Timeline

Discover the history of Santé en français: 20 years of commitment to Manitoba’s francophone community.

Since its creation in 2004, Santé en français has played a key role in ensuring access to quality health and social services for Manitoba’s Francophone community. From its beginnings as an advisory committee to its evolution into a community organization, Santé en français embodies strength of collaboration within the community and for the community.

Explore the timeline below to discover the milestones of our journey, from mobilizing the community to integrating the francophone lens into the provincial health care organization, so that every Francophone person may experience a sense of well-being, en français.

1989
1989

Adoption of a policy on French-language services by the Province of Manitoba.

Adopted in 1989 and revised in 1999, the policy allows for the designation of bilingual regional health care facilities and authorities, thus ensuring French-language service in regions with large concentrations of Franco-Manitobans.
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1990
1990

Tabling of the Study of French-Language Services in Manitoba’s Health Care Facilities (the “Gauthier Report”).

The report’s recommendations call for the designation of French-language and bilingual facilities in health and social services.

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1991
1991

Creation of the “Advisory Committee on Health Services in French” by the Province in collaboration with the Société de la francophonie manitobaine.

The aim is to help health care facilities implement the Gauthier Report’s recommendations.

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1992
1992

Creation of the Centre de ressources Santé en français.

The centre’s mandate is to provide support services to facilities referenced in the Gauthier Report, including assistance with the development of French-language service plans, translation, language training and acquisition of French-language reference documents.
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1996
1996

Creation of the regional health authorities (RHAs).

Their mandate is to manage and deliver health care services.
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1998
1998

Tabling of « Rapport Chartier » Above All, Common Sense: Report and Recommendations on French Language Services Within the Government of Manitoba (the “Chartier Report”).

Judge Chartier believed that the creation of a bilingual RHA was the best way to successfully implement French-language services, but given the lack of consensus in this regard, he recommended a compromise: that the 11 facilities labelled “Category 1” in the Gauthier Report be designated bilingual, and that all new employees, as well as signage, be bilingual.

Creation of the Comité consultatif sur les services sociaux en français (advisory committee on social services in French).

A parallel mechanism to the Advisory Committee on Health Services in French.

Adoption by Cabinet of a regulation requiring RHAs to submit and obtain approval for French-language service plans.

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2001
2001

Creation of the Conseil communauté en santé (CCS) committee.

The committee’s functions related to French health services would now fall under the Centre de ressources Santé en français.
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2002
2002

Founding of the national organization, Société Santé en français.

CCS represents Manitoba’s French-language health network and takes its place among 16 regional, provincial and territorial networks from across the country.

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2004
2004

Incorporation of CCS and designation by the Province as the health and social services voice of Manitoba’s francophone community.

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2005-2006
2005-2006

Hiring of CCS’s first executive director, Léo Robert, to lay the groundwork for the organization.

Holding of CCS’s first AGM on November 29, 2005.

Replacement of the Advisory Committee on Health Services in French by the Table des gestionnaires en matière de santé to inform and advise CCS’s executive director.

Requirement by The Child and Family Services Authorities Act for the four authorities to develop an annual French-language services plan and submit it to the minister of Family Services for approval.

Transfer of management of the Centre de ressources Santé en français to CCS from Manitoba’s RHAs.

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2006-2007
2006-2007

Hiring of a permanent executive director, Annie Bédard, in March 2006.

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2007-2008
2007-2008

Creation of the Comité permanent des services sociaux by CCS, following the dissolution of the Advisory Committee on Health Services in French.

Holding of CCS’s first forum, entitled À notre santé... En français!, in partnership with the Consortium national de formation en santé of the Collège universitaire de Saint-Boniface.

It is the only gathering of French-speaking health and social services professionals in Manitoba. The forum would take place almost every two years (2007, 2009, 2011, 2014, 2016, 2018). In 2023, it was twinned with a summit on the health of francophone immigrants in western and northern Canada.

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2009
2009

Presentation of the first Margaret Teresa McDonell Recognition Award to Dr. Denis Fortier.

The award recognizes an individual working in health or social services who has made an outstanding contribution to the delivery of services in French in their workplace. The award would also be given to other individuals.

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2012-2013
2012-2013

Reduction of the number of RHAs from 12 to 5, four of which are designated bilingual.

The designated RHAs—Winnipeg Regional Health Authority, Interlake and Eastern Regional Health Authority, Santé Prairie Mountain Health, and Southern Health-Santé Sud—are required to submit an annual report to Manitoba Health and evaluate their multi-year plans.

Bilingual publication of the document entitled Linguistic Competence and Quality of Services: Business Case for Quality French-Language Health Care Services.

The document aims to facilitate the designation and staffing of bilingual positions in health services.

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2013-2014
2013-2014

Celebration of CCS’s 10th anniversary (French-language content only); CCS would now be known as Santé en français.

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2014-2015
2014-2015

Support from Santé en français for the creation of a primary health care network named Mon équipe santé for French-speaking residents served by the Southern Health-Santé Sud region.

This is a formal, collaborative partnership between independent primary care providers—Clinique Notre-Dame Clinic, the St. Claude & Haywood Wellness Centre, Seine Medical Centre, Santé en français (Regional Round Tables) and RHA programs/services—geared to offering high-quality primary care services to francophone residents of the Southern Health-Santé Sud region in the language of their choice (French/English).

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2015-2016
2015-2016

Passing of the Francophone Community Enhancement and Support Act.

Adoption of a provincial policy on the designation and staffing of bilingual positions in Manitoba health care facilities and services designated as bilingual or francophone.

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2017-2018
2017-2018

Creation of Shared Health/Soins communs , a body responsible for coordinating and organizing health care province-wide. A tripartite collaboration with Santé en français and the Secrétariat aux affaires francophones is struck to ensure that the francophone lens is taken into account at Shared Health/Soins communs.

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2018-2019
2018-2019

The tripartite project, funded by Health Canada through Société Santé en français, aims to integrate French-language services within Shared Health/Soins communs and establish a provincial strategy for bilingual human resources.

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2019-2020
2019-2020

Confirmation from the Province, as part of the transformation of Manitoba’s health care system, that service agreements signed by RHAs with French-speaking or bilingual facilities must now include a clause requiring the offer of services in French.

Merging of the central and south-east round tables to become the Table de concertation rurale du Sud, with a view to joining forces with the Southern Health-Santé Sud region. This merger brings about a change in governance at Santé en français.

Signing of an agreement between the Public Health Agency of Canada and Société Santé en français to carry out early childhood projects in the health care sector. Santé en français joins forces with the Coalition francophone de la petite enfance du Manitoba.

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2020-2021
2020-2021

Receipt of five-year funding from Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada to conduct a project in collaboration with the Réseau d’immigration francophone du Manitoba and its partners on trauma and mental health among immigrants.

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2021-2022
2021-2022

Adoption of a provincial plan for organizing services in French by Shared Health/Soins communs.

Appointment of the first provincial health officer for francophones at Shared Health/Soins communs.

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2022-2023
2022-2023

Designation of Shared Health/Soins communs as bilingual, seen as a major achievement by the French-speaking community. End of tripartite project on March 31, 2023.

Hosting of the first summit on the health of francophone immigrants in western and northern Canada, entitled À l’intersection de nos diversités, bâtissons des services adaptés(intersecting diversities, adapted services).

Launch of the Grandir en santé 2022-2024 project, led by the Fédération des parents de la francophonie manitobaine (FPFM), with Santé en français acting as liaison between the FPFM and Société Santé en français. The project was originally initiated at the national level in 2019 with funding from the Public Health Agency of Canada’s Healthy Early Years program.

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