AFO (Canada)
Encyclopedia
AFO, or L'Assemblée de la francophonie de l'Ontario (Francophone Assembly of Ontario) is a Canadian
organization which coordinates the political and cultural activities of the Franco-Ontarian
community.
The organization was created in 1910 as the Association canadienne-française d'Éducation d'Ontario (ACFÉO) to lobby for French language
education rights in the province. The organization — and the Franco-Ontarian community at large — faced a serious early crisis when the provincial government adopted Regulation 17
in 1912, effectively banning the teaching of French in schools. The regulation was never fully implemented due to ACFÉO's litigation, and was eventually repealed in 1927.
ACFÉO subsequently changed its name to Association canadienne-française de l'Ontario ("Association of French Canadians of Ontario"), or ACFO.
The organization continued to lobby for the improvement of French language services in the province. It was instrumental in the adoption of the French Language Services Act
in 1986, and in the creation of Ontario's three francophone colleges: La Cité collégiale
in Ottawa
, Collège Boréal
in Sudbury and the defunct Collège des Grands-Lacs
in Toronto
. As well, ACFO lobbied against the provincial government's planned closure of Ottawa's Montfort Hospital
.
In 2004, the organization changed its name to L'assemblée de la francophonie de l'Ontario, partly to reflect Canadian francophones' modern shift away from identifying as French Canadian
.
The organization's current president is Mariette Carrier-Fraser.
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
organization which coordinates the political and cultural activities of the Franco-Ontarian
Franco-Ontarian
Franco-Ontarians are French Canadian or francophone residents of the Canadian province of Ontario. They are sometimes known as "Ontarois"....
community.
The organization was created in 1910 as the Association canadienne-française d'Éducation d'Ontario (ACFÉO) to lobby for French language
French language
French is a Romance language spoken as a first language in France, the Romandy region in Switzerland, Wallonia and Brussels in Belgium, Monaco, the regions of Quebec and Acadia in Canada, and by various communities elsewhere. Second-language speakers of French are distributed throughout many parts...
education rights in the province. The organization — and the Franco-Ontarian community at large — faced a serious early crisis when the provincial government adopted Regulation 17
Regulation 17
Regulation 17 was a regulation of the Ontario Ministry of Education, issued in July 1912 by the Conservative government of premier Sir James P. Whitney. It restricted the use of French as a language of instruction to the first two years of schooling. It was amended in 1913, and it is that version...
in 1912, effectively banning the teaching of French in schools. The regulation was never fully implemented due to ACFÉO's litigation, and was eventually repealed in 1927.
ACFÉO subsequently changed its name to Association canadienne-française de l'Ontario ("Association of French Canadians of Ontario"), or ACFO.
The organization continued to lobby for the improvement of French language services in the province. It was instrumental in the adoption of the French Language Services Act
French Language Services Act
The French Language Services Act is a law in the province of Ontario, Canada which is intended to protect the rights of Franco-Ontarians, or French-speaking people, in the province....
in 1986, and in the creation of Ontario's three francophone colleges: La Cité collégiale
La Cité collégiale
La Cité collégiale is the largest French-language applied arts and technology college in Ontario, Canada’s most populated province. Created in 1989, it is situated in Ottawa and now offers more than 90 programs to some 4 700 full-time students from Ontario, other parts of Canada and many foreign...
in Ottawa
Ottawa
Ottawa is the capital of Canada, the second largest city in the Province of Ontario, and the fourth largest city in the country. The city is located on the south bank of the Ottawa River in the eastern portion of Southern Ontario...
, Collège Boréal
Collège Boréal
Collège Boréal is a francophone College of Applied Arts and Technology based and with its principal campus in Sudbury, Ontario, Canada. The college also has satellite campuses in Hearst, Kapuskasing, Timmins, Temiskaming Shores, Toronto and West Nipissing, as well as a network of access centres...
in Sudbury and the defunct Collège des Grands-Lacs
Collège des Grands-Lacs
Collège des Grands-Lacs was a francophone College of Applied Arts and Technology in Toronto, Ontario, Canada....
in Toronto
Toronto
Toronto is the provincial capital of Ontario and the largest city in Canada. It is located in Southern Ontario on the northwestern shore of Lake Ontario. A relatively modern city, Toronto's history dates back to the late-18th century, when its land was first purchased by the British monarchy from...
. As well, ACFO lobbied against the provincial government's planned closure of Ottawa's Montfort Hospital
Montfort Hospital
The Montfort Hospital is a hospital in Ottawa, Canada. It is noted for being the only fully bilingual hospital in the province of Ontario.The hospital was founded in 1953 by the Filles de la Sagesse Catholic order and was named after one of its founders Saint Louis-Marie Grignion de Montfort. It...
.
In 2004, the organization changed its name to L'assemblée de la francophonie de l'Ontario, partly to reflect Canadian francophones' modern shift away from identifying as French Canadian
French Canadian
French Canadian or Francophone Canadian, , generally refers to the descendents of French colonists who arrived in New France in the 17th and 18th centuries...
.
The organization's current president is Mariette Carrier-Fraser.
Presidents
- 1910-1912 - Napoléon BelcourtNapoléon BelcourtNapoléon Antoine Belcourt, PC was a Franco-Ontarian parliamentarian in Canada.-Early life:Belcourt was born in Toronto to French-Canadian parents, Ferdinand-Napoléon Belcourt and Marie-Anne Clair, and raised in Trois-Rivières, Quebec...
- 1912-1914 - Charles-Siméon-Omer Boudreau
- 1914-1915 - Alphonse Télesphore Charron
- 1915-1919 - Philippe Landry
- 1919-1932 - Napoléon Belcourt
- 1932-1933 - Samuel GenestSamuel GenestSamuel McCallum Genest was born in Trois-Rivières, Quebec on June 10, 1865. He was the son of Laurent-Ubald Genest, a lawyer who was for many years Clerk of the Peace to Trois-Rivières, and Marie-Charlotte-Emma McCallum, who was born in Montreal...
- 1933-1934 - Léon-Calixte Raymond
- 1934-1938 - Dr. Paul-Émile RochonPaul-Émile RochonDoctor Paul-Émile Rochon was born in Saint-Eustache, Québec on October 8, 1878. He received his degree in medicine magna cum laude in 1900, and lived in Clarence Creek, Ontario, from 1903 to 1946...
- 1938-1944 - Adélard Chartrand
- 1944-1953 - Ernest Desormeaux
- 1953-1959 - Gaston Vincent
- 1959-1963 - Aimé Arvisais
- 1963-1971 - Roger N. Séguin
- 1971-1972 - Ryan Paquette
- 1972-1974 - Omer Deslauriers
- 1974-1976 - Jean-Louis Bourdeau
- 1976-1978 - Gisèle Richer
- 1978-1980 - Jeannine Séguin
- 1980-1982 - Yves Saint-Denis
- 1982-1984 - André Cloutier
- 1984-1987 - Serge Plouffe
- 1987-1988 - Jacques Marchand (interim)
- 1988-1990 - Rolande Faucher
- 1990-1994 - Jean Tanguay
- 1994-1997 - André J. Lalonde
- 1997-1999 - Trèva Cousineau
- 1999-2001 - Alcide Gour
- 2001-2004 - Jean-Marc Aubin
- 2004-2005 - Jean PoirierJean PoirierJean Poirier is a Canadian politician. He was a Liberal member of the Legislative Assembly of Ontario from 1984 to 1995.-Background:Poirier was educated at the University of Waterloo, receiving a B.E.S. degree in 1972...
- 2005-2006 - Simon Lalande (interim)
- 2006-present - Mariette Carrier-Fraser