City of Greater Sudbury Permanently Raises Franco-Ontarian Flag at Azilda Gilles Pelland Public Library

The Franco-Ontarian flag was permanently raised at the Azilda Gilles Pelland Public Library (120 Ste-Agnes St.) this morning in celebration of Saint-Jean-Baptiste Day, the annual celebration of Canada’s Francophone language and traditions. 

“Nearly 10 million people across Canada speak French, and Greater Sudbury is proud to be home to the country’s third-largest Francophone population outside Quebec,” said the Mayor of the City of Greater Sudbury. “Our community is enriched every day by the traditions, language and achievements of our Francophone residents, and I extend my sincere thanks to each of you for helping keep this spirited heritage and culture vibrant in our city.”

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.

“As the new executive director, I am proud to continue the tradition of flying the Franco-Ontarian flag on a permanent basis for Saint-Jean-Baptiste Day,” said Karine Tellier, Executive Director of ACFO du grand Sudbury. “Given the large number of Francophones in the City of Greater Sudbury, it is important to continue making our flag increasingly visible so that we – Francophones and Francophiles alike – can demonstrate our value.”

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.