Call for North Bay to fly Franco-Ontarian flag outside city hall
A group is lobbying city council in North Bay to add the Franco-Ontarian flag to other flags that fly outside city hall.
Members of the Franco-Ontarian community in North Bay want North Bay city council to add the Franco-Ontarian flag to those flying outside of city hall.
It would join the Canadian, Ontario and City of North Bay flags at Leger Square outside of city hall.
Franco flag2
Members of the Franco-Ontarian community in North Bay want North Bay city council to add the Franco-Ontarian flag to those flying outside of city hall.
(Eric Taschner/CTV News)
Two delegates from Les Compagnons des francs loisirs presented to councillors Tuesday night asking if they would consider adding the Franco-Ontarian flag as a fourth flag.
This year marks the 50th anniversary of the flag, which is a symbol representing the French-speaking community in Ontario.
'It really represents 400 years of history,' Les Compagnons board president Nathalie Drolet told CTV News.
'I don't like to use the word fight, but a fight to have our rights recognized and to be able to speak our language, to study our language to receive our services in our language. So, it's an important symbol.'
First flown in 1975
Co-creator of the flag, Michelle Dupuis, is from North Bay.
The flag was flown for the first time at the University of Sudbury building on Sept. 25, 1975, and it was officially adopted as the community's flag by the Association canadienne-française de l'Ontario in 1977.
Les Compagnons said about 8,000 people -- or 14 per cent of North Bay's population -- identify French as their mother tongue, In the Nipissing District as a whole, 25 per cent of people are bilingual.
Franco flag
Members of the Franco-Ontarian community in North Bay want North Bay city council to add the Franco-Ontarian flag to those flying outside of city hall.
(File)
Drolet said the flag unites generations of Franco-Ontarians.
Les Compagnons managing director Arnaud Claude said the group would contribute to the cost of installing the flag.
'Completely,' Claude said.
'It has been put in the budget and we will work with the city towards making sure that finance is not an issue with the project.'
In 2020, the Legislative Assembly of Ontario said the Franco-Ontarian flag is an official provincial emblem, passing the Franco-Ontarian Flag Amendment Act, and recognizing it as one of Ontario's official flags.
'Many Franco-Ontarian institutions in North Bay already fly our flag,' Drolet said.
'It's also a way to welcome new francophones and to tell them we're here, we are happy to see you, and that we're here to welcome you into our community.'
Following the presentation, Coun. Sara Inch introduced a notice of motion for a future meeting to explore adding the flag.
'I think it's important to recognize the Franco-Ontario community and their contributions to North Bay,' Inch wrote in a statement.
'French speakers have been present here since the 1800s, having contributed to the development of logging, agriculture and the railway. I agree that the flag is more than a provincial symbol. It is a deeply local one, rooted right here in our community.'
Council's next regular meeting is July 8.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Canada Standard
an hour ago
- Canada Standard
Canada's intelligence agency CSIS confirms Khalistani extremism on its soil
Ottawa [Canada], June 19 (ANI): For the first time ever, Canada's premier intelligence agency, Canadian Security Intelligence Service (CSIS) officially acknowledged that Khalistani extremists are using Canadian soil to promote, fundraise, and plan violence in India. CSIS released its annual report on Wednesday, outlining some key concerns and threats to Canada's national security. Canada intelligence agency CSIS report categorically states, 'Khalistani extremists continue to use Canada as a base for the promotion, fundraising or planning of violence primarily in India.' India has been raising concerns about Khalistani extremists operating from Canadian soil for years, but Canada had largely turned a blind eye to the issue. The CSIS report confirmed that Canada has become a safe haven for anti-India elements, validating India's concerns that have been raised for years. This comes a day after Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his Canadian counterpart Mark Carney 'agreed to take calibrated steps to restore stability to the relationship' and decided to restore High Commissioners to each other's capitals. At the G7 Leaders' Summit in Kananaskis, Alberta, Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney held talks with Prime Minister Narendra Modi and both leaders agreed to designate new high commissioners, with a view to returning to regular services to citizens and businesses in both countries, according to a press release from the Prime Minister of Canada. The Politically Motivated Violent Extremism (PMVE) threat in Canada has manifested primarily through Canada-based Khalistani extremists (CBKEs) seeking to create an independent nation state called Khalistan, largely within Punjab in India. The report noted that since the mid-1980s, the PMVE threat in Canada has manifested primarily through CBKEs. 'A small group of individuals are considered Khalistani extremists because they continue to use Canada as a base for the promotion, fundraising or planning of violence primarily in India. In particular, real and perceived Khalistani extremism emerging from Canada continues to drive Indian foreign interference activities in Canada,' the report reads. This revelation, part of CSIS's latest annual report, has reignited concerns about foreign interference and extremist activity within Canada, particularly in the context of its sensitive diplomatic relationship with India. Canada's own intelligence security has confirmed what New Delhi has long maintained -- Canada has become a safe haven for anti-India elements. The report called for sustained vigilance against both external influence campaigns and domestic extremist financing networks 'These activities attempt to steer Canada's positions into alignment with India's interests on key issues, particularly with respect to how the Indian government perceives Canada-based supporters of an independent homeland that they call Khalistan,' added the report. Tensions escalated further when former Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau claimed that his government had 'credible allegations' of India's involvement in the killing of Khalistani terrorist Hardeep Singh Nijjar in Canada in 2023. India has strongly denied the allegations, terming them 'absurd' and 'motivated,' and has accused Canada of giving space to extremist and anti-India elements. In the aftermath, India recalled six diplomats from Canada after they were declared 'persons of interest' by Canadian authorities investigating Nijjar's killing. Nijjar was shot dead outside a gurdwara in Surrey, British Columbia, on June 18, 2023. 'Links between the Government of India and the Nijjar murder signals a significant escalation in India's repression efforts against the Khalistan movement and a clear intent to target individuals in North America, Wednesday's report read. 'Real and perceived Khalistani extremism emerging from Canada continues to drive Indian foreign interference activities in Canada, the report added. Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney faced criticism for inviting Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi to the G7 summit, with some Sikh advocates and his own MPs expressing disapproval. However, Carney defended his decision, citing India's significance in global affairs. Carney emphasized India's status as the world's fourth-largest economy and most populous country, making it a crucial player in addressing global challenges. (ANI)
CTV News
2 hours ago
- CTV News
Markstay-Warren sees first draft of hen bylaw
While backyard chickens have been debated for years in several northern Ontario communities, Markstay-Warren has drafted a new bylaw.
Globe and Mail
2 hours ago
- Globe and Mail
Most Liberal government bills unlikely to pass before House of Commons summer break
Most of the minority Liberal government's legislative agenda is unlikely to pass before the House of Commons breaks for summer on Friday, as bills on affordability and border security face strong criticism over privacy-related elements. Prime Minister Mark Carney clearly prioritized Bill C-5, which pledges to eliminate federal barriers to interprovincial trade and sets up a system to fast-track major infrastructure projects, saying the legislation must be approved before summer. That is expected to happen based on current schedules, though the bill is also generating strong criticism that it grants the government excessive powers. Critics also say the bill weakens requirements related to Indigenous consultation and environmental protection. The Official Opposition Conservatives supported procedural moves to speed up C-5's approval. On Tuesday, the House adopted two other bills, C-6 and C-7, that approve federal spending through what is known as the estimates process. On those spending bills, the Conservatives voted against while Bloc Québécois, NDP and Green Party MPs voted with the Liberals. What federal Bill C-5, the One Canadian Economy Act, is all about However, no other government bill appears to be on track to become law before summer, barring any last-minute deals among the parties. Bloc House Leader Christine Normandin confirmed this in a statement to The Globe and Mail. The list of bills that are unlikely to pass before summer includes C-2, the Strong Borders Act, which includes new border-security measures but is facing criticism over elements that would allow new powers for police to obtain information without a warrant. There are also privacy concerns related to Bill C-4, the Making Life More Affordable for Canadians Act, introduced by Finance Minister François-Philippe Champagne. The minister promoted the bill as being focused on affordability as it includes campaign promises to cut income taxes, remove the GST on new homes priced at up to $1-million for first-time homebuyers, and eliminate the federal fuel charge. The tax changes can proceed even though the bill is not yet law because the measures were supported in an earlier vote by MPs. Mr. Champagne is facing criticism over the fact that the bill includes a fourth element unrelated to affordability that would shield federal political parties from provincial privacy laws. Several senators are expressing concern with that aspect of the bill and questioned why it wasn't introduced separately. During an appearance before the Senate Tuesday evening to defend the bill, Mr. Champagne said the privacy elements are about creating a common standard across the country and informing the courts about the federal government's intentions. Last year, B.C.'s Supreme Court ruled against the federal Liberal, New Democratic and Conservative parties, saying they are subject to the investigative powers of provincial privacy commissioners. The three national parties were challenging the legality of an investigation by the B.C. Privacy Commissioner. The matter is currently before the B.C. Court of Appeal. 'We need to provide predictability. We need to tell the courts the intent of the House. This time, it's not only the intent of one party, but it's the unanimous support of all members of Parliament,' Mr. Champagne said, in reference to last week's 335-0 vote in favour of the bill at second reading, which sent it to committee for further study. Conservatives raise privacy concerns over powers in government's border security bill Senator Paula Simons said the effect of C-4's privacy element is to create a lower standard for privacy protection than is currently in place under some provincial laws. 'I'm not surprised that all parties agreed. This is a question of foxes in the henhouse, because it is in the interests of those parties to be able to exploit that voter information,' she said. Senator Pamela Wallin said political parties are involved in 'a bit of an arms race' when it comes to how to profile Canadian voters. 'We can understand, of course, why you would all vote for this, but it doesn't necessarily improve – in fact, I think it distorts – democratic participation when you protect the political parties and allow them to micro-target and use that data in such a specific way," she said. Bill C-4 has been referred to the House of Commons finance committee for further study, but no meetings are scheduled to take place this week before the House is set to rise on Friday. The other House of Commons government bills introduced in the current Parliament are Bill C-3, which reintroduced legislation to grant citizenship to 'Lost Canadians' who were born abroad to foreign-born Canadians, and C-8, introduced Wednesday, related to cybersecurity. Neither bill has advanced beyond the initial stages. In addition, the government introduced S-2 in the Senate, which is similar to Bill C-38 from the previous Parliament, which was not adopted. The bill aims to address concerns related to registration under the Indian Act. It has not advanced beyond second reading in the Senate. On C-5, the bill concerning interprovincial trade and infrastructure projects, Conservative MP and intergovernmental affairs critic Philip Lawrence said Wednesday the legislation should have gone further. 'We believe, directionally, it's the right idea,' he said, pointing to support for building more projects and reducing barriers to interprovincial trade. 'But we certainly would have wanted to see a lot more.' Bloc Leader Yves-François Blanchet, who opposes C-5 as an intrusion into provincial jurisdiction, said Wednesday that the debate around the bill won't be going away. 'If they think shutting down debate on C-5 puts a lid on it, that will prove that there are people in this government who don't understand Parliament,' he said. Marie-Justine Torres, a spokesperson for Government House Leader Steven MacKinnon, said in an e-mail that the government bills are based on the mandate the Liberals received in the recent election. 'We are firmly committed to delivering on this mandate and will continue moving forward in the House in the fall sitting,' she said.
