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In 2019,

The Dialogue Foundation launched its Bonjour my friend project on the occasion of the 50th anniversary of the adoption of the Official Languages Act,

From April 15 to June 21, two ambassadors, Laura and Shaunpal, had the chance to travel across Canada in a caravan to discover the realities of linguistic duality in Canada.

Videos of memorable encounters are online, as well as educational activities for students and a wealth of information about the Canadian value of linguistic duality.

The Foundation also organized the 50th Anniversary Symposium of the Official Languages Act in May 2019, in collaboration with Canadian Heritage. Over 200 engaged citizens attended the two-day event in Ottawa to participate in conferences and workshops.

During the summer of 2019, as a continuation of the Bonjour My Friend project, the Foundation participated in several outdoor festivals with the Bonjour My Friend kiosk. Canadians were able to meet us at several events, such as Canada Day in the Yukon and Ottawa, the Calgary Stampede, the Vancouver Folk Music Festival, the 2019 World Acadian Congress and more.

A contest was also organized in collaboration with VIA Rail. The participants we met at the festivals were able to take videos of themselves telling us about how they experience linguistic duality in their region. These videos and meetings allowed the team to conclude that linguistic duality is an important value in Canada and one that Canadians take to heart. The winner, an Albertan, won a train trip from Vancouver to Quebec City.

Baldwin-La Fontaine :
Toward Responsible Government project

"The emergence of Canadian government as we know it today"

Le projet Baldwin–La Fontaine : vers le gouvernement responsable a été lancé en novembre 2017. Il a permis de faire découvrir, sous forme de documentaires, l’engagement de Baldwin et La Fontaine dans l’avènement du gouvernement canadien tel qu’on le connaît aujourd’hui.

Pour visionner les documentaires, cliquez ici !

Basé sur le contenu des documentaires, un Guide pédagogique répondant aux curriculums des classes de niveau secondaire est toujours disponible.

Canadians Salute Acadia

On August 15, 2017, the Dialogue Foundation marked National Acadian Day in the National Capital Region with its Canadians Salute Acadia initiative!

A youth morning was organized, inviting more than 800 youths to participate in a tintamarre and a musical picnic. In the evening, the citizens of Ottawa-Gatineau gathered by the hundreds for the great tintamarre from Parliament Hill to the event site. A show highlighting Acadian culture took place, also broadcast live across the country. Thousands of spectators joined in the fun!

Still available: Canadians Salute Acadia – Activity Guide.
Group activities, crafts and a bit of history are part of this guide, ready to be downloaded.

Canadians Salute Acadia – activity guide.

2015 Pan American and Parapanamerican Games

Francophone pride at the Panamerican and Parapanamerican Games

As part of the 2015 Pan American and Parapan American Games, which took place from July 10 to August 15, the Dialogue Foundation played a pivotal role in linguistic duality and Francophone participation. In particular, it:

  • Co-chaired the Francophone Forum of TO2015;
    Collaborated with more than 40 cities and towns to ensure Francophone participation in the Torch Relay and related celebrations;
  • Created a registry of Francophone artists that facilitated their recruitment for the Torch Relay and other events surrounding the celebrations. More than 80 artists from different provinces were listed;
  • Extended the Franco-fête period in Dundas Square. Instead of the usual four days, the Franco-Fête was held for 14 days;
  • Signed a contribution agreement with the Province of Ontario to influence programming on Harbourfront and to organize a French Connexion Tour in seven host municipalities (Hamilton, Markham, Mississauga, Milton, Oshawa, Ajax, Welland);
  • Ensured the presence of Indigenous and latinx artists by meeting with organizations from these communities. The Indigenous groups Shauit and Koriass and the latinx groups Color Violeta and Boogat, among others, performed in Dundas Square.

Over the 14-day period, the Dundas Square Business Improvment Association (BIA) estimates that nearly 1,000,000 people viewed the Francophone site and that at least 250,000 were active in terms of participation, in addition to participants in other events and celebrations.

Vancouver 2010
Olympic Games 

In 2006, the Dialogue Foundation and the Fédération des francophones de la Colombie-Britannique (FFCB) signed a collaboration agreement with the Vancouver Organizing Committee for the 2010 Olympic Games (VANOC) to ensure the place of Francophonie.

  • In 2006, the Dialogue Foundation and the FFCB have undertaken a Canada-wide consultation to define the pillars of intervention
  • In 2007, the action plan aimed to meet VANOC’s needs, to promote the participation of Francophones in the various components of the Games, and to ensure concrete and lasting benefits for the Francophonie of British Columbia and Canada.
  • The Place de la Francophonie 2010 on Granville Island, the Franco Médias 2010 Young Journalists Project and the Flame of La Francophonie educational program were born from this plan.
  • During the Games, the Dialogue Foundation encouraged the active participation of Francophones in the organization of the celebrations surrounding the Olympic Torch Relay across the country, facilitated the recruitment of bilingual volunteers and encouraged the Francophone and Francophile population of the country to take part in the activities.
The Dialogue Foundation’s resource portal provides sources of information for any individual or organization wishing to learn about decolonization, IDS, anti-racism and inclusive pedagogies. Responsible use of these publications is advised.