What’s Good in Niagara? Wellanders celebrating Francophonie Day Thursday

The City of Welland is holding a flag raising Thursday at City Hall to celebrate Franco-Ontarian Day.

Mayor Frank Campion says the French language is a big part of the culture in the city.

As one of Ontario’s 26 designated Francophone communities, Welland celebrates its rich Francophone heritage through various initiatives, including its Discover Welland – Découvrir website page, which offers French-language information and resources for residents and visitors. In recognition of the City’s efforts to advance the contributions of its Francophone community, the Honourable Caroline Mulroney, Minister of Francophone Affairs, wrote a letter to extend her support to Welland.

The City of Welland is holding a flag raising at 10:30am to mark the occasion, but Campion says that’s not the only thing planned for the day.

Campion adds that for many people in Welland, French is their first language, which is why a number of municipal resources are available in both English and French.

In Niagara there’s an estimated 15,000 French speakers, many of them in Welland.

(Written by: Matt Latour)