Cathy Dobson/The Independent

Nine months after immigrating to Canada from France, 25-year-old Boubacar Balde has found full-time work in Sarnia and become a permanent Canadian citizen.

He came to learn English and stayed because of the small-town lifestyle and the welcoming nature of the community, says Balde who holds a degree in public communication.

“People are very, very nice,” he said. “Even before I came, I connected with the Centre Communautaire Francophone de Sarnia (CCFSarnia) online and they helped me with everything.”

Balde is one of a growing number of Francophones from around the world making their home in Sarnia-Lambton, says Tanya Tamilio, CCFSarnia’s executive director.

That growth is coupled with an unprecedented number of new programs and funding for the Francophone community, including new employment services officially launch Nov. 7.

The Ontario government has designated Sarnia for French Language Services, which means that since Nov. 2024, provincial agencies are required to provide bilingual services. 

“There are also many other agencies that don’t have that requirement but still want to be able to offer services in French, so are recruiting bilingual staff as well,” said Tamilio,  a guest at Tuesday’s Sarnia-Lambton Golden K Kiwanis Club.

“It’s amazing,” she said.  “The effort being made by the community is mind boggling.”

She believes the new bilingual requirements are one reason behind a surprisingly large number of local job postings that call for French and English proficiency.

Last month, the Sarnia-Lambton Workforce Development Board reported 259 bilingual job postings.  

Tamilio is convinced that new employment opportunities are attracting more Francophones to the area. “I think efforts to attract Francophones are starting to work,” she said.  

An estimated 7,000 live in Sarnia-Lambton with the bulk of new Francophones coming from overseas countries such as Cameroon, Rawanda and France.

Starting next month, they’ll have access to a new employment centre at CCFSarnia that is receiving $412,000 annually from the federal government. Tamilio was surprised by the funding announcement since she had applied for only $285,000 per year.

“This has doubled our operating budget at the centre,” she said.  “It means we can provide one-on-one employment counselling, job search support and much, much more.”  

Balde is one of four working at the new employment centre. He also manages the CCF’s social media.

“There’s definitely a need out there for the growing number of people coming here who don’t speak English,” Tamilio said. 

The Centre Communautaire Francophone de Sarnia opened in 2012 at 3-901 The Rapids Parkway and offers a wide range of services ranging from social events, educational workshops, cultural activities like the recent St. Jean Franco-Ontarian Day, and after-school programs.

For details, visit www.CCFSarnia.com or call 519 541 0207.