Skip to content

Francophone youth group looking for input

Online surveys looking at how to meet needs of local youth
2020-05-14 Christian Ricard Sourced photo
Christian Ricard, president of Alliance de la francophonie jeunesse de Timmins, said young French-speaking people want to be have more visibility in the community.

A local organization representing young French-speaking people in Timmins is looking for input on how to address the needs of the local francophone community.

Last May, the Alliance de la francophonie jeunesse de Timmins conducted a survey asking 150 young French-speaking students from six Timmins schools about what can be improved in the community.

This year, the organization was planning to hold a symposium on March 28 at Collège Boréal for participants to discuss the survey’s recommendations and propose plans on how to promote and encourage the involvement of local French-speaking youth, businesses and institutions in sectors like education, culture, health, social services, cultural development and business.

There was also supposed to be a concert featuring Cindy Doire. However, the event got cancelled due to COVID-19.

The organization’s president Christian Ricard said the survey showed students want to see more diverse programs in local universities and colleges and have more French activities geared towards the younger population.

“French-speaking students want to get involved and want to be part of different organizations and be at the table,” he said. “Even students who don’t speak French want that, too. It’s definitely an eye-opener for all students and all generations.”

In the business sector, some of the survey recommendations were to have more businesses communicate in both official languages and to have initiatives allowing French-speaking immigrants to find a job even if they don’t speak English yet.

In the health sector, one recommendation was to have resources preventing mental health problems, while in the cultural sector one of the recommendations was to have more exposure in the media, on social networks and on the websites of French schools in Timmins.

Since the symposium got cancelled, the organization is conducting online surveys asking community businesses and enterprises how the needs of local francophone youth can be met and what can be improved in the community. Links to the surveys are available here.

After the surveys are completed, the organization will finalize a report.

“I’d love (to) have opportunities to work with organizations and share our ideas because we do have different ideas, so it’s important to include us,” Ricard said.

Besides the symposium, all in-person meetings had to be cancelled, too.

“We don’t have access to the office anymore and we don’t have that face-to-face communication. It’s a challenge but I think it is for everyone,” Ricard said. “We get through it but it’s definitely a little harder to get our ideas out. We have to do it by email or by conference (call).”


Reader Feedback

Dariya Baiguzhiyeva

About the Author: Dariya Baiguzhiyeva

Dariya Baiguzhiyeva is a Local Journalism Initiative reporter covering diversity issues for TimminsToday. The LJI is funded by the Government of Canada
Read more