Franco-Ontarians rally at city hall to protest Ford government’s policies
Posted Dec 1, 2018 06:46:00 PM.
This article is more than 5 years old.
Thousands of protesters gathered at city hall Saturday afternoon to protest Ontario Premier Doug Ford's cuts to French-language services.
Eye-witnesses estimated that up to 10,000 people attended the rally, which was one of many planned across the province.
Ford's government recently announced it would scrap plans to build a new French-language university and said it would fold the duties of the French-Language Services Commissioner into the provincial ombudsman's office.
After facing backlash, the government backtracked on some of the changes, announcing it would reinstate the independent watchdog for Francophone services within the ombudsman’s office. They also said they would make the Office of Francophone Affairs a ministry.
Some critics said the reversals did not go far enough, as they did not revive the plan to build the university, nor did they fully restore the commissioner's office.
MPP Amanda Simard left the Progressive Conservative caucus over the issue and will now sit in the legislature as an independent.
