Ministry of Francophone Affairs

The Ministry of Francophone Affairs (French: Ministère des Affaires francophones) in the Canadian province of Ontario is responsible for the provision of government services to Franco-Ontarian citizens and communities.^[2]

Ministry of Francophone Affairs

Ministère des Affaires francophones (French)
Ministry overview
Formed	1986[1]
Preceding Ministry	Office of Francophone Affairs
Jurisdiction	Government of Ontario
Ministers responsible	Caroline Mulroney, Minister of Francophone Affairs Natalia Kusendova, Parliamentary Assistant to the Minister of Francophone Affairs
Website	www.ontario.ca/page/ministry-francophone-affairs

It was originally founded as the Office of Francophone Affairs (French: Office des affaires francophones) in 1986 by the government of David Peterson,^[3] as an expansion of the former Office of the Government Coordinator of French-Language Services.^[4] It was upgraded to a full ministry in 2017 by the government of Kathleen Wynne.^[5]

Following the 2018 Ontario general election, the new government of Doug Ford announced plans to demote the department from a ministry back down to an office,^[6] but was forced to backtrack in the face of community opposition.^[7]

Under the province's French Language Services Act, the provincial government provides French language services if a community or region's francophone population exceeds 5,000 or 10 percent of the community's total population. There are 25 areas of the province so designated. The office also has a role in the governance of Ontario's francophone public television network, TFO, as well as francophone school boards and other government offices, and acts as a liaison office between the government and other francophone cultural agencies and social services.

The current Minister of Francophone Affairs is Caroline Mulroney.

Ministry agencies

• Provincial Advisory Committee on Francophone Affairs
• Special Advisor on Francophone Affairs
• Special Advisor on Francophone Economic Development

Source: Public Appointments Secretariat^{[8][full citation needed]}

Minister Responsible for French Language Service

• Alan Pope (May 17, 1985 - June 26, 1985)

Minister Responsible for Francophone Affairs

• Bernard Grandmaître (June 26, 1985–August 2, 1989)
• Charles Beer (August 2, 1989–October 1, 1990)
• Gilles Pouliot (October 1, 1990–June 26, 1995)
• Noble Villeneuve (June 26, 1995–June 17, 1999)
• John Baird (June 17, 1999-April 14, 2002)

Associate Minister Responsible for Francophone Affairs

• John Baird (April 15, 2002-August 22, 2002)

Minister Responsible for Francophone Affairs

• John Baird (April 22, 2002-October 23, 2003)
• Madeleine Meilleur (October 23, 2003–June 13, 2016)
• Marie-France Lalonde (June 13, 2016–July 31, 2017)

Ministers of Francophone Affairs

• Marie-France Lalonde (July 31, 2017-June 29, 2018)
• Caroline Mulroney (2018–present)