Francophone Affairs Secretariat

French is an official language in the NWT and the GNWT recognizes the Francophone community as an important component of NWT society and contributor to its social, economic and cultural development.

The GNWT’s provision of French language communications and services is guided by its Strategic Plan on French Language Communication and Services. 

The GNWT also has Standards for French Language Communications and Services, which guide government institutions in the application of the Strategic Plan. The GNWT’s objective is the effective delivery of French language services and the simultaneous publication of communications materials in both French and English in significant demand communities (Yellowknife, Inuvik, Hay River and Fort Smith).

The role of the GNWT’s Francophone Affairs Secretariat is to:

  • provide advice and support to GNWT institutions (departments, boards and agencies)
  • develop orientation programs for French Language Service Coordinators
  • coordinate French translation services for the GNWT (excluding laws and regulations)
  • liaise with the Francophone community
  • provide support to the Minister Responsible for the Official Languages Act at the Minister's Council on the Canadian Francophonie
  • manage Services TNO, the one-stop shop that brings together government services, and information about them, for members of the Francophone community
  • manage the Canada-NWT Agreement for French Language Services
  • ensure systematic audits of French language communications and services

Standards for French Language Communications and Services

The Standards for French Language Communications and Services (Standards) are intended to inform GNWT and government institution employees on how to provide service and communication to the Francophone community.

Employees have the responsibility of learning the content in these Standards in order to make an active offer and connect French-speaking clients to a bilingual employee.

The Standards feature sections such as:

  • roles and responsibilities for employees;
  • Active Offer;
  • public feedback;
  • in-person and virtual service delivery;
  • correspondence;
  • public events;
  • digital mediums; and
  • public information materials.

Canada-NWT Agreement on French Language Services

The new Canada-NWT Agreement on French Language Services provides funding to support the continued delivery of French language communications and services by GNWT departments, boards, and agencies. Under the new agreement, $5.9 million will be invested per fiscal year, for a total of $29.5 million between 2023-24 to 2027-28. Funding under this agreement will play a vital role in ensuring the stability and continued delivery of services for the community.

Ministers' Council on the Canadian Francophonie

The Ministerial Council on the Canadian Francophonie (MCCF) is an intergovernmental organization created in 1994; it is made up of federal, provincial and territorial ministers responsible for the Canadian Francophonie. The MCCF deal with various issues related to the Canadian francophonie, provides direction for intergovernmental cooperation, and plays a unifying role in support of the country’s francophonie.

The MCCF member ministers meet annually to focus on various subjects related to the Canadian Francophonie and to engage in dialogue aimed at fostering the development of public policies to strengthen the country’s linguistic duality.

First and foremost, the MCCF promotes initiatives that increase and enhance services in French, thus providing a better quality of life for citizens and ensuring the vitality of the French language and Francophone cultures.

The Council’s regular operations are administered by a network of provincial, territorial and federal public servants called the Intergovernmental Network on the Canadian Francophonie.