THE HONOURABLE STÉPHANE DION ANNOUNCES A MAJOR CONTRIBUTION TO LINGUISTIC COMMUNITIES IN NEW BRUNSWICK

MONCTON, NEW BRUNSWICK, February 14, 2002 – The Honourable Stéphane Dion, President of the Privy Council and Minister of Intergovernmental Affairs, announced today that the Government of Canada, at the request of the Government of New Brunswick, will make a $1 million contribution for the French translation of municipal by-laws, in order to improve the French-language services provided by the province’s municipalities. The announcement was made in the presence of the Honourable Claudette Bradshaw, Member of Parliament for Moncton-Riverview-Dieppe, Minister of Labour and Secretary of State for Multiculturalism and the Status of Women, as well as the Honourable Paul Robichaud, New Brunswick’s Minister of Tourism and Parks and Minister responsible for La Francophonie.

Mr. Dion noted that on December 21, 2001, a decision by the Court of Appeal of New Brunswick, in the Charlebois v. Moncton case, confirmed the language rights of the province’s citizens in relation to their municipalities. "The Government of Canada’s contribution is in keeping with a long tradition of partnership with New Brunswick", Mr. Dion explained, adding that "this contribution of $1 million reaffirms the importance the Government of Canada places on the development of official-language communities and on linguistic duality throughout the country".  In accordance with Premier Lord’s wishes, the Government of Canada will share the costs of these new measures.

Ms. Bradshaw indicated that this contribution reflected the Government of Canada’s will to help the Government of New Brunswick honour its constitutional obligations in respect of official languages.

Minister Paul Robichaud, for his part, noted that New Brunswick is a pioneer in the area of the promotion of linguistic rights, and he said he was proud of his government’s support for the province’s official-language communities. "The solid tradition of official linguistic development that exists in New Brunswick will remain vibrant with the collaboration of the federal government", added Mr. Robichaud.

- 30 -