Characteristics
British Columbia has over 310,000 Francophiles and over 73,000 Francophones.
The province is home to the fourth-largest French-speaking community in Canada.
Francophones first arrived in the province with Alexander Mackenzie in 1793.
Francophone spokesbody
Traditionally, Francophones were connected to each other through the fur trade, the lumber industry and their parishes. Later they created new structures to share their common interests. In the early 1940s, the Francophones in British Columbia decided to reach out to the federal, provincial and Québec governments to gain recognition for their contributions to the establishment of their province. The Club Canadien-Français de la C.-B. put forward the idea of an association of the province’s Francophone circles, and in 1945, the Fédération des francophones de la Colombie-Britannique (FFCB) was formed. Today, it works actively on immigration and on improving relations and French services at the provincial and municipal levels.
Twitter : @FedeFrancoCB
Immigration
British Columbia’s Francophone immigration program is an FFCB initiative. For ten years now the organization has been working to promote the province as a destination of choice for Francophone immigrants and to ensure that the community is a welcoming environment, favourable to the settlement of the people who decide to move there. Whether you are a newcomer looking for support and assistance to settle and establish yourself in B.C. or a partner or community member who wants to get involved, the immigration program team is there for you.
Twitter : @PIFCB
Tourism
Canada’s western-most province is a land of nature writ large, with a magnificent array of contrasting landscapes, from the heights of the Rockies to the spectacular islands in the Pacific Ocean. Majestic glaciers, temperate rainforests, boreal forests, innumerable lakes and rivers, ranches, vineyards and orchards: British Columbia offers endless pleasures to nature lovers.
Information at www.tourisme-cb.com, http://www.hellobc.com/
Education
The Conseil scolaire francophone is the fastest-growing French school board in B.C. With more than 900 employees, British Columbia’s Francophone school board is one of the largest Francophone employers in Western Canada.
French immersion program are available in many BC schools. There are also immersion organizations that provide services to parents and teachers, such as ACPI and CPF British Columbia & Yukon..
Twitter : @CsfCb