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.
Adoption of a policy on French-language services by the Province of Manitoba.
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.
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.
Creation of the Centre de ressources Santé en français.
Creation of the regional health authorities (RHAs).
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.
Creation of the Conseil communauté en santé (CCS) committee.
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.
Incorporation of CCS and designation by the Province as the health and social services voice of Manitoba’s francophone community.
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.
Hiring of a permanent executive director, Annie Bédard, in March 2006.
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.
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.
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.
Celebration of CCS’s 10th anniversary (French-language content only); CCS would now be known as Santé en français.
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).