Activities are starting up again in Niagara

The Table interagence du Niagara held its monthly online gathering on April 26, a chance for organizations across the region to share their projects and activities.

Led by Susan Morin, the discussion opened with the planning, coordination and visibility of certain community activities, such as the raising of the Franco-Ontarian flag.

Most of the speakers were in favour of setting up a community subcommittee to improve the coordination and representation of the flagship activities of the local Francophonie, so that they better reflect the region’s new multicultural reality.

“We could bring in administrative know-how from the business world, for example, and this subcommittee could be run by the Maison de la culture, since that organization is looking for a new purpose,” explains Susan Morin.

The facilitator showed participants four new designs proposed to replace the current logo of the Table, created in 2015, along with a new slogan, Une force en action!

Most of those present preferred logo number 2. Several suggested ways to improve it, so Ms. Morin will follow up and bring two new versions to an upcoming gathering.

In the immigration committee update, Mikhaela Sullivan, of the Réseau en immigration francophone du Centre-Sud-Ouest, announced that her organization took part in the 24th Metropolis Canada conference this past March in Vancouver, where the Réseau led a workshop in partnership with Professor Gertrude Mianda, of York University, on “the impact of racial discrimination on the integration of Francophone immigrants in Ontario”. Among other things, the conference gave participating organizations a chance to work on strategies to counter racism.

For her part, Mélanie Robitaille, of the Conseil scolaire catholique MonAvenir, said the board has been facing a serious teacher shortage since the beginning of the pandemic. There also seems to be a significant movement of teachers to the eastern part of the country, to New Brunswick, where salaries are better. “We have also noticed this year that fewer Francophone students are enrolling in French schools, another challenge for our board,” she said.

ABC communautaire, located in Welland, will soon be offering a series of courses, said the organization’s executive director, Linda Johnston. These short courses will cover the basics of the Antidote program, tech Fridays and the basics of QuickBooks. “We also plan to offer customized workplace training, and we are working on a new website that will be more interactive and easier to use,” Ms. Johnston added.

As for the Centre de santé communautaire Hamilton/Niagara, executive director France Vaillancourt confirmed the launch of a new website, and her team is working to develop palliative care at Hospice Niagara.

SOFIFRAN received a $50,600 grant from the Ontario Trillium Foundation for technology equipment that will make it possible to offer online activities and broadcast live shows on YouTube.

“We also received funding from FedDev Ontario to set up a community of practice for Black entrepreneurs,” confirms SOFIFRAN executive director Fété Kimpiobi. “It is a platform that will look at the challenges Black entrepreneurs face (access to capital, support in preparing business plans, and so on), along with tools, workshops and chances to share with one another. This new service will answer some of those challenges.”

SOFIFRAN will also offer an arts summer camp with Justine Gogoua, two weeks in which young people will learn more about other cultures through storytelling, music and workshops (djembe, writing, painting and drawing).

Please note that the SOFIFRAN general meeting will take place on Sunday, June 19.

The final piece of news from the gathering came from Muriel Thibault Gauthier, about the Saint-Jean celebration, which this year will be held at the Auberge Richelieu in Welland on Sunday, June 26.

Photo: Fété Kimpiobi