Laval’s executive-committee has recommended the adoption of the city’s first-ever action plan for promoting French.
According to the city, the purpose of the initiative is to strengthen the role of French as a common language, a language of integration and a means of participation in community life.
The city says 80 per cent of the recommendations made by an ad hoc Citizen Advisory Committee on the French language are already being implemented or are in the process of being put into action, “demonstrating the leadership the city intends to continue to embody,” the city says in a statement.
“This action plan is an opportunity to reaffirm the importance of French as the language that unites us and allows all those who choose Laval to fully participate in the life of our community,” said Mayor Stéphane Boyer.
“In Laval, we want French to be a source of pride, inclusion and sharing,” he continued. “Quebec’s third-largest city is taking responsibility for promoting our shared language, and I hope that across Quebec, everyone will do their part, because promoting French is a shared responsibility.”
The city says the action plan is based on a unifying, inclusive and concrete approach and leverages municipal expertise, while consolidating existing initiatives and identifying new ones that will be rolled out gradually over the coming years.
Organized around three main complementary objectives – maintaining, innovating and funding – the plan will provide guidelines for municipal actions until 2029 to consolidate achievements, seize new opportunities to promote French and mobilize partners to carry out impactful projects.
Among the actions already implemented:
- The City of Laval has a French Language Commissioner, responsible in particular for accountability, supporting municipal teams in the application of the Charter of the French Language and relations with government bodies;
- The redesign of the laval.fr website and the municipal intranet, emphasizing clear, accessible, and inclusive writing;
- The publication of the Welcome to Laval guide, which supports newcomers and promotes learning French as a tool for integration;
- The maintenance of a wide range of cultural, heritage, sports and recreational activities offered in French in all neighbourhoods;
- More than 3,000 activities annually in French in Laval libraries;
- support for community initiatives that promote the learning and use of French, particularly among immigrants;
- The maintenance of municipal signage in French throughout the city.
Among the initiatives to be rolled out in the coming years, the city plans to integrate a French-language promotion component into its participatory budgeting process, continue developing a communications strategy for young adults and enhance Laval’s profile through national and international events.
“As a Francophone city and a major welcoming community in Quebec, Laval intends to continue its efforts to ensure that French remains a language of unity, integration and civic participation,” says the city, adding that the 2026-2029 action plan “will serve as a framework to guide municipal actions and support the vitality of French throughout the city.”
