City of Greater Sudbury Permanently Raises Franco-Ontarian Flag at Gerry McCrory Countryside Sports Complex

The Franco-Ontarian flag was permanently raised at the Gerry McCrory Countryside Sports Complex this morning in celebration of Saint-Jean-Baptiste Day, the annual celebration of Canada’s Francophone language and traditions.

“Nearly 10 million Canadians speak French. As home to Canada’s third-largest French population outside Quebec, Greater Sudbury is especially fortunate to be a centre of rich Francophone traditions, language and accomplishments,” said Greater Sudbury Mayor Paul Lefebvre. “I want to thank every member of our proud Francophone community for contributing to the ongoing cultural enrichment of our city and for helping to preserve that heritage.”

The raising of the Franco-Ontarian flag, an event organized jointly by the City of Greater Sudbury and the Association canadienne-française de l’Ontario (ACFO) du grand Sudbury, is a long-standing tradition that serves to mark Saint-Jean-Baptiste Day and to reaffirm the importance of recognizing Greater Sudbury’s Francophone community.

“I am very pleased to continue again this year our tradition of permanently raising a Franco-Ontarian flag in celebration of Saint-Jean-Baptiste Day,” said Joanne Gervais, Executive Director of ACFO du grand Sudbury. “The Francophone presence has been strong in Sudbury since its earliest days and it continues to be an integral part of the city today. Raising the Franco-Ontarian flag in prominent community locations underscores not just the presence of this vibrant Francophone community, but also its economic, social and cultural contributions to the well-being of the entire Greater Sudbury community.”

The Franco-Ontarian flag holds special significance for Greater Sudbury. It was designed by Gaétan Gervais, Michel Dupuis and a group of students at Laurentian University. First raised at the University of Sudbury, it was officially recognized as the emblem of the Franco-Ontarian community in 2001 and became an official emblem of Ontario in 2020.