At Sudbury's Collège Boréal on Tuesday, there was a multi-million dollar funding announcement to provide equitable access to health care for francophones.
Jean-Yves Duclos, Canada's Minister of Health, along with Sudbury MP Viviane Lapointe and Nickel Belt MP Marc Serré, were on hand to announce $15.4 million for four institutions in northern Ontario over five years: Collège Boréal, Laurentian University, Hearst University and the Francophone Wellness Network of Northern Ontario.
"People in this area, many are more French speaking, so there's a barrier of accessing health care professionals and then the barrier of having a health care professional that speaks the French language," Duclos said.
"That can understand and communicate easily with francophone people."
Serré said he's heard from a number of seniors and newcomers in remote francophone communities who have difficulties communicating with their health care provider.
"When they go to a health care provider and have to speak about their personal, private health, it's difficult for them to express themselves in English," Serré said.
He said the funding will also help keep francophone youth in northern Ontario.
"Many youth have to move out for jobs and so we can support colleges, the private sector, organizations to make sure we keep individuals here, especially our youth, to keep our youth in northern Ontario," he said.
The funding will be divided amongst the four institutions. Collège Boréal will receive roughly $4 million.
"As a smaller community college we don’t have the same class sizes as the bigger colleges, the bigger institutions," said president Daniel Giroux.
"So to help fund those programs and labs, which costs a lot of money, it'll (be) not only good news for the college, but for our future employers and our students."
Giroux said the funding will go to new equipment and increased lab time for students.
