National Summit on Economic Francophonie held in Ottawa

The second National Summit on Canadian Economic Francophonie was held in Ottawa on September 22 and 23, focusing on strengthening the economic influence of French-speaking communities. Yan Plante, CEO of RDÉE Canada, highlighted the scale of the Francophone economy, noting 116,760 Francophone-owned businesses outside of Quebec and 3 million Francophones within the province.

Participants discussed strategies for economic integration, including immigration, skill recognition, and youth opportunities. Brian Gallant, former Premier of New Brunswick, advocated for increased economic missions to Africa to foster collaboration between Canada and Francophone nations.

In a related call for action, Isidore Kwandja Ngembo, representing the Democratic Republic of the Congo, urged a shift from a ‘Francophonie of words’ to a ‘Francophonie of results.’ He proposed that the International Organization of La Francophonie (OIF) act as a platform to connect markets, investors, and talent, positioning the DRC, Canada, and the OIF as central pillars for driving innovation, trade, and investment within the linguistic community.