Flag raising at Tom Davies Square for 400th Anniversary of Francophone presence in Ontario; May 2015
Flag raising at Tom Davies Square for 400th Anniversary of Francophone presence in Ontario; May 2015

By Angela Gemmill

Four-hundred years ago Samuel de Champlain came into the province of Ontario and since then there has been a Francophone presence here.

That milestone anniversary is being marked in Sudbury where 30% of our population use French as their first language.

Greater Sudbury Mayor Brian Bigger helped raise the special anniversary flag at city hall this morning.

He says our French-speaking neighbours strongly promote our arts and culture within the community and throughout the province.

Executive Director of Sudbury’s French-Canadian Association of Ontario, Joanne Gervais says the anniversary is a celebration is for everyone in the province, not just the Francophone community.

She says having the celebration in Sudbury shows we have a strong French heritage.

Gervais says Sudbury should be proud of the fact we have such a large percentage of our population who associate with the Francophone culture and heritage.

Along with the flag at Tom Davies Square, similar flags are flying throughout the downtown and Flour Mill areas.

There are also several other anniversary events planned for over the next few months.

(Picture: Greater Sudbury Mayor Brian Bigger, Executive Director L’Association canadienne-française de l’Ontario du grand Sudbury Joanne Gervais, Sudbury M-P-P Glenn Thibeault and Nickel Belt M-P-P France Gelinas; Raising the anniversary flag at Tom Davies Square; May 2015)