Francophone Minority Communities
Over one million Francophones are currently living in minority communities outside of Québec. FMCs are often scattered throughout vast areas of the country, even in urban environments. In some locations, there are very few Francophones, and isolation is a major challenge. It is difficult to recruit and retain health professionals in rural or remote areas. To access health services in French, clients need to travel long distances. If there are not enough Francophone clients to ensure the offer of such services, access to health and social services in French is practically non-existent.
In FMCs, people tend to be older, to have lower levels of literacy and education, and to have a more unfavorable health profile than Anglophones living in a majority setting.
French communities are also very diverse. Even if their members speak the same language, they are of various ethnic backgrounds, and do not share the same culture, values, or religion. They are minorities within a minority population.
It is therefore essential to be aware of and consider the diversity of FMCs in the planning and implementation of the active offer of health services in French.