The Town of Greenstone, which has decided to no longer permanently fly the Franco-Ontarian flag to alternate with that of the indigenous cause Every Child Matters, “does not have to choose” between reconciliation and its Francophone roots, declared the Minister of Indigenous Services, Patty Hajdu.
“We can move forward on the path to reconciliation AND be proud of our French-speaking roots. We don’t have to choose. I know that the French speakers of Greenstone stand in solidarity with the First Nations. I hope we will find a way to celebrate both,” she wrote on the social network X on Sunday.
In interview at Duty, the president of the Assembly of the Francophonie of Ontario (AFO), Fabien Hébert, and his counterpart from the Association des francophones du Nord-Ouest de l’Ontario (AFNOO), Claudette Gleeson, both thanked the minister for her position. Mme Gleeson adds that she has met with Greenstone Mayor James McPherson and Chief Administrative Officer Mark Wright.
AFNOO wishes to present a deputation at the next meeting of the municipal council, on March 11 — necessarily in English to be understood. “We want to find a solution. […] We want to put the flag back, so that it is here permanently. »
Finance a new mast
In February, the council of the municipality north of Thunder Bay changed its flag arrangement policy. Three exterior masts are erected in front of the City’s administrative building. On one of them is hoisted the Canadian flag, on the other that of Ontario, and, until recently, the last displayed that of the municipality, with, just below, the Franco-Ontarian flag.
In a process of “reconciliation”, the administration wants to be able to display the flag of the Every Child Matters indigenous cause, because displaying the Franco-Ontarian flag all year round “can be considered as a lack of recognition towards other demographic groups, including indigenous peoples.” But rather than buying a fourth pole, she chose to lower that of the Franco-Ontarians, which had flown permanently since 2014. The green and white flag and the orange one will be raised under the standard of the municipality, “during a period of up to five days” each year.
The City estimates that the purchase of a new mast is too expensive, amounting to between “7,000 and 9,000 dollars, not including installation costs.” However, the Franco-Ontarian associations, who claim not to have been consulted, would have liked to help the municipality obtain the funds. “We’re going to do a fundraiser with you, then we’re going to find a place to put up a flagpole,” says Fabien Hébert, calling on the municipality. “We don’t need to go through all [ces] debates for ten thousand dollars. »
“Let us work together, with French speakers. We will find solutions,” Claudette Gleeson also believes. “It’s so symbolic for us, Franco-Ontarians, and a flag doesn’t cost much. It’s just the intention… For us, it doesn’t make sense,” she adds, saying she has the support of the English-speaking and Indigenous communities.
In its proposal for a new regulation, the City does not clearly present who is at the origin of this request for modification. At the time of writing, Greenstone Mayor James McPherson had not responded to the mayor’s request for an interview. Duty.
Make mischief “
For Mr. Hébert, the unanimous decision of the City – the French-speaking municipal councilor Alan Ouellet was absent – is an “affront to the Franco-Ontarian community which fought to have its flag”. So, among the older ones who struggled, there “were people who had tears,” says Ms. Gleeson. “We have a fairly aging population, who don’t really speak English well, who still feel a little invisible,” she says. “It reaffirms that we in the North-West must speak French outside, we must not be afraid, otherwise they will forget us. »
The AFO wonders if the municipality did not want to “sow discord” between Francophones and Indigenous people. “We do not need to bully one community to achieve reconciliation with another,” said Mr. Hébert. “I really believe the answer to that is to put up an additional flagpole, and then the flag of the indigenous community should be flown permanently as well. »
“There is no question of putting aside the indigenous people,” specifies Anne-Marie Gélineault, president of the French Canadian Club of Geraldton, one of the communities that form the municipality. She recalls that a member of the Abenaki First Nation of Odanak, Quebec, Donald Obonsawin, was among those who organized the very first raising of the Franco-Ontarian flag, on September 25, 1975, in front of the University of Sudbury.
Leaders of indigenous communities in the region also did not return calls from Duty.
This report is supported by the Local Journalism Initiative, funded by the Government of Canada.