News Release Archive
TECHNOLOGY&SCIENCE SEC.--PROMOTING FRENCH ON INFORMATION HIGHWAY ----------------------------------------------------------------- The provincial government is looking for ways to promote the presence of French as one of the languages in common use on the information highway. The minister responsible for the Technology and Science Secretariat Gerald O'Malley and the minister responsible for Acadian Affairs Wayne Gaudet, will work together to identify such opportunities as part of a national agreement between ministers responsible for the information highway. Federal/provincial/territorial ministers held an inaugural one-day meeting in Winnipeg last week to discuss a wide variety of information highway policy issues common to all levels of Government. Among the topics discussed were: protection of personal information being transported over government and public telecommunication networks; providing universal access to basic information highway services to the general public; the promotion of electronic commerce across government; joint delivery of electronic services through all levels of government; and, the promotion of the use of french on the information highway. "As a first step, I will ask the government Internet working group to develop a strategy for increasing the content of French on the Government of Nova Scotia web site," said Mr. O'Malley. "I will also be working with Mr. Gaudet, to develop links between government research, development, and marketing programs and Nova Scotia firms that can develop French language content' for the information highway." Mr. O'Malley said delegates from across the Country spoke convincingly in Winnipeg of the need for promoting greater presence of french on the information superhighway. "They called attention to the fact that the overwhelming language of applications like the Internet is English. Part of our role in government is to encourage diversity. It is also a matter of an identifiable need," Mr. O'Malley said. He said the acceptance of technology in Francophone communities across Nova Scotia is significant through vehicles like the College De L'Acadie. "It is also smart economics. There has been a tremendous growth in service sector jobs in Francophone areas. In many cases these jobs are telecommunications related." Mr. Gaudet said there are over 40,000 people of Acadian heritage in Nova Scotia. "Many more have a working knowledge of French. There is an expanding market for French language information products and services and there are firms here capable of taking advantage of these market opportunities." The Winnipeg meeting was the first in a series of consultations between provincial, federal and territorial ministers responsible for the information highway. Another meeting is scheduled for Buctouche, N.B. in June, 1997. -30- Contact: Todd Brown 902-424-7678 trp Oct. 11, 1996 - 10:10 a.m