News Release

From the Prime Minister's Web Site (http://www.pm.gc.ca/)

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PRIME MINISTER HARPER APPLAUDS THE VITALITY OF FRANCOPHONE COMMUNITIES ACROSS CANADA

March 24, 2007
Embrun, Ontario

Prime Minister Stephen Harper today attended the Prescott and Russell 9th Banquet de la Francophonie accompanied by Josée Verner, the Minister for la Francophonie and Official Languages and Minister of International Cooperation, Pierre Lemieux, Member of Parliament for Glengarry-Prescott-Russell and Royal Galipeau, Member of Parliament for Ottawa-Orléans.

"Canada's success as a country lies in the strength of its founding values and the fundamental decency of its citizens," said the Prime Minister to an audience of francophone leaders from eastern Ontario and all of Canada. "Francophones all across Canada have and will continue to contribute to our great country's linguistic and cultural identity which is respected around the world."

Canada's New Government is committed to supporting bilingualism, and to supporting the minority language communities across the country where bilingualism is a fact of everyday life. Budget 2007 increased funding to support official language minority communities by $30 million over the next two years.

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The Prime Minister's Office - Communications
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