Community leaders gathered on the steps of North Bay’s City Hall Thursday to hear the proclamation, in both official languages, of the Franco-Ontarian Manifesto.
The event was kicked off by town crier, Daniel Richer.
The Franco-Ontarian Manifesto was written in the lead-up to province-wide demonstrations held in December against the Ontario government’s cuts to French-language services, with contributions from approximately fifty writers who collaborated through social media.
“The Manifesto is a cry from the heart that expresses the attachment to Ontario felt by the province’s Francophones, as well as their attachment to their French language and culture," said William Burton, the spokesperson from the group of authors who wrote the Manifesto. "It also expresses their distress at having to endlessly fight for their rights."
"The town crier gave voice to the pain felt by Ontario’s French-speaking population caused by the provincial government’s decision to inflict cuts on the French Language Services Commission and the Université de l’Ontario français," said a news release from the group.
“Francophones want to do their part to put Ontario’s economy back on track, but these cuts do very little to correct that problem,” explained Carol Jolin, President of the AFO.
The proclamation of the Franco-Ontarian Manifesto is a province-wide tour that included stops in Hawkesbury, Ottawa, Hamilton, and Barrie as well as North Bay.
There will be a proclamation of the Manifesto in Sudbury this Saturday.