“This is a tremendous step forward," said Deb Matthews, Minister of Advanced Education and Skills Development, "which will provide access to high-quality French-language university education in the Greater Toronto Area and central and south-western Ontario. My sincere thanks to the planning board panel and chair, Dr. Dyane Adam, for the work they have done."

Ontario is said to have the largest French-speaking population in Canada outside of Québec, with central and south-western Ontario home to the fastest growing Francophone population.

Nearly 430,000 people in Greater Toronto Area (GTA) speak French, which makes it the fourth largest centre of French-language speakers in Canada.

At present Ontario has two publicly funded French-language colleges and nine French-language and bilingual schools offering university programs.

In 2015-16, the Ontario government had invested $87.9 million to support French language under post secondary education, including almost $14 million from the federal government — an increase of more than 71 per cent since 2003-04.

Established last fall by the Ontario government, the French-language University Planning Board chaired by Dr. Dyane Adam, submitted its report titled ‘From Local Innovation to Global Excellence: Proposal for a French-Language University in Ontario’ in July 2017 with recommendations to create a new French Language University in central and south-western Ontario.

The Planning Board recommended that the Minister of Advanced Education and Skills Development (MAESD) take the necessary steps within the government "to establish a French-language University in centre and southwest Ontario…that support affiliation approaches to academic oversight; and provide advice on options regarding the legislative composition of the board and the academic council.”

The Ontario government will review the report and accept key recommendations, and introduce legislation for the creation of the proposed university, in the coming months,according to media reports.

Marie-France Lalonde, Minister of Francophone Affairs tweeted, “Reached a historic milestone today: our gov’t intends to create Ontario’s first standalone French-language university in CSW Ontario#onpoli.”

Lalonde was quoted by the media as saying, “Francophone culture and the French language have always been essential to Ontario’s identity and prosperity. This is strongly reaffirmed today with the government’s intent to provide high quality postsecondary education to Francophone students."

"The creation of a new French-language university, governed by and for Francophones, is a critical milestone for Franco-Ontarians and future generations,” she added.

Deb Matthews Image: Twitter