{"id":1369,"date":"2025-09-25T12:01:22","date_gmt":"2025-09-25T16:01:22","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/hypelabs.dev\/lgo-new\/?p=1369"},"modified":"2025-12-16T10:26:23","modified_gmt":"2025-12-16T15:26:23","slug":"lieutenant-governor-launches-province-wide-artistic-and-community-initiative-in-celebration-of-the-50th-anniversary-of-the-franco-ontarian-flag","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/lgontario.ca\/en\/lieutenant-governor-launches-province-wide-artistic-and-community-initiative-in-celebration-of-the-50th-anniversary-of-the-franco-ontarian-flag\/","title":{"rendered":"Lieutenant Governor Launches Province-Wide Artistic and Community Initiative in Celebration of the 50th Anniversary of the Franco-Ontarian Flag"},"content":{"rendered":"<p class=\"whitespace-normal\"><strong>SUDBURY, ON, September 25, 2025<\/strong><\/p>\n<p class=\"whitespace-normal\">Today, the Honourable Edith Dumont, Lieutenant Governor of Ontario, officially launched &#8220;Celebrating 50 Years \u2013 Shaping the Future Together,&#8221; a province-wide artistic and community initiative marking the 50th anniversary of the Franco-Ontarian flag.<\/p>\n<p class=\"whitespace-normal\">Running from September 2025 to fall 2026, the initiative will bring together local artists and community members from across Ontario, supported by cultural, community, and academic organizations. Together, they will create works of art that will form the foundation of a collective exhibition showcasing the diversity, vitality, and creativity of Ontario\u2019s francophonie.<\/p>\n<p class=\"whitespace-normal\">Led by the Office of the Lieutenant Governor of Ontario in partnership with the Alliance culturelle de l&#8217;Ontario, and supported by the Ontario Arts Council, the Government of Ontario and TFO, the initiative welcomes projects of all artistic disciplines, including visual arts, music,<b>\u00a0<\/b>dance, theatre, digital media, and interdisciplinary projects. Selected projects will be eligible for up to $10,000 in funding, along with mentorship and regional support.<\/p>\n<p class=\"whitespace-normal\">\u201cThis 50th anniversary is a wonderful opportunity to celebrate how far we\u2019ve come over the decades, while proudly and confidently looking ahead to the future of our shared story in Ontario,\u201d said the Honourable Edith Dumont, Lieutenant Governor of Ontario. \u201cThrough this initiative, we\u2019re inviting everyone to take part by sharing their stories and showcasing their creativity. Together, let\u2019s shape a vibrant mosaic that reflects the richness, diversity, and vitality of Ontario\u2019s francophonie.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"whitespace-normal\"><strong>Key Features of the Initiative:<\/strong><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li class=\"whitespace-normal\"><strong>Open to all:<\/strong>\u00a0Community members, artists, organizations, and institutions from across Ontario are invited to take part.<\/li>\n<li class=\"whitespace-normal\"><strong>Comprehensive support:<\/strong>\u00a0Projects are eligible for funding and will receive mentorship and practical resources to help bring their ideas to life.<\/li>\n<li class=\"whitespace-normal\"><b>Built on partnerships:<\/b>\u00a0Supported by a network of cultural, community, governmental, and media partners.<\/li>\n<li class=\"whitespace-normal\"><b>Collaborative process:<\/b>\u00a0Each project adds a unique piece to a collective artistic mosaic that reflects the diversity and vitality of Ontario\u2019s francophonie.<\/li>\n<li class=\"whitespace-normal\"><strong>International visibility:<\/strong>\u00a0Selected works will be showcased at the 2026 Francophonie Summit in Cambodia<\/li>\n<li class=\"whitespace-normal\"><strong>Lasting legacy:<\/strong>\u00a0All works will be preserved in a permanent digital showcase, with potential integration into educational resources.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p class=\"whitespace-normal\"><strong>Timeline and Participation:<\/strong><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li class=\"whitespace-normal\">The initiative welcomes contributions from Ontarians of all backgrounds and experience levels, recognizing that Ontario\u2019s francophonie is enriched by diverse voices, stories, and art forms.<\/li>\n<li class=\"whitespace-normal\">Interested participants can submit expressions of interest from September 25 to November 21, 2025, via the initiative\u2019s official website (<a href=\"http:\/\/www.franco50.ca\/\">www.franco50.ca<\/a>).<\/li>\n<li class=\"whitespace-normal\">Information webinars are scheduled for October 14 (French) and October 15 (English).<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p class=\"whitespace-normal\"><b>Quick Facts<\/b><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li class=\"whitespace-normal\">Celebrating 50 Years \u2013 Shaping the Future Together! will support community-driven art projects which will serve as the building blocks to produce a collective exhibition showcased in Ontario, on a bilingual web platform, and at the 2026 Francophonie Summit in Cambodia.<\/li>\n<li class=\"whitespace-normal\">Ontario counts about 650,000 Francophones and over 1.5 million residents who speak or understand French.<\/li>\n<li class=\"whitespace-normal\">The Franco-Ontarian flag, first raised in Sudbury in 1975, became an official emblem of Ontario in 2021.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p class=\"whitespace-normal\"><b>Quotes<\/b><\/p>\n<p class=\"whitespace-normal\">\u201cFor 50 years, the Franco-Ontarian flag has embodied the pride, resilience and cultural richness of Ontario\u2019s Francophone community\u2014the largest in Canada outside of Quebec\u201d, said Caroline Mulroney, Minister of Francophones Affairs. \u201cThis anniversary is an opportunity to celebrate the social, cultural and economic development of Francophones in Ontario and their invaluable contributions to the province over the past half-century. Happy Franco-Ontarian Day!\u201d<\/p>\n<p><strong>\u2014 The Honourable Caroline Mulroney, Ontario Ministry of Francophone Affairs<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>\u201cACO is proud to join Her Honour the Lieutenant Governor of Ontario in this meaningful initiative, which highlights how the arts lie at the heart of our Francophone heritage and carry its promise into the future.\u201d<\/p>\n<p><strong>\u2014 Beno\u00eet Roy, Chair,\u00a0<\/strong><b>Alliance culturelle de l&#8217;Ontario<\/b><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>&#8220;As an organization that proudly invests more than $4 million each year in Franco-Ontarian arts and culture, the Ontario Arts Council is delighted to be partnering with the Office of the Lieutenant Governor and the Alliance culturelle de l\u2019Ontario on this exciting initiative. The Franco-Ontarian Flag Day celebration is the perfect event to launch this project. The flag is not only a symbol of cultural pride, but a testimony to the enduring impact of Franco\u2011Ontarian culture. Celebrating 50 Years \u2013 Shaping the Future Together! is sure to invigorate the network of Franco-Ontarian communities across the province while strengthening a sense of belonging. We are eager to see the community\u2019s innovative and exciting projects come forward.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p class=\"whitespace-normal\"><strong>\u2014 Simon Foster, Chair, Ontario Arts Council<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><b>For more information:<\/b><\/p>\n<p>Website:\u00a0<a href=\"http:\/\/www.franco50.ca\/\">www.franco50.ca<\/a><\/p>\n<div align=\"center\"><\/div>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><b>Media Contact:<\/b><\/p>\n<p><b>Laetitia Walbert<\/b><\/p>\n<p>Office of the Lieutenant Governor<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/mailto:Laetitia.walbert@ontario.ca\/\">Laetitia.walbert@ontario.ca<\/a><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><b>Share<\/b><\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/lgontario\/\">Instagram<\/a>\u00a0|\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/LGOntario\/\">Facebook<\/a>\u00a0|\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.linkedin.com\/company\/lgontario\/\">LinkedIn<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>SUDBURY, ON, September 25, 2025 Today, the Honourable Edith Dumont, Lieutenant Governor of Ontario, officially launched &#8220;Celebrating 50 Years \u2013 Shaping the Future Together,&#8221; a province-wide artistic and community initiative marking the 50th anniversary of the Franco-Ontarian flag. Running from September 2025 to fall 2026, the initiative will bring together local artists and community members [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[28,7],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-1369","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-media-advisory","category-press"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/lgontario.ca\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1369","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/lgontario.ca\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/lgontario.ca\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lgontario.ca\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lgontario.ca\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1369"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/lgontario.ca\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1369\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":1459,"href":"https:\/\/lgontario.ca\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1369\/revisions\/1459"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/lgontario.ca\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1369"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lgontario.ca\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=1369"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lgontario.ca\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=1369"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}