National Summit on Canadian Economic Francophonie

The second National Summit on Canadian Economic Francophonie was held in Ottawa on September 22 and 23, organized by RDÉE Canada. The event gathered approximately 400 representatives from various agencies, associations, and businesses to address the economic impact of Francophone communities, particularly those located outside of Quebec.

Yan Plante, CEO of RDÉE Canada, noted that there are 116,760 Francophone-owned businesses outside Quebec and approximately 3 million Francophones in that region. Discussions focused on several key priorities, including immigration, skills recognition, business succession, interprovincial relations, and the economic roles of women and youth.

Participants also explored broader strategic connections. Brian Gallant, former Premier of New Brunswick, highlighted the competitive advantage of bilingualism in facilitating trade. Additionally, Isidore Kwandja Ngembo, representing the Democratic Republic of the Congo, called for a transition from a ‘Francophonie of words’ to a ‘Francophonie of results,’ suggesting the International Organization of La Francophonie (OIF) serve as a platform to connect markets, investors, and talent across the linguistic community.