and retain French-speaking newcomers to the area. (Lydia Chubak/CTV News Northern Ontario)

With this week being National Francophone Immigration Week, Reseau du Nord hosted several public consultation sessions to gather ideas on how to attract and retain French-speaking newcomers.

"We're continuing on, working hard to try and find Francophone communities abroad to fulfill the work crisis that we have right now for retaining our employees and in … communities in our region,” said Marie-Josee Tremblay, Reseau executive director.

Tremblay said in the past four years, around 50 Francophone families have settled in northern Ontario. The goal is to welcome more families, but she said that requires a collaborative effort.

"If we work regionally … I think we can be a lot stronger as a community," she said.

One student who attended the session is a student of Universite du Hearst. Joyce Motuke Malembe said municipalities can help settle Francophone newcomers by including them in cultural events.

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"For example, me, I come from Congo," Malembe said.

"I have my perceptions of Canada, so if they make some activities to show me what they do, what they like, I will be able to, like, erase some stereotypes from my head."

And that would be in line with what the Welcoming Francophone Community Initiative aims to achieve — to foster the creation of ties and a sense of belonging among newcomers in their host communities.