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"YELLOWKNIFE, NORTHWEST TERRITORIES--(CCNMatthews - Dec. 2, 2006) - The Honourable Josee Verner, Minister of International Cooperation and Minister for La Francophonie and Official Languages, and the Honourable Charles Dent, Minister of Education, Culture and Employment for the Northwest Territories, today announced the signing of a bilateral agreement concerning the expansion of the Ecole Allain St-Cyr in Yellowknife."<br/><br/>
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<td class="date">DECEMBER 2, 2006 - 15:00 ET</td>
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<td class="title">Governments of Canada and Northwest Territories Announce Agreement on Expansion of Ecole Allain St-Cyr in Yellowknife</td>
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YELLOWKNIFE, NORTHWEST TERRITORIES--(CCNMatthews - Dec. 2, 2006) - The Honourable Josee Verner, Minister of International Cooperation and Minister for La Francophonie and Official Languages, and the Honourable Charles Dent, Minister of Education, Culture and Employment for the Northwest Territories, today announced the signing of a bilateral agreement concerning the expansion of the Ecole Allain St-Cyr in Yellowknife.<br>
<br>The Ecole Allain St-Cyr, the first Francophone school in the Territories, currently has an enrolment of about 150 students from grades 1 to 9. The French school board expects that the expansion of the school will enable it to accommodate more than 250 elementary and high school students.<br>
<br>"Canada's new Government is proud to contribute to a project that will give more young people in Yellowknife the opportunity to receive high-quality education in French," said Minister Verner. "By supporting the Ecole Allain St-Cyr, the Government is proving that it is committed to promoting the vitality of minority-language communities."<br>
<br>"I am pleased to be working together with the Government of Canada to continue to increase our capacity to offer high-quality education in French to our Francophone community," said Minister Dent.<br>
<br>The agreement, negotiated under the Minority-Language Education component of the Development of Official-Language Communities program, provides for $1.3 million in funding over two years from the Government of Canada, as well as almost $2.5 million from the Government of the Northwest Territories. Last March, the two governments also signed an agreement on minority-language education and second-language learning that provides for $9.5 million in funding over four years.<br>
<br>For more information on federal, provincial, and territorial agreements in the field of education, please visit the Canadian Heritage website at www.canadian heritage.gc.ca<br>
<br>This news release is available on the Internet at <a href="http://www.canadianheritage.gc.ca" target="_blank">www.canadianheritage.gc.ca</a> under Media Room.</td>
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Office of the Minister of International Cooperation<br/>and Minister for La Francophonie and Official Languages<br/>Anne-Kateri Foley<br/>819-953-6238<br/><br>or<br/><br/>Department of Education, Culture and Employment<br/>Government of the Northwest Territories<br/>Shawn McCann<br/>Manager of Public Affairs<br/>867-920-6222<br/><br>or<br/><br/>Canadian Heritage<br/>Donald Boulanger<br/>A/Chief, Media Relations<br/>819-994-9101</td>
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