Franco-Ontarian Day is celebrated each year on September 25. The day was first recognized in 2010, as an opportunity to celebrate the cultural, historical, social, economic, and political contributions of Francophones to the province.
There are more than 622,000 Francophones and 1.5 million Ontarians who can speak French, making Ontario Canada’s largest Francophone community outside of Quebec. OACAS recognizes the diversity and intersectional identities of Franco-Ontarians, including Indigenous, Black, and 2SLGBTQ+. The Francophone community in Ontario also has a high proportion of recent immigrants.
The Ontario child welfare sector is dedicated to serving Franco-Ontarians in their language of choice. Today, more than half of Ontario’s Children’s Aid Societies are proud to provide services in French.
Learn more about Franco-Ontarian history here.