The singer-songwriter Paul Demers would say today that the Ontario government has “put the accents where it is needed”. The province announced Wednesday that it was introducing accented letters on health insurance cards, a long-standing request from several Franco-Ontarians, including the author of the community’s official anthem, who died in 2016.
Franco-Ontarians can therefore obtain a new card with accents, umlauts and cedillas free of charge. “The Government of Ontario is demonstrating its determination to extend quality services to the province’s Francophone community,” Francophone Affairs Minister Caroline Mulroney said in a press release.
“We are delighted that this request from the Francophone community is finally being heard,” said the President of the Assemblée de la francophonie de l’Ontario, Carol Jolin.
Since September 28, 2020, the Ontario government has also allowed Francophones to add these signs to their driver’s license. According to the Ministry of Transportation, 201 Ontarians have made such an update.
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