View source for Franco-Ontarians

{{short description|Francophone resident of the Canadian province of Ontario}}
{{use mdy dates|date=April 2020}}
{{Infobox ethnic group
|group       = Franco-Ontarians
|native_name = {{small|''Franco-Ontariens''}}
|flag        = [[File:Franco-Ontarian flag.svg|200px|border]]<br /> [[Franco-Ontarian flag]]
|image       = 
|caption     = 
|population  = [[Francophones]]: {{sigfig|652,540|6}} (2021)<ref name=idf>{{cite web|url=https://www.ontario.ca/page/profile-francophone-population-ontario-2016|title=Profile of the Francophone population in Ontario - 2016|publisher=Queen's Printer for Ontario|access-date=2023-11-02|date=February 5, 2019|website=www.ontario.ca}}</ref>{{notetag|name=inclu|The following figure is taken from the province's "Inclusive Definition of Francophones," (IDF) which includes those whose mother tongue is French, and those whose mother tongue is not French, but have proficiency in the language, and use French as the primary language at home.}}{{notetag|There are over 1.52 million Ontarians with proficiency in the French language. However, this includes second-language speakers.<ref name=totalfrench>{{cite web|url=https://www12.statcan.gc.ca/census-recensement/2016/dp-pd/hlt-fst/lang/Table.cfm?Lang=E&T=22&Geo=35|title=Knowledge of official languages by age (Total), 2016 counts for the population excluding institutional residents of Canada, Ontario and census metropolitan areas and census agglomerations, 2016 Census|date=7 March 2018|access-date=5 November 2022|website=statscan.gc.ca|publisher=Government of Canada}}</ref>}}
|popplace    = [[Ontario]] ([[Eastern Ontario|Eastern]], [[Northeastern Ontario|Northeastern]], and [[Central Ontario]] including the [[Greater Toronto Area]]){{notetag|name=idftab|Central Ontario's population data includes the Greater Toronto Area, as tabulated by the [[Government of Ontario]] with data from the [[2021 Canadian census]].<ref name=idf/>}}
|langs       = [[Canadian French]]{{·}}[[Canadian English]]{{·}}[[Franglais]]
|rels        = 
}}
{{French people}}
'''Franco-Ontarians''' ({{langx|fr|Franco-Ontariens}} or {{lang|fr|Franco-Ontariennes}} if female, sometimes known as ''Ontarois'' and ''Ontaroises'') are [[Francophone Canadians]] that reside in the province of [[Ontario]]. Most are [[French Canadians]] from Ontario. In 2021, according to the [[Government of Ontario]], there were {{sigfig|652,540|6}} Francophones in the province.{{notetag|name=inclu}} The majority of Franco-Ontarians in the province reside in [[Eastern Ontario]], [[Northeastern Ontario]], [[Central Ontario]] (including the [[Greater Toronto Area]]), although small francophone communities may be found in other regions of the province.{{notetag|name=idftab}}

The first francophones to settle in Ontario did so during the early 17th century, when most of it was part of the ''[[Pays d'en Haut]]'' region of [[New France]]. However, French settlement into the area remained limited until the 19th century. The late 19th century and early 20th century saw attempts by the provincial government to assimilate the Franco-Ontarian population into the anglophone majority with the introduction of regulations that promoted the use of English over French, for example [[Regulation 17]]. During the late 1960s and 1970s, because of the [[Quiet Revolution]], Franco-Ontarians established themselves as a distinct cultural identity &ndash; having only identified as French Canadians before. Francophone rights were furthered in the 1970s as a result of ''[[C'est l'temps]]'', a Franco-Ontarian [[civil disobedience]] movement that pressured several provincial departments to adopt bilingual policies. 

The provincial government passed the ''[[French Language Services Act (Ontario)|French Language Services Act]]'' in 1986 which recognized the French language as a "historic language of Ontario," and as an official language of the province's education system, judiciary, and legislature. However, the Act did not make the French language an official language in its entirety; with other provincial services only made available in French in designated communities and regions with a significant Franco-Ontarian population. 
{{toc limit|3}}

==Definition==
The term ''Franco-Ontarian'' has two related usages, which overlap closely but are not identical: it may refer to francophone residents of Ontario, regardless of their ethnicity or place of birth, or to people of French Canadian ancestry ''born'' in Ontario, regardless of their primary language or current place of residence.{{citation needed|date=October 2024}} In June 2009, the provincial government expanded the definition of a francophone as a person whose [[mother tongue]] is French, or a person that has a different mother tongue but still uses French as the primary language at home.<ref name=idf/> The term ''Ontarois'' is used sometimes to distinguish French-speaking Ontarians, while the general term for Ontarian in French is ''Ontarien''. The use of the term ''Ontarois'' follows the convention that a francophone minority is referred to with endings of -ois.

In popular usage, the first meaning predominates and the second is poorly understood.{{citation needed|date=October 2024}} Although most Franco-Ontarians meet both definitions, there are notable exceptions. For example, although [[Louise Charron]] was the first native-born Franco-Ontarian appointed to the bench of the [[Supreme Court of Canada]], she was preceded as a francophone judge from Ontario by [[Louise Arbour]], a [[French-speaking Quebecer|Quebecer]] who worked in Ontario for much of her professional career as a lawyer and judge. As a result, both women have been referred to as "the first Franco-Ontarian Supreme Court justice", although the technically correct practice is to credit Charron, Franco-Ontarian in both senses, with that distinction.

Conversely, two of the most famous [[rock music|rock]] musicians from Ontario, [[Avril Lavigne]] and [[Alanis Morissette]], are Franco-Ontarian by the second definition but not by the first, since they were born to Franco-Ontarian parents but currently live outside Ontario and work primarily in English. Former [[Prime Minister of Canada|Prime Minister]] [[Paul Martin]] was born in Windsor to a Franco-Ontarian father from [[Pembroke, Ontario|Pembroke]] and an anglophone mother, although many Canadians consider him a Quebecer as he represented a [[Montreal]] [[electoral district (Canada)|riding]] in Parliament.

Both meanings can be politically charged. Using the second to the exclusion of the first may be considered offensive to some in that it excludes francophones born in or with [[ethnic origin]]s from other francophone countries from the Franco-Ontarian community. Using the first to the exclusion of the second obscures the very real ethno-cultural distinctions that exist between Franco-Ontarians, Québécois, [[Acadians]], [[Métis people (Canada)|Métis]] and other Canadian francophone communities, and the pressures toward assimilation into the [[English Canadian]] majority that the community faces. As a result, the complex political and sociological context of ''Franco-Ontarian'' can only be fully understood by recognizing both meanings and understanding the distinctions between the two.

==Demographics==
Franco-Ontarians constitute the largest French-speaking community in Canada outside Quebec. According to the province of Ontario, there are {{sigfig|652,540|2}} Francophones in Ontario, making up 4.6 per cent of the province's population.<ref name=idf/> However, the figure is derived from the province's "Inclusive Definition of Francophones" (IDF), which includes respondents from the [[2021 Canadian Census]] who reported French as their mother tongue and respondents whose mother tongue was not French but have proficiency in the language and use it as their primary language at home.<ref name=idf/> Before the introduction of IDF in 2009, a respondent's mother tongue was the main measure used by the government to determined the number of francophones in the province.<ref name=idf/> There were {{sigfig|591860|2}} Ontarians, or 4.2 per cent of the population, that reported having French as a mother tongue in the 2021 census, making it the most common mother tongue in the province after English.<ref name=2021Census>{{Cite web |last=Government of Canada |first=Statistics Canada |date=2022-02-09 |title=Profile table, Census Profile, 2021 Census of Population - Ontario [Province] |url=https://www12.statcan.gc.ca/census-recensement/2021/dp-pd/prof/index.cfm?Lang=E |access-date=November 2, 2023|website=www12.statcan.gc.ca}}</ref>
[[File:Ontario francophone par division de recensement.png|thumb|upright=1.3|Proportion of Ontarians who declared French as their only mother tongue in the [[2021 Canadian census]], by census division.]]
The majority of Franco-Ontarians are bilingual in both French and English; a minority (40,045 respondents in 2016) reported having proficiency in only the French language and limited or no knowledge of English.<ref name=census2016>[http://www12.statcan.gc.ca/census-recensement/2016/dp-pd/prof/details/Page.cfm?Lang=E&Geo1=PR&Code1=35&Geo2=&Code2=&Data=Count&SearchText=Ontario&SearchType=Begins&SearchPR=01&B1=All&GeoLevel=PR&GeoCode=35 "Census Profile, 2016 Census"]. [[Statistics Canada]].</ref> In the same census, more than 1.52 million Ontarians, or 11.5 per cent of the province's population, reported having proficiency in the [[French language]];<ref name=totalfrench/> while 11.2 per cent of the population reported to be bilingual in French and English.<ref name=knowle>{{cite web|url=https://www12.statcan.gc.ca/census-recensement/2016/as-sa/98-200-x/2016009/98-200-x2016009-eng.cfm|title=English–French bilingualism reaches new heights|date=31 August 2017|access-date=7 September 2019|website=statscan.gc.ca|publisher=Government of Canada}}</ref> However, that figure includes both Franco-Ontarians and Ontarians who speak French as a [[second language]].<ref name=knowle/>

In 2016, approximately 16.1 per cent of francophone Ontarians identified as a visible minority.<ref name=idf/> More than half of Ontario's francophone visible minority population reside within [[Central Ontario]] (including the [[Greater Toronto Area]]), with 37.8 per cent residing in [[Eastern Ontario]], and the remaining 5.7 per cent in other areas of the province.<ref name=idf/>

In 2016, 59.5 per cent of francophones in Ontario were born in the province, while 19.6 per cent originated from Quebec, and 16.4 per cent came from all other provinces or territories in Canada.<ref name=idf/> However, the percentage of those born in the province varies between region, with 85.3 per cent of francophones in [[Northeastern Ontario]] being born in Ontario; whereas only 39.6 per cent of francophones in Central Ontario were born in the province.<ref name=idf/> 4.5 per cent of francophones in Ontario were born outside Canada.<ref name=idf/> 35 per cent of francophones born outside Canada were born in Africa, while 28 per cent were from Europe, 20 per cent from Asia, and 17 per cent from other countries in the Americas. Francophone immigrants account for 15 per cent of all immigrants into Ontario, and nearly a third of all immigrants into Central Ontario. 17.4 per cent of immigrants to the province between 2011 and 2016 were francophone.<ref name=idf/>

===Communities===
{{further|Bilingual belt|List of francophone communities in Ontario}}
Franco-Ontarians may be found in all areas of Ontario. Approximately 43.1 per cent of francophones in province reside in Eastern Ontario, with 268,070 francophones living in that region.<ref name=idf/> Francophones comprise approximately 15.4 per cent of Eastern Ontario's total population.<ref name=idf/> More than 68 per cent of francophones that live in Eastern Ontario reside in its Champlain region, an area that encompasses [[Cornwall, Ontario|Cornwall]], [[Hawkesbury, Ontario|Hawkesbury]], [[Ottawa]] and [[Pembroke, Ontario|Pembroke]] (all of which are adjacent to or near the Ontario-Quebec border).<ref name=idf/> 

However, Northeastern Ontario is the region that has the highest proportion of francophones, with the 122,360 francophone residents of the region making up 22.6 per cent of the region's population.<ref name=idf/> Central Ontario also has a large population of Franco-Ontarians, with 191,375 francophones residing in that region, which includes 63,055 Franco-Ontarians living in the [[Greater Toronto Area]]. Other areas include 33,555 Franco-Ontarians in [[Southwestern Ontario]] and 7,055  Franco-Ontarians in [[Northwestern Ontario]].<ref name="idf" />

==History==
===Early history===
[[File:Artist's impression of Fort Rouillé, near the current site of the CNE, Toronto.gif|thumb|Depiction of [[Fort Rouillé]] (in present-day [[Toronto]]), c. 1750s. The fort was one of several French fortification in the ''[[Pays d'en Haut]]'' region of [[New France]].]]
[[Étienne Brûlé]] is often considered the first francophone and European to have arrived in the region in 1610.<ref name=canen3>{{cite encyclopedia|url=https://www.thecanadianencyclopedia.ca/en/article/franco-ontarians|title=Francophones of Ontario (Franco-Ontarians)|publisher=Historica Canada|encyclopedia=The Canadian Encyclopedia|access-date=April 23, 2020|date=October 7, 2019|last1=Sylvestre|first1=Paul-françois|last2=Cooper|first2=Celine|last3=Dupuis|first3=Serge}}</ref>  During this time, most of Ontario formed a part of [[New France]]'s ''[[Pays d'en Haut]]'' region; with most of the European inhabitants in the region at the time being [[coureurs de bois]] and [[voyageurs]], or [[Jesuit]] missionaries in [[Huronia (region)|Huronia]]; most notably the settlements of [[Sainte-Marie among the Hurons]] (in present-day [[Midland, Ontario|Midland]]) in 1649, and another settlement in [[Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario|Sault Sainte Marie]] in 1668.<ref name=canen3/> During the late 17th and early 18th centuries, the [[military of New France]] established a number of fortifications and garrisons in the region, including [[Fort Frontenac]] (in present-day [[Kingston, Ontario|Kingston]]) in 1673, and [[Fort Rouillé]] (in present-day [[Toronto]]) in 1750.<ref name=canen3/> The development of [[Fort Pontchartrain]] in Detroit, led to the development of Petite Côte, a permanent settlement south of the [[Detroit River]]. The settlement was the first permanent settlement in Ontario, and eventually became [[Windsor, Ontario|Windsor]]. However, European settlement into the region remained largely limited during this period.<ref name=canen3/>

After the [[Treaty of Paris (1763)|Treaty of Paris]] was negotiated in 1763, New France was ceded to the British. Present day Ontario was governed as a part of the [[Province of Quebec (1763–1791)|Province of Quebec]] until 1791, when Ontario was severed from the colony, forming [[Upper Canada]]. In 1797, the [[Legislative Assembly of Upper Canada]] passed the ''Upper Canada School Act'', which provided for schools that used English and French and instructional languages.<ref name=canen2>{{cite encyclopedia|url=https://www.thecanadianencyclopedia.ca/en/article/ontario-schools-question|title=Ontario Schools Question|date=22 February 2016|access-date=22 April 2020|publisher=Historica Canada|encyclopedia=The Canadian Encyclopedia|last1=Barber|last2=Sylvesre|first1=Marilyn|first2=Paul-françois}}</ref> In 1798, during the final years of the [[French Revolution]], French nobleman [[Joseph-Geneviève de Puisaye]] led a small group of royalists from France to settle lands north of [[York, Upper Canada|York]] (present day Toronto).<ref>{{cite encyclopedia|url=https://www.thecanadianencyclopedia.ca/en/article/french-immigration-in-canada|title=French Immigration in Canada|last=Dupuis|first=Serge|date=26 February 2018|access-date=3 January 2020|encyclopedia=The Canadian Encyclopedia|publisher=Historica Canada}}</ref>   
[[File:Sudbury 1888.jpg|thumb|[[Greater Sudbury|Sudbury]] in 1888. The community saw an influx of francophone migrants with the discovery of nickel in the area.]]
French migration into [[Canada West]]/Ontario did not accelerate until the second half of the 19th century, farmers from [[Canada East]]/[[Quebec]] began to migrate in search of fertile land in Eastern Ontario, and along the [[Canadian Pacific Railway]] north of [[Lake Nipissing]] and [[Lake Huron]].<ref name=canen3/> A large number of French Canadians were also drawn to [[Northern Ontario]] during this period, with the discovery of nickel in [[Greater Sudbury|Sudbury]], and gold in [[Timmins]].<ref name=canen3/>

In an attempt to alleviate anti-French sentiments, in 1885 [[George William Ross]], the provincial Minister of Education, mandated the requirement of English to be taught in francophone schools for two hours in the first four years of elementary school, and for four hours in its final four years.<ref name=canen2/>

===20th century===
====1901–1950====
The late 19th century, and early 20th century saw the Ontario government much less supportive of, and often openly hostile toward the Franco-Ontarian community. In an attempt to protect Franco-Ontarian language rights, the [[Francophone Assembly of Ontario|''Association canadienne-française d'Éducation de l'Ontario'']] (ACFÉO) was formed in 1910, who typically opposed the English-only initiatives launched by the [[Orange Order of Canada]], and Irish Catholics led by Michael Fallon, the [[Roman Catholic Diocese of London, Ontario|Bishop of London, Ontario]].<ref name=canen2/> However, French Canadian migration throughout Ontario continued, with sawmills and papermills in [[Kapuskasing]], and [[Hearst, Ontario|Hearst]]; and automotive plants in [[Oshawa]] and [[Windsor, Ontario|Windsor]] attracting French Canadian laborers during the 1920s.<ref name=canen3/>
[[File:Manifestation d ecoliers dans les rues d Ottawa contre le Reglement 17, en fevrier 1916.jpg|thumb|Children in Ottawa protesting against [[Regulation 17]], 1916. The regulation was in place from 1912 to 1927, prohibiting French-language instruction in Ontario schools.]] 
In 1912, the provincial government passed [[Regulation 17]], which limited the use of the French as the primary language of instruction to the first two years of elementary school.<ref name=canen2/> However, enforcement of the regulation was abandoned in 1927, when it became apparent to the provincial government that the regulation perpetuated inferior schooling of pupils in the province.<ref name=canen2/> Instead, a new policy permitting French-language schools instruction was introduced, with French given legal status in Ontario's education system, and the bilingual University of Ottawa Normal School was officially recognized.<ref name=canen2/> The regulation formally remained in the statutes of Ontario until 1944, when the regulations were revised.<ref name=canen2/>

Although the regulation itself was rescinded in 1927, the government did not fund French language high schools. As a result, francophones had to pursue high school education in English, pay tuition to private high schools (which few Franco-Ontarian families could afford), or simply stop attending school after Grade 9.<ref>C.M. Wallace and Ashley Thomson, ''Sudbury: Rail Town to Regional Capital''. [[Dundurn Press]], 1993. {{ISBN|1-55002-170-2}}.</ref> Due to the lack of funding, several generations of Franco-Ontarians grew up without formal education, with the dropout rate for francophones high during this period. Franco-Ontarians thus opted for jobs which did not require reading and mathematical skills, such as mining and forestry, and were virtually absent from white collar jobs. Sociologically, it meant that education was not a value transmitted to younger Franco-Ontarians. Further, those that did have higher levels of education often pursue job opportunities in larger cities, particularly Ottawa or even Montreal, which can create a barrier to economic development in their home communities. As well, even today many students of Franco-Ontarian background are still educated in anglophone schools. This has the effect of reducing the use of French as a first language in the province, and thereby limiting the growth of the Franco-Ontarian community.{{cn|date=July 2022}}

Quebec writer [[Yves Beauchemin]]  once controversially referred to the Franco-Ontarian community as ''"warm corpses"'' (« cadavres encore chauds ») who had no chance of surviving as a community. In a similar vein, former Quebec Premier [[René Lévesque]] referred to them as "dead ducks".<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.questia.com/PM.qst?a=o&se=gglsc&d=5008170864&er=deny|title=The Drama of Identity in Canada's Francophone West<!-- Bot generated title -->|access-date=8 June 2018}}</ref>

====1951–2000====
The late 1960s saw a schism form between the francophones in Quebec, and the other francophone communities of Canada, notably the francophones in Ontario. The emergence of a separate ''[[Québécois (word)|québécois]]'' identity during the [[Quiet Revolution]]; this resulted in the development of a unique Franco-Ontarian identity, with francophones in Ontario forced to re-conceptualize their identities without relying on francophones in Quebec.<ref name=lamort>[https://www.ledevoir.com/opinion/idees/503559/la-mort-presumee-du-canada-francais "La mort présumée du Canada français"]. ''[[Le Devoir]]'', July 17, 2017.</ref><ref name=ici1>{{cite web|url=https://ici.radio-canada.ca/nouvelle/1068300/canada-francais-50-ans-divorce-etat-generaux-canadiens-francais|title=Le Canada français, 50 ans après le divorce|publisher=Radio-Canada|language=fr|work=Ici Société|date=November 22, 2017|access-date=April 24, 2020}}</ref><ref name=lemythe>[http://cjf.qc.ca/revue-relations/publication/article/quebeccanada-francophone-le-mythe-de-la-rupture/ "Québec/Canada francophone : le mythe de la rupture"]. '' Relations'' 778, May/June 2015.</ref>

Recommendations from the Provincial Committee on Aims and Objectives of Education in the Schools of Ontario, and the Bériault Report led to the provincial government passing the ''Schools Administration Act'', and the ''Secondary Schools and Boards Act'' in 1968.<ref name=canen>{{cite web|url=https://www.thecanadianencyclopedia.ca/en/article/french-language-services-act|title=French Language Services Act (Ontario)|publisher=Historica Canada|last1=Dupuis|first1=Serge|first2=Celine|last2=Cooper|date=13 June 2019|access-date=22 April 2020}}</ref>  The following acts introduced public funding for French-language secondary schools, and laid the foundation for the province's present elementary and secondary francophone school system.<ref name=canen2/> In 1969, the provincial government established its French-language public educational broadcaster, [[TFO]].<ref name=canen/>

Following the advice of the Royal Commission on Bilingualism and Biculturalism, Ontario's premier [[John Robarts]] made French an official language of the provincial legislature in 1970.<ref name=canen/><ref name=legislature>{{cite web|url=https://www.ola.org/en/visit-learn/about-parliament/history-heritage/timeline/french-official-language-legislative-assembly|title=French as an Official Language of the Legislative Assembly|publisher=Queen's Printer for Ontario|website=www.ola.org}}</ref> While the [[Victoria Charter]] was being negotiated between the provincial premiers and the federal government, Robarts agreed that the province would recognize Franco-Ontarians rights to access provincial public service in the French language, and for French-speakers to receive the services of an interpreter, if needed, in Ontario's courts.<ref name=canen/> However, plans to adopt these measures were abandoned after negotiations for the Victoria Charter collapsed.<ref name=canen/> His successor, [[Bill Davis]] instead opted to simply provide legal services in French, with the issuance of bilingual drivers licenses and government documents.<ref name=canen/>

A civil disobedience movement made up of Franco-Ontarian wanting to further accessibility rights for French-speakers emerged in 1975, known as ''[[C'est l'temps]]''.<ref name=canen/> Members of ''C'est l'temps'' refused to pay tickets issued in only in English, pressuring the provincial judiciary to act in a bilingual manner.<ref name=canen/> As a result of the protest, the Ontario's Attorney General, [[Roy McMurtry]] authorized the first French-language provincial court proceeding in 1976.<ref name=canen/> 
[[File:Hwy 416 Ottawa.JPG|thumb|A bilingual gantry sign on a provincially-maintained highway. Access to provincial services in French was mandated for designated areas in 1986.]]
Other departments in the government of Ontario also began to adopt policies of bilingualism, and policies for French services, such as the [[Ministry of Health (Ontario)|Ministry of Health]] in 1979, and the [[Ministry of Children, Community and Social Services]] in 1980.<ref name=canen/> French was formally made an official language of the provincial judiciary in 1984.<ref name=canen/> In 1986, the provincial ''[[French Language Services Act (Ontario)|French Language Services Act]]'' was passed by the Legislative Assembly of Ontario, where it recognized French as a "historic language in Ontario," an official language in its courts and in education, as well as the "desirable use" of French in its provincial institutions including the Legislature.<ref name=canen/> However, the Act itself did not make the province bilingual, instead designating a number of communities where French-speakers constitute a majority or significant minority, as an area where provincial services are required to be provided in French and English.<ref name=canen/>

The following legislation saw pushback from several anglophone Ontario towns and cities, most notably [[Sault Ste. Marie language resolution|Sault Ste. Marie]], which was persuaded by the [[Alliance for the Preservation of English in Canada]] to declare themselves "English-only" in the wake of the ''French Language Services Act'' and the [[Meech Lake Accord]] debate. This was considered by many observers to be a direct contributor to the resurgence of the [[Quebec sovereignty movement]] in the 1990s, and consequently to the [[1995 Quebec referendum]].

===21st century===
On October 19, 2004, a Toronto lawyer successfully challenged a "no left turn" traffic ticket on the basis that the sign was not bilingual in accordance with the 1986 ''French Language Services Act''. The judge in ''R. v. Myers'' ruled that the traffic sign was not a municipal service, but instead was regulated under the provincial ''Highway Traffic Act'' and therefore subject to the bilingual requirements of the ''French Language Services Act''.<ref name=petruzzo>[http://www.canlii.org/en/on/onca/doc/2011/2011onca386/2011onca386.html "R. v. Petruzzo, 2011 ONCA 386 (CanLII)"]. [[CanLII]], May 17, 2011.</ref> As this was a lower court ruling, it did not affect any other court. However the implication of the decision was that many traffic signs in bilingually designated areas of Ontario would be invalid. It was feared that the ruling would have a similar effect as the Manitoba Language Rights ruling of the Supreme Court of Canada,<ref>[http://csc.lexum.umontreal.ca/en/1985/1985rcs1-721/1985rcs1-721.html Manitoba Language Rights ruling] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090905065558/http://csc.lexum.umontreal.ca/en/1985/1985rcs1-721/1985rcs1-721.html |date=2009-09-05 }}</ref> in this case forcing municipalities to erect new bilingual road signs at great expense and invalidating millions of dollars in existing tickets before the courts. The City of Toronto appealed the ruling. At the appeal hearing both parties asked the court to enter a plea of guilty. A guilty verdict was entered even though no arguments were made by either side on the merits of the case.<ref>2005 CarswellOnt 10019{{full citation needed|date=April 2020}}</ref> The situation created a legal vacuum for several years, during which numerous defendants used the bilingual signage argument to fight traffic tickets. The precedent was overturned by the [[Ontario Court of Appeal]] in a 2011 case, ''R. v. Petruzzo'', on the grounds that the ''French Language Services Act'' specifically states that municipalities are not required to offer services in French, even in provincially regulated areas such as traffic signage, if the municipality has not specifically passed its own bylaw governing its own provision of bilingual services.<ref name=petruzzo />

Ontario's Minister of Francophone Affairs, [[Madeleine Meilleur]], became the province's first cabinet minister to attend a [[La Francophonie|Francophonie]] summit in 2004, travelling to [[Ouagadougou]] with counterparts from Quebec, [[New Brunswick]] and the federal government. Meilleur also expressed the hope that Ontario would someday become a permanent member of the organization. On November 26, 2016, Ontario was granted observer status by La Francophonie.<ref>[http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/toronto/la-francophonie-observer-status-1.3869354 La Francophonie grants observer status to Ontario]. [[CBC News]] Toronto, November 26, 2016.</ref>

On January 10, 2005, [[Clarence-Rockland]] became the first Ontario city to pass a bylaw requiring all new businesses to post signs in both official languages.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://clarencerockland.ihostez.com/contentengine/document.asp?ID=2981|title=Clarence Rockland - Document Center|website=clarencerockland.ihostez.com|access-date=8 June 2018}}</ref> Clarence-Rockland is 60 per cent francophone, and the city council noted that the bylaw was intended to address the existence of both English-only and French-only commercial signage in the municipality.
[[File:2011 Ontario license plate DA♔12247 commercial TANT À DÉCOUVRIR.png|left|thumb|A French-language [[vehicle registration plates of Ontario|Ontario license plate]]. The province introduced French plates in 2008 as an alternate to its English plates.]]
In 2008, the provincial government officially introduced a French [[licence plate]], with the French slogan "Tant à découvrir" in place of "Yours to Discover", as an optional feature for drivers who wished to use it.<ref>[http://ogov.newswire.ca/ontario/GPOE/2008/05/30/c6469.html?lmatch=&lang=_e.html "Ontario Introduces French Licence Plate"] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090918094952/http://ogov.newswire.ca/ontario/GPOE/2008/05/30/c6469.html?lmatch=&lang=_e.html |date=2009-09-18 }}, May 30, 2008.</ref>

In 2009, the government faced controversy during the H1N1 flu pandemic, when it sent out a health information flyer in English only, with no French version published or distributed for the province's francophone residents.<ref name=commissioner>[https://archive.today/20120913134515/http://www.thesudburystar.com/ArticleDisplay.aspx?e=3145691 "New bill to change who French language commissioner reports to"]. ''Sudbury Star'', May 30, 2011.</ref> In response, MPP [[France Gélinas]] introduced a [[private member's bill]] in May 2011 to have the provincial Commissioner of French Language Services report to the full [[Legislative Assembly of Ontario]] rather than exclusively to the Minister of Francophone Affairs.<ref name=commissioner />

====2010s====
On April 26, 2010, the Ontario government designated September 25 as Franco-Ontarian Day.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.ofa.gov.on.ca/en/news-100426.html |publisher=Government of Ontario |date=April 26, 2010 |access-date=2010-09-25 |title=September 25 Is Now Franco-Ontarian Day |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20101114180147/http://www.ofa.gov.on.ca/en/news-100426.html |archive-date=November 14, 2010 }}</ref> This date was chosen as it represented the anniversary of the official raising of the Franco-Ontarian flag in 1975. On 22 February 2016, premier of Ontario [[Kathleen Wynne]] formally issued an apology on behalf of the government of Ontario to Franco-Ontarians for the passage of Regulation 17, and its harmful impact on its communities.<ref name=cbcapology>{{cite web|url=https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/toronto/kathleen-wynne-apology-francophone-french-education-regulation-17-1.3457990|title=Kathleen Wynne apologizes formally for 1912 ban on French in schools|date=21 February 2016|access-date=22 April 2020|work=CBC News|publisher=Canadian Broadcasting Corporation}}</ref> The motion for the government to present an official apology to the Franco-Ontarian community was first presented by [[Glenn Thibeault]].<ref name=cbcapology/>

In 2015, MPP [[France Gélinas]] introduced a private member's bill to mandate the creation of a fully independent French-language university.<ref>[http://www.northernlife.ca/news/localNews/2015/05/26-french-language-university-sudbury.aspx "Ontario needs a French university? Bien sûr, Gélinas says"]. ''[[Northern Life (newspaper)|Northern Life]]'', May 26, 2015.</ref> Although her bill did not pass, the government of [[Kathleen Wynne]] announced the creation of a French-language university in 2017.<ref>[https://www.thestar.com/news/queenspark/2017/08/28/ontario-moving-forward-with-a-french-language-university.html "Ontario moving forward with a French-language university"]. ''[[Toronto Star]]'', August 28, 2017.</ref>

In 2018, the provincial government of [[Doug Ford]] announced [[2018 Franco-Ontarian Black Thursday|several government cutbacks that impacted the Franco-Ontarian community]], including ending the position of the French Language Services Commissioner and transferring its responsibilities to the office of the [[Ontario Ombudsman]], reducing the status of the [[Ministry of Francophone Affairs]] from a full ministry to a government office, and cancelling funding announced by the prior government of [[Kathleen Wynne]] for the creation of the French-language university.<ref name=backlash/> After extensive backlash to the announcement, Ford reversed course, announcing that the commissioner position would be retained and that the office of francophone affairs would be restored to a full government ministry.<ref name=backlash/> The actions led to one Franco-Ontarian MPP, [[Amanda Simard]], leaving his caucus to sit as an independent.<ref>[https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/ottawa/amanda-simard-mpp-progressive-conservative-1.4925179 "MPP Amanda Simard leaving PCs, will sit as an independent"]. [[CBC News]] Ottawa, November 29, 2018.</ref> During this period, governments in [[Quebec]] began to fly the [[Franco-Ontarian flag]] as a gesture of solidarity. The flag was hoisted at [[Montreal City Hall]] on November 23,<ref>[https://www.ctvnews.ca/montreal/article/franco-ontarian-flag-flies-over-montreal-city-hall-as-ford-softens-stance-on-french-services/ "Franco-Ontarian flag flies over Montreal city hall as Ford softens stance on French services"]. [[CFCF-DT|CTV Montreal]], November 23, 2018.</ref> and at the [[National Assembly of Quebec]] on December 1.<ref>[https://montrealgazette.com/news/quebec/franco-ontarian-flag-to-fly-outside-quebec-national-assembly "Franco-Ontarian flag to fly outside Quebec National Assembly"]. ''[[Montreal Gazette]]'', November 30, 2018.</ref>
[[File:Universite de l'Ontario francais front 2.jpg|thumb|The entrance to the [[Université de l'Ontario français]]. Established in 2018, the institution was the first stand-alone francophone university opened in Ontario.]]
Ford later cancelled funding for the new Francophone university, created by  the previous government.<ref name=backlash>[https://www.theglobeandmail.com/canada/article-doug-ford-backtracks-after-days-of-backlash-over-cuts-to-institutions/ "Doug Ford backtracks after days of backlash over cuts to francophone institutions"]. ''[[The Globe and Mail]]'', November 23, 2018.</ref> However, in September 2019 the provincial and federal governments announced a new funding plan for the creation of the first French language university in the province.<ref>[https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/toronto/ont-french-university-1.5275161 "Queens Park, Ottawa reach 'understanding' on funding French-language university"]. [[CBC News]], September 8, 2019.</ref> The province's first publicly-funded university that operates solely as a French-language institution was incorporated in April 2018 as the [[Université de l'Ontario français]], expecting to accept its first cohort of full-time students in 2021.<ref name="Doucet">{{cite web|url=https://www.universityaffairs.ca/news/news-article/theres-light-at-the-end-of-the-tunnel-for-ontarios-french-language-university/|last=Doucet|first=Théodore|access-date=4 December 2019|date=16 October 2019|title=There's light at the end of the tunnel for Ontario's French-language university|work=University Affairs|publisher=Universities Canada}}</ref>

====2020s====
On September 21, 2020, Legislative Assembly of Ontario passed an amendment to the ''Franco-Ontarian Emblem Act, 2001'', first proposed by [[Progressive Conservative Party of Ontario|Progressive Conservative]] MPP, [[Natalia Kusendova]], to designate Franco-Ontarian flag as an [[Symbols of Ontario|official emblem of Ontario]]. It received royal assent and became law on September 24, 2020.<ref name=fofsymbol>{{cite web |url=https://www.ola.org/en/legislative-business/bills/parliament-42/session-1/bill-182 |publisher=Government of Ontario |date=September 24, 2020 |title=Bill 182, Franco-Ontarian Emblem Amendment Act, 2020}}</ref>

On September 25, 2020, the government under [[Doug Ford]], through [[Ministry of Francophone Affairs|Minister of Francophone Affairs]], [[Caroline Mulroney]], announced that Franco-Ontarians will be able to request a free replacement driver's licence or Ontario photo card displaying their name using French-language characters.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://ottawacitizen.com/news/local-news/ontario-adding-french-language-characters-to-government-id|publisher=Ottawa Citizen |date=September 25, 2020|title=Ontario adding French-language characters to government ID}}</ref>

The [[Université de Hearst]], which teaches entirely in French and for decades operated as a federated college of [[Laurentian University]] using Laurentian's degree-granting authority, was chartered as a fully independent university in 2021.

==Politics==
The [[Ministry of Francophone Affairs]] is a department of the government of Ontario responsible for the provision of provincial services to the Franco-Ontarian community. [[Caroline Mulroney]] is the provincial cabinet minister responsible for the Francophone Affairs portfolio. The French language has been recognized as an official language of the [[Legislative Assembly of Ontario]] since 1970.<ref name=legislature/> 

In 2016, the government of Ontario was granted observer status to the ''[[Organisation internationale de la Francophonie]]'', permitting the provincial government to submit requests to the organization's ministerial conferences, and participate in certain meetings held by the organization.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/toronto/la-francophonie-observer-status-1.3869354|title=La Francophonie grants observer status to Ontario|last=Draaisma|first=Muriel|date=26 November 2016|work=CBC News|publisher=Canadian Broadcasting Corporation|access-date=28 November 2020}}</ref> Ontario is one of four governments in Canada that participates in the ''Francophonie'', with the federal government of Canada and the provincial governments of New Brunswick and Quebec being full-fledged members of the organization.

===Access to services===
Although French is an official language in Ontario's education system, legislature, and judiciary, the province as a whole is not officially [[bilingualism in Canada|bilingual]] and its other provincial services do not provide English/French bilingual service throughout the entirety of the province. However, the Ontario ''[[French Language Services Act (Ontario)|French Language Services Act]]'' requires all provincial ministries and agencies to provide French-language services within 26 designated municipalities and regions. 

An area is designated as a French service area if the francophone population is greater than 5,000 people ''or'' 10 percent of the community's total population. Due to the 5,000 population threshold, large cities that are actually overwhelmingly anglophone with only very small francophone populations proportional to the size of the city, such as [[Toronto]] and [[Mississauga]], are nevertheless still subject to the Act. Francophones who live in non-designated areas can also receive French language services by directly contacting the Office of Francophone Affairs in Toronto, or in the nearest designated community. The most recent addition to the list of designated areas is the city of Markham. It was named in June 2015, and after the three-year implementation period provided for by the ''French Language Services Act'', officially became a bilingual service centre in 2018.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://news.ontario.ca/ofa/en/2015/06/ontario-to-offer-french-language-services-in-markham.html|title=Ontario to Offer French-Language Services in Markham|date=June 30, 2015|access-date=April 23, 2015|publisher=Queen's Printer for Ontario|website=news.ontario.ca}}</ref> Enforcement of the ''French Language Services Act'' is conducted through the office of the provincial French Language Services Commissioner. 
[[File:Ontario French service areas.png|thumb|right|Map of French service areas in Ontario.{{notetag|The map was last updated in 2010, before [[Markham, Ontario|Markham]] was designated under the Act in 2015. As a result, [[York Region]] is not coloured light blue.}} Dark blue indicates areas designated in their entirety; light blue indicates areas that include designated communities.]]
The following [[List of Ontario census divisions|census divisions]] (denoted in dark blue on the map) are designated areas in their entirety:
{{col div}}
* [[Algoma District]]
* [[Cochrane District]]
* [[Greater Sudbury]]
* City of [[Hamilton, Ontario|Hamilton]]
* [[Nipissing District]]
* City of [[Ottawa]]
* [[United Counties of Prescott and Russell|Prescott and Russell United Counties]]
* [[Sudbury District]]
* [[Timiskaming District]]
* City of [[Toronto]]
{{col div end}}
The following census divisions (denoted in light blue on the map) are not fully designated areas, but have communities within their borders which are designated for bilingual services:
{{col div}}
*Municipality of [[Chatham-Kent]]: [[Tilbury, Ontario|Tilbury]], [[Dover Township, Ontario|Dover Township]], [[Tilbury East, Ontario|Tilbury East Township]]
*[[Essex County, Ontario|Essex County]]: [[Lakeshore, Ontario|Lakeshore]], [[Tecumseh, Ontario|Tecumseh]], [[Windsor, Ontario|Windsor]]
*[[Frontenac County]]: [[Kingston, Ontario|Kingston]]
*[[Kenora District]]: [[Ignace, Ontario|Ignace]]
*[[Middlesex County, Ontario|Middlesex County]]: [[London, Ontario|London]]
*[[Regional Municipality of Niagara|Niagara Region]]: [[Port Colborne]], [[Welland]]
*[[Regional Municipality of Peel|Peel Region]]: [[Mississauga]], [[Brampton]]
*[[Renfrew County]]: [[Laurentian Valley, Ontario|Laurentian Valley]], [[Pembroke, Ontario|Pembroke]], [[Whitewater Region, Ontario|Whitewater Region]]
*[[Thunder Bay District]]: [[Greenstone, Ontario|Greenstone]], [[Manitouwadge, Ontario|Manitouwadge]], [[Marathon, Ontario|Marathon]], [[Terrace Bay, Ontario|Terrace Bay]]
*[[Simcoe County]]: [[Essa, Ontario|Essa]], [[Penetanguishene]], [[Tiny, Ontario|Tiny]]
*[[United Counties of Stormont, Dundas and Glengarry]]: [[Cornwall, Ontario|Cornwall]], [[North Glengarry, Ontario|North Glengarry]], [[North Stormont, Ontario|North Stormont]], [[South Glengarry, Ontario|South Glengarry]], [[South Stormont, Ontario|South Stormont]], [[Winchester, Ontario|Winchester]]
*[[Regional Municipality of York|York Region]]: [[Markham, Ontario|Markham]]
{{col div end}}
The ''French Language Services Act'' only applies to provincial government services, and does not require services operated by the municipal government to provide bilingual services, although several municipalities have done so at their own discretion. There are presently 44 communities in Ontario whose municipal government and services are bilingual in English and French. Most of these are communities are members of the [[Francophone Association of Municipalities of Ontario]], or ''AFMO''.

====Judicial access====
[[File:Ottawa Courthouse - 01.jpg|thumb|Signage for the [[Ottawa Courthouse]] in both English and French]]
The provincial judicial system is officially bilingual in English and French, with access to a French-speaking justice viewed as a quasi-constitutional right in Ontario.<ref name=judic>{{cite web|url=https://www.attorneygeneral.jus.gov.on.ca/english/about/pubs/bench_bar_advisory_committee/#_ftnref7|title=Access to justice in French|work=Ministry of the Attorney General|publisher=Queen's Printer for Ontario|access-date=22 April 2020|date=25 June 2012}}</ref> The official languages of the provincial courts was set in s. 125 of the ''Courts of Justice Act'', with s. 126 of the same act outlining the specific rights afforded to a French-speaking party.<ref name=judic/> French-language access within Ontario's judicial administrative offices is also required in designated communities under the ''French Language Services Act''.<ref name=judic/> Francophone linguistic rights are further reinforced for criminal cases as those tried under the ''[[Criminal Code (Canada)|Criminal Code]]'', a federal statute, have the right to be tried in either English or French as specified in section 530 of the Code.<ref name=judic/>

However, in practice the courts function primarily in English. Francophones in some parts of the province have noted some difficulty in actually accessing French language services, especially in civil litigation matters; for example, francophones in the justice system have sometimes faced unnecessary and expensive delays in their judicial proceedings, or been forced to proceed in English even if they were merely functional but not fluent in the language, due to gaps in the system's ability to actually provide full French services.<ref>Daniel Kitts, [https://www.tvo.org/article/why-francophones-are-fighting-for-access-to-justice-in-ontario "Why francophones are fighting for access to justice in Ontario"]. [[TVOntario]], January 3, 2018.</ref> Acting upon a number of complaints received from the French Language Service Commissioner, the Attorney General of Ontario launched a committee in 2009 to address French language rights in the judicial system.<ref name=judic/>

==Education==
===Elementary and secondary===
{{see also|List of school districts in Ontario}}
[[File:CentreDeslauriers.jpg|thumb|Head office for [[Conseil scolaire catholique MonAvenir]], the French public-[[separate school]] board for the [[Golden Horseshoe]].]]
Legislation on educational instruction in the French language was first passed in [[Upper Canada]] under the ''Upper Canada School Act, 1797'', which provided for schools that used English or French as an instructional languages.<ref name=canen2/> The use of French as the primary language of instruction was later limited to the first two years of elementary education in Ontario, from 1912 to 1927. In 1927, its enforcement was dropped with the province again permitting French-language instruction past Grade 2.<ref name=canen2/> The present public French-language elementary and secondary school system originates from education reforms implemented by the province in 1968.<ref name=canen2/> French-language rights for resident elementary and secondary school students in Ontario are afforded through the provincial ''Education Act'' and [[Section 23 of the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms|Section 23 of the ''Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms'']].

[[State school|Public education]] in Ontario is managed by the provincial [[Ministry of Education (Ontario)|Ministry of Education]], which sets the guidelines and curriculum for both its English and French language public school systems. There were 103,490 students enrolled in Ontario's public francophone elementary and secondary schools during the 2015–16 academic year.<ref name=ocol/>

In addition to language, public education in Ontario is also split between a [[secular education|secularized]], and [[separate school]] school systems. As a result, twelve public francophone school boards operate within the province; with four secularized public school boards forming a part of the ''[[ACÉPO|Association des conseils scolaires des écoles publiques de l'Ontario]]'', and eight separate school boards forming a part of ''Association franco-ontarienne des conseils scolaires catholiques''. In 2016, Ontario's public francophone school boards operated 351 elementary schools, and 104 secondary schools.<ref name=ocol>{{cite web|url=https://www.clo-ocol.gc.ca/en/statistics/infographics/french-presence-ontario|title=Infographic: The French Presence in Ontario|work=Office of the Commissioner of Official Languages|publisher=Government of Canada|access-date=April 29, 2020|date=June 4, 2019|archive-date=July 24, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200724144854/https://www.clo-ocol.gc.ca/en/statistics/infographics/french-presence-ontario|url-status=dead}}</ref>

These school boards were formed after the passage of the ''Fewer School Boards Act'' in 1997,<ref name=canen2/> with a number of secularized and separate school boards being split and re-consolidated into larger school districts based on language. The re-consolidated French school boards often serve a significantly larger [[catchment area (human geography)|catchment area]] than an English-language school board in the province, due to the smaller francophone population.

In addition to public elementary and secondary school, a number of [[private school]]s also operate with French as the primary instructional language.

===Post-secondary===
[[File:La Cité collégiale.jpg|thumb|upright=1.25|Aerial view of [[Collège La Cité]] campus in Ottawa. The institution is one of two public Francophone [[college (Canada)|colleges]] in Ontario.]]
Ontario is home to several public post-secondary institutions that operate either as francophone or as bilingual English and French institutions. There were approximately 21,300 students enrolled in a post-secondary francophone program/institution in Ontario during the 2015–16 academic year.<ref name=ocol/>

Ontario has two francophone post-secondary [[college (Canada)|colleges]], [[Collège Boréal]], and [[Collège La Cité]]. The former is based in Sudbury, and operates satellite campuses throughout Ontario; while the latter is based in Ottawa, with a satellite campus in Hawkesbury. A third French-language college, [[Collège des Grands-Lacs]], formerly operated in Toronto from 1995 to 2002. After the college ceased operations, its programs were taken over by Collège Boréal.

There are several publicly-funded universities in Ontario where French is the official instructional language. Universities that operate as francophone institutions includes the [[Université de Hearst]] and the [[Université de l'Ontario français]]. Five other Ontario-based universities are officially bilingual institutions, offering instruction in both English and French, [[Laurentian University]], the [[Royal Military College of Canada]], the [[University of Ottawa]], the [[University of Sudbury]], and the [[NOSM University|Northern Ontario School of Medicine University]].<ref name=school>{{cite web|url=https://www.ontario.ca/fr/page/colleges-et-universites-de-langue-francaise|website=www.ontario.ca|title=Collèges et universités de langue française|publisher=Queen's Printer for Ontario|date=27 January 2020|access-date=15 February 2020|language=fr}}</ref>

Three other universities in Ontario also maintain federated or [[affiliated college|affiliated institutions]] that provide bilingual instruction in either English or French. Although these affiliated institutions and schools are bilingual, their parent universities are otherwise considered anglophone institutions. Affiliated institutions that are bilingual include [[Dominican University College]], an institution affiliated with [[Carleton University]] in Ottawa; [[Glendon College]], an institution affiliated with [[York University]] in Toronto; and [[Saint Paul University]], an institution federated with the University of Ottawa. Additionally, the [[University of Toronto]] also operates the [[Ontario Institute for Studies in Education]], a functionally bilingual graduate school.<ref name=school/>

==Language==
The dialects of French spoken in Ontario are similar to, but distinct from, [[Quebec French]]; they constitute part of the greater [[Canadian French]] dialect. According to Michel Laurier (1989),<ref>{{cite book|title=Le subjonctif dans le parler franco-ontarien : un mode en voie de disparition ?|last=Laurier|first=Michel|publisher=Université Carleton|year=1989|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=EUzqrzHNwP0C&pg=PA105|page=105|isbn=9782763771786}}</ref> the semantic and stylistic value of the use of the subjunctive is progressively disappearing. In the article "Le français canadien parlé hors Québec : aperçu sociolinguistique " (1989),<ref>{{cite book|last=Thomas|first=Alain|title=La variabilité en français ontarien|year=1989|publisher=Les presses de l'Université de Laval|location=Canada}}</ref> Edward Berniak and Raymond Mougeon underline some characteristics: 
* the use of the possessive ''à''
* the transfer of rules from English to French, e.g., "J’ai vu un film sur/à la télévision" which comes from "I saw a film on television", or " Je vais à la maison/chez moi " coming from "I'm going home".
* the loaning of English conjunctions, for instance, "so" for ''ça fait que'' or ''alors''.

Due to the large English majority in the province, English loanwords are sometimes used in the informal or slang registers of Franco-Ontarian French. While English loanwords occur to a large extent in many varieties of French in Canada and Europe, there has been more of a conscious effort in Quebec to eliminate anglicisms.  In addition, the majority of Franco-Ontarians are, out of necessity, functionally or fluently bilingual in English, a fact that encourages borrowing, as does the fact that the English language has a greater prestige in the province from its being a majority language. Franco-Ontarian communities with a small francophone population tend to have more English-influenced French, and some younger speakers there may feel more comfortable using English than French. On the other hand, the French spoken in French-dominant Ontarian communities (such as Hearst and Hawkesbury), or in those communities near the Quebec border (such as Ottawa), is virtually indistinguishable from Quebec French.

Furthermore, improved access to publicly funded French-language schools and the establishment of bilingual universities and French language community colleges has improved French-language proficiency in younger populations.

==Culture==
The primary cultural organization of the Franco-Ontarian community is the [[AFO (Canada)|Assemblée de la francophonie de l'Ontario]], or AFO, which coordinates many of the community's cultural and political activities.

Franco-Ontarians retain many cultural traditions from their [[French Canadian]] ancestry. For example, unmarried elder siblings ''dansent sur leurs bas'' (dance on their socks) when their younger siblings get married. [[Roman Catholic|Catholic]] Franco-Ontarians attend ''messe de minuit'' (midnight mass) on [[Christmas Eve]]. Many Franco-Ontarians also enjoy late night feasts/parties on Christmas Eve, called ''[[réveillon]]'', at which [[tourtière]] is a common dish. They also celebrate [[Saint-Jean-Baptiste Day]] on June 24 as the national holiday for French Canadians.

===Franco-Ontarian identity===
The concept of Franco-Ontarians as a distinct cultural identity emerged during the late 1960s and early 1970s.<ref name=lamort/> Prior to this time, virtually all French Canadians were understood as a single unified cultural group regardless of which province they lived in, with Quebec serving as the "[[citadel]]" of French Canada.<ref name=ici1/>

However, the [[Estates General of French Canada]] of 1966 to 1969 radically reshaped the landscape of French Canadian identity. During the Estates General of Canada the Quebec delegation, influenced by the [[Quiet Revolution]], had pushed forward a new concept of a uniquely ''[[québécois (word)|québécois]]'' identity,<ref name=lemythe/> believing that the French Canadian population risked assimilation unless they focused their efforts on saving "the body of the nation," namely Quebec.<ref name=ici1/> However, many Franco-Ontarians perceived the refocus in priorities by the Quebec delegation as an abandonment of the other French Canadian communities, and their shared French Canadian identity.<ref name=ici1/> This resulted in what is sometimes described as a "rupture" between the francophones of Quebec, and the Franco-Ontarian community, who were then forced to re-conceptualize their own cultural identities while being reliant on the federal government, as opposed to Quebec.<ref name=ici1/><ref name=lemythe/>

The actual depth of this "rupture" has been questioned by academics, as Quebec continues to exert strong cultural influence on francophone minority communities in the rest of Canada.<ref name=lemythe/> However, it remains a prominent theme in contemporary cultural analysis of French Canadian identities,<ref>[https://www.thecanadianencyclopedia.ca/fr/article/etats-generaux-du-canada-francais "États généraux du Canada français"]. ''[[The Canadian Encyclopedia]]'', May 3, 2007.</ref> 
It is also evident that by the early 1970s, a uniquely Franco-Ontarian cultural space had emerged with the creation of new institutions and symbols.<ref name=gilbert>Anne Gilbert, ''Espaces franco-ontariens''. [[Le Nordir]], 1999. {{ISBN|2921365855}}.</ref> 

===Symbols===
====Franco-Ontarian Flag====<!-- This section is linked from [[Trillium]] -->
[[File:Harty ON.jpg|thumb|A Franco-Ontarian flag (left-foreground) at a welcome sign for [[Harty, Ontario|Harty]], Ontario.]]
The [[Franco-Ontarian flag]] consists of two bands of green and white. The left portion has a solid light green background with a white [[fleur-de-lys]] in the middle, while the right portion has a solid white background with a stylized green [[trillium]] in the middle. The green represents the summer months, while the white represents the winter months. The trillium is the floral symbol of Ontario, while the fleur-de-lys represents the [[French-Canadian]] heritage of the Franco-Ontarian community. The green color on the flag is [[Pantone]] 349.

The flag was created in 1975 by [[Gaétan Gervais]], history professor and Michel Dupuis, first year political science student, both from Laurentian University.<ref>"Sudbury celebrates 30 years with Franco-Ontarian flag". ''[[Sudbury Star]]'', September 23, 2005.</ref> It was officially recognized by the Ontario PC government as the emblem of the Franco-Ontarian community in the ''Franco-Ontarian Emblem Act'' of 2001.<ref>[http://www.e-laws.gov.on.ca/html/statutes/english/elaws_statutes_01f05_e.htm Franco-Ontarian Emblem Act of 2001].</ref> In September 2020, the flag was made an official emblem of the province.<ref name=fofsymbol/>

==== Franco-Ontarian Day ====
Franco-Ontarian Day is celebrated on September 25, the anniversary of the first raising of the Franco-Ontarian flag in Sudbury in 1975.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://onfr.tfo.org/toronto-francophones-septembre/|title = Jour des Franco-Ontariens : Toronto va finalement célébrer| date=September 21, 2018 }}</ref> 

In 2010, the Minister Responsible for Francophone Affairs [[Madeleine Meilleur]] introduced Bill 24 to the [[Legislative Assembly of Ontario]] to have Franco-Ontarian Day officially recognised by the province. The bill, the ''Franco-Ontarian Day Act, 2010'', passed unanimously and received [[royal assent]] in May 2010.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.rcinet.ca/fr/2017/09/25/25-septembre-jour-des-franco-ontariens-et-des-franco-ontariennes-en-ontario/|title = 25 septembre, Jour des Franco-Ontariens et des Franco-Ontariennes en Ontario|date = September 25, 2017}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://mondrapeaufranco.ca/historique-jour-fo/|title = Historique – Jour des Franco-Ontariens}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://ici.radio-canada.ca/nouvelle/1734775/jour-franco-ontariens-annulation-ceremonie-officielle-queens-park|title = Jour des Franco-Ontariens : Pas de cérémonie officielle à Queen's Park cette année}}</ref>

====Monuments====
Seven monuments known as ''Les Monuments de la francophonie d'Ottawa'', were erected in Ottawa by the francophone community to commemorate francophone contribution to the development and well-being of the city. The first of the series of monuments, ''Monuments de la francophonie d'Ottawa'' was designed by Edward J. Cuhaci, and represents the first homes and the founding of Bytown. The next five monuments, each progressing uphill,  highlight business achievements that were crucial to the prosperity of Ottawa economy. The seventh monument, an unfinished granite block, symbolizes future developments.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.cuhaci.com/index.php/projects/heritage/210-monument-de-la-francophonie-dottawa|title=Edward J Cuhaci and Associates Architects Inc - Monument de la francophonie d'Ottawa|last=cuhaci|website=www.cuhaci.com|access-date=8 June 2018}}</ref> 
[[File:Notre Place monument.jpg|thumb|The ''Notre Place'' monument in Toronto commemorates the Franco-Ontarian community and their contributions to the province]]
A monument to Franco-Ontarians also exists at [[Queen's Park (Toronto)|Queen's Park]] in Toronto. The ''Notre Place'' monument commemorates the Franco-Ontarian community as well as the contributions the francophone community made to Ontario. The monument was first proposed in 2015.<ref name=notre>{{cite web|url=https://l-express.ca/notre-place-la-francophonie-en-acier-et-en-beton-au-centre-ville/|title=Notre Place : la francophonie en acier et en béton au centre-ville|date=26 September 2018|website=l-express.ca|publisher=L'Express|access-date=23 November 2020}}</ref> Work on the monument began on 25 September 2017, on Franco-Ontarian day; it was unveiled on the same day the following year.<ref name=notre/> The stainless steel columns were designed to commemorate Franco-Ontarian contributions in the province's forestry industry, while the surrounding public square was intended to be used as a gathering space.<ref name=rci>{{cite web|url=https://ici.radio-canada.ca/nouvelle/1057932/monument-francophonie-notre-place-queens-park|title=Une forêt stylisée en hommage aux Franco-Ontariens devant Queen's Park|date=25 September 2017|access-date=23 November 2020|work=ICI Toronto|publisher=Société Radio‑Canada|language=fr}}</ref> The name of the monument, ''Notre Place'', is a reference to song from [[Paul Demers]] and François Dubé.<ref name=rci/> The name of the monument, and the Franco-Ontarian flag is also present on the stoned wall bench that surrounds most of the square.<ref name=notre/> Designed by the architectural firm Brooke McIlroy, the cost to construct the monument was approximate C$900,000.

===Arts===
====Film====
Through their proximity to [[Gatineau]] and Montreal, Ottawa and the communities east of it toward Montreal are the only regions in Ontario which have consistent access throughout the year to French-language theatrical films. However, [[Cinéfest]] in Sudbury and the [[Toronto International Film Festival]] include francophone films in their annual festival programs, the Toronto-based [[Cinéfranco]] festival programs a lineup consisting entirely of francophone films, and community groups in many smaller communities offer French film screenings from time to time, sometimes in conjunction with the [[Tournée Québec Cinéma]] touring program of Quebec films. Francophone films also air on TFO, Radio-Canada and cable channels such as [[Unis (TV channel)|Unis]] and [[Super Écran]].

====Literature====
{{see also|List of French Canadian writers from outside Quebec}}
Ontario has seven francophone [[publishing]] companies, including Sudbury's [[Prise de parole]], Ottawa's [[Editions Le Nordir]] and [[Les Éditions David]].

Notable Franco-Ontarian writers, essayists and poets, include [[Lola Lemire Tostevin]], [[Daniel Poliquin]], [[Robert Dickson (writer)|Robert Dickson]], [[Jean-Marc Dalpé]], [[François Paré]], Gaston Tremblay, [[Michel Bock]], [[Doric Germain]], [[Fernand Dorais]], [[Hédi Bouraoui]], [[Philippe Bernier Arcand]], [[Andrée Christensen]], [[Patrice Desbiens]] and [[Jean Éthier-Blais]]. The [[French-language]] scholar [[Joseph Médard Carrière]] was Franco-Ontarian.

====Music and theatre====
[[File:Robert Paquette La Nuit sur l'étang.jpg|thumb|upright|[[Robert Paquette]] performs during [[La Nuit sur l'étang]], an annual music festival in Sudbury]]
Nine professional theatre companies offer French language theatrical productions, including five companies in Ottawa ([[Théâtre du Trillium]], [[Théâtre de la Vieille 17]], [[Vox Théâtre]], [[Théâtre la Catapulte]] and [[Créations In Vivo]]), one in Sudbury ([[Théâtre du Nouvel-Ontario]]) and three in Toronto ([[Théâtre Corpus]], [[Théâtre La Tangente]] and [[Théâtre français de Toronto]]). There are also numerous community theatre groups and school theatre groups.

Annual music festivals include [[La Nuit sur l'étang]] in Sudbury and the [[Festival Franco-Ontarien]] in Ottawa. Notable figures in Franco-Ontarian music include [[Robert Paquette]], [[Marcel Aymar]], [[En Bref]], [[Chuck Labelle]], [[Les Chaizes Muzikales]], [[Brasse-Camarade]], [[Swing (Canadian band)|Swing]], [[Konflit Dramatik]], [[Stéphane Paquette]], [[Damien Robitaille]] and [[CANO]].

The song "[[Notre Place]]" by [[Paul Demers]] and François Dubé, long considered an unofficial anthem of the Franco-Ontarian community after it was written for a gala to celebrate the passage of the ''French Language Services Act'' in 1986, was legally designated as the community's official anthem by the [[Legislative Assembly of Ontario]] in 2017.<ref>[http://ici.radio-canada.ca/nouvelle/1019975/notre-place-devient-lhymne-officiel-des-franco-ontariens ''Notre place'' devient l'hymne officiel des Franco-Ontariens]. [[CBC News|Ici Radio-Canada]], March 2, 2017.</ref><ref>[http://www5.tfo.org/onfr/la-chanson-notre-place-reconnue-hymne-officiel-des-franco-ontariens/ La chanson «Notre Place» reconnue hymne officiel des Franco-Ontariens]. [[TFO]], March 2, 2017.</ref>

[[Place des Arts (Sudbury)|Place des Arts]], a multidisciplinary arts centre bringing together many of the francophone arts and culture organizations in Sudbury, opened in 2022.<ref name=ontrack>[https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/sudbury/sudbury-place-des-arts-opening-1.6200050 "Sudbury's Place des Arts on track for a 2022 opening"]. [[CBCS-FM|CBC Northern Ontario]], October 5, 2021.</ref>

====Visual arts====
[[La Galerie du Nouvel-Ontario]] is an art museum whose collections and exhibitions are centred around Franco-Ontarian artists.

===Media===
==== Print ====
Ontario had one francophone daily newspaper, ''[[Le Droit]]'' in Ottawa; due to the increasingly challenging business environment for print newspapers, it moved across the river to [[Gatineau]] in 2019 to take advantage of Quebec government funding assistance, but continues to cover Ottawa-related news.<ref>[https://ca.sports.yahoo.com/news/quebec-superior-court-decision-stirs-090000910.html "Quebec Superior Court decision stirs mixed feelings for Le Droit staff"]. [[CBC News]], December 26, 2019.</ref>

Several other communities in Ontario are served by francophone community weekly papers, including ''[[L'Express (Toronto)|L'Express]]'' and ''[[Le Métropolitain]]'' in Toronto, ''[[Le Voyageur]]'' in Sudbury, ''[[L'Action (London, Ontario)|L'Action]]'' in London/Sarnia, ''[[Le Rempart]]'' in Windsor, ''[[Le Régional]]'' in Hamilton-Niagara and ''[[Le Journal de Cornwall]]'' in Cornwall. 

Important historical publications include Ottawa's ''Le Progrès'', which was launched in 1858 as the province's first francophone newspaper,<ref name=sylvestre>Paul-François Sylvestre, [https://l-express.ca/premier-journal-francophone-de-lontario/ "Premier journal francophone de l’Ontario"]. ''[[L'Express (Toronto)|L'Express]]'', May 17, 2011.</ref> and Sudbury's ''[[L'Ami du peuple (Canadian newspaper)|L'Ami du peuple]]'', which was published from 1942 to 1968.<ref name=dictionnaire>Gaétan Gervais and Jean-Pierre Pichette, ''Dictionnaire des écrits de l'Ontario français: 1613-1993''. [[University of Ottawa Press]], 2011. {{ISBN|9782760319363}}. pp. 33-34.</ref>

====Radio====
On radio, the Franco-Ontarian community is served primarily by Radio-Canada's [[Ici Radio-Canada Première]] network, which has originating stations in Ottawa ([[CBOF-FM|CBOF]]), Toronto ([[CJBC (AM)|CJBC]]), Sudbury ([[CBON-FM|CBON]]) and Windsor ([[CBEF]]), with rebroadcasters throughout Ontario. ''[[Ici Musique]]'', Radio-Canada's arts and culture network, currently broadcasts only in Ottawa ([[CBOX-FM|CBOX]]), Toronto ([[CJBC-FM]]), Sudbury ([[CBBX-FM|CBBX]]), [[Kitchener-Waterloo]] (CJBC-FM-1) and Windsor (CJBC-FM-2), with an additional transmitter licensed but not yet launched in Timmins.

Non-profit francophone community stations exist in several communities, including Penetanguishene ([[CFRH-FM|CFRH]]), Hearst ([[CINN-FM|CINN]]), Kapuskasing ([[CKGN-FM|CKGN]]), Cornwall ([[CHOD-FM|CHOD]]), Ottawa ([[CJFO-FM|CJFO]]) and Toronto ([[CHOQ-FM|CHOQ]]). Many [[campus radio]] stations air one or two hours per week of French-language programming as well, although only [[CHUO-FM|CHUO]] at the University of Ottawa and [[CKLU-FM|CKLU]] at Laurentian University are officially bilingual stations.

Francophone commercial radio stations exist in Sudbury ([[CHYC-FM|CHYC]]), Timmins ([[CHYK-FM|CHYK]]) and Sturgeon Falls/North Bay ([[CHYQ-FM|CHYQ]]); all three stations are owned and operated by [[Le5 Communications]], and air distinct locally targeted morning shows while operating for the remainder of the day as a shared region-wide simulcast with each station originating some of the common programming. Ottawa francophones are served by the commercial radio stations licensed to [[Gatineau]], and many other Eastern Ontario communities are within the broadcast range of the Gatineau and [[Montreal]] media markets. One station in [[Hawkesbury, Ontario|Hawkesbury]] ([[CHPR-FM|CHPR]]) airs a few hours per week of locally oriented programming, but otherwise simulcasts a commercial station from Montreal.

====Television====
{{multiple image
 | align = left
 | direction = horizontal
 | image1 = CBC Ottawa Broadcast Centre - 02.jpg
 | width1 = 134
 | caption1= [[CBC Ottawa Production Centre]]
 |footer= [[Canadian Broadcasting Corporation|Radio-Canada]], Canada's French language [[public broadcasting|public broadcaster]] operates two studios in Ontario
 | image2 = CBC Centre.JPG
 | caption2= [[Canadian Broadcasting Centre]], Toronto
 | width2 = 141
}}
The province has two [[Ici Radio-Canada Télé]] stations, [[CBOFT-DT]] in Ottawa and [[CBLFT-DT]] in Toronto, which previously had rebroadcast transmitters throughout the province but remain available provincewide on basic cable. Both stations carry identical programming directed from Radio-Canada's [[master control]] in [[Montreal]], except for local news and advertisements. CBOFT produces a newscast for broadcast only in the Ottawa area, while CBLFT produces another serving the rest of the province. The network formerly also operated [[CBEFT]] in Windsor, which was shut down in 2012.

The provincial government operates [[TFO]], a sister channel to [[TVOntario]], which is available provincewide via mandatory carriage on basic cable or satellite packages and via online streaming; it formerly also transmitted over the air in selected communities with significant francophone populations, but this was discontinued in 2012. In 2003, TFO produced and aired ''[[Francoeur]]'', the first Franco-Ontarian ''[[téléroman]]''. In 2008, TFO also began airing the first Franco-Ontarian [[sitcom]], ''[[Météo+]]'' — itself, in part, a satire of the Franco-Ontarian community's relative lack of access to local French-language media. In 2012, the production team behind ''Météo+'' launched ''[[Les Bleus de Ramville]]''.
[[File:Émission JAM - James Zhao, Toronto.jpg|thumb|Musicians from ''[[JAM TFO]]'', one of several programs of the French language provincial public broadcaster, [[TFO]].]]
The Quebec-based francophone network [[TVA (Canadian TV network)|TVA]] as well as specialty channels [[TV5 Québec Canada]] and [[Ici RDI]] are available on all Ontario cable systems, as these channels are mandated by the [[Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission|CRTC]] for carriage by all Canadian cable operators. Where there is sufficient local demand for French-language television, Ontario cable systems may also offer French-language channels such as [[Noovo]], [[Ici ARTV]], [[Elle Fictions]] and [[Réseau des sports|RDS]], although these channels only have discretionary status outside Quebec and are typically offered only on a [[digital cable]] tier rather than in basic cable packages.

==Notable Franco-Ontarians==
{{main|List of Franco-Ontarians}}

==See also==
{{Portal|Ontario}}
*[[French Canadians]]
*[[Québécois people|Quebecer]]
*[[Acadians]]
*[[Franco-Albertan]], [[Franco-Columbian]], [[Franco-Manitoban]], [[Franco-Newfoundlander]], [[Franco-Nunavois]], [[Fransaskois]], [[Franco-Ténois]], [[Franco-Yukonnais]]

==Notes==
{{notefoot}}

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==External links==
* [http://ofa.gov.on.ca/en/index.html Government of Ontario, Office of Francophone Affairs]

{{French diaspora}}

[[Category:Franco-Ontarian culture|*]]
[[Category:Franco-Ontarian people|*]]
[[Category:French-Canadian people|Ontario]]
[[Category:Canadian people of French descent|*]]
[[Category:French-speaking ethnicities in Canada]]