Infographic: The French Presence in New Brunswick

Text version: The French Presence in New Brunswick

19,064 students are enrolled in French immersion (27% of eligible enrollment) (2015-2016)
41,385 students are enrolled in core French (59% of eligible enrollment) (2015-2016)
The Université de Moncton is Canada’s largest French-language university outside Quebec.
Of the seven school districts in New Brunswick three are Francophone
- Francophone North-West (based in Edmundston): 19 schools
- Francophone North-East (based in Tracadie-Sheila): 37 schools
- Francophone South (based in Dieppe): 36 schools
28,920 students are enrolled in 92 French-language public schools in the province (29% of all students in the province)

Newspaper: Acadie nouvelle (daily) and 7 francophone community newspapers published weekly
Radio: 10 francophone community radio stations, Radio-Canada ICI Première and ICI Musique
Television: ICI Radio-Canada Télé, Unis TV and Rogers francophone community programming in Bathurst, Edmunston and Moncton

The Frye Festival is held yearly in Moncton and promotes Canada’s bilingual literary heritage and cultural diversity.

The Jeux de l’Acadie is a sporting and cultural competition that brings together over 1,000 young Francophones from the Atlantic provinces.

There are three major French-language book fairs in the province: Edmundston, the Acadian Peninsula and Dieppe.

In 1604, French colonists settled on Saint Croix Island, an island between New Brunswick and Maine.
Beginning in 1755, the Acadian community was dispersed following the Great Upheaval but gradually regained its vitality.
In 1881, the first National Acadian Convention was held in Memramcook. August 15 was chosen as the National Acadian Day.
An Acadian was elected premier in 1960. Louis J. Robichaud’s government provided equal status and opportunity for Acadians in the province. Under his leadership, the Université de Moncton was created in 1963.
Also under Robichaud’s leadership, New Brunswick became officially bilingual in 1969 when its Official Languages Act was passed.
In 1973, the Société des Acadiens du Nouveau-Brunswick was founded. The organization is now called the Société de l’Acadie du Nouveau-Brunswick and represents the province’s Acadian and Francophone community.
In 1981, the Act Recognizing the Equality of the Two Official Linguistic Communities in New Brunswick was passed.
New Brunswick passed a new Official Languages Act in 2002 that created the position of Commissioner of Official Languages and included an obligation to review the Act every 10 years.
In 2003, Michel A. Carrier was appointed as the first Commissioner of Official Languages for New Brunswick.