A flag was raised this afternoon at Dryden City Hall to celebrate Franco-Ontarian Day.
French immersion students from Dryden High School and École Catholique de l’Enfant-Jésus attended the ceremony.
Clair Drainville is with the Association Des Francophones Du Nord-Ouest De L’Ontario, and says many Franco-Ontarians came to Northwestern Ontario to help with economic and social development.
She says for example, in the paper and forestry industry and services at large.
The Frano-Ontarian Flag is green and white, and Drainville says Laurentian University presented the flag to Ottawa and they accepted it as the official Franco-Ontarian flag.
The first flag was raised on September 25, 1975, and there are close to 600,000 Frano-Ontarians in the province.
Drainville says it’s important to recognize the French language, as it is mandatory to know for many jobs and professions.