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École Baie Sainte-Marie opens its doors to new students

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École Baie Sainte-Marie is welcoming students from kindergarten to grade 6 for the very first time today.

The brand-new school is a part of the Conseil scolaire acadien provincial (CSAP), Nova Scotia’s French language school board.

The school began the 2026-27 school year a day after other schools in CSAP to help teachers have more time to prepare in the new space.

CSAP Chair Diane Racette said the opening of École Baie-Sainte Marie is an important moment for CSAP, but more importantly for the students and families they serve.

“A modern school designed to meet the needs of today’s learners creates new opportunities for students to thrive in French, both academically and personally,” said Racette. “ We are proud to see this project become a reality and excited for everything that will take shape within these walls in years ahead.”

École Baie Sainte-Marie is located in Clare, and will have approximately 350 students.

two new csap schools

Two new French-language schools open in Nova Scotia

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Two new French-language schools are getting ready to welcome students in Nova Scotia.

École Baie Sainte-Marie in Saulnierville and École Mer et Monde in Halifax will both open to students on Friday, September 4.

Both schools are part of the Conseil scolaire acadien provincial and will serve Acadian and francophone students.

Two new schools opening the same day

The openings mark a big week for French-language education in the province.

Most students in Nova Scotia begin the school year September 3, but staff at the two new schools have an extra day to set up classrooms and get familiar with the new buildings before students arrive.

The province says official opening events will be held at both schools this fall.

Diane Racette, chair of the Conseil scolaire acadien provincial, says modern French-language schools create new opportunities for students to thrive.

She says the new schools will help students learn, connect and experience their language and culture every day.

New home for students in Clare

École Baie Sainte-Marie will serve students from pre-primary to Grade 6.

The school has capacity for 350 students.

The new CSAP school brings together students, families and staff from École Joseph-Dugas and École Stella-Maris in a new modern learning environment.

The school also includes a child-care centre and community centre.

Ryan Robicheau, MLA for Clare, says the school marks “an exciting new chapter for French-language education” in the region.

He says the new building will help bring the community together and support the future of French-language education in Clare.

Robicheau says generations of students have learned at Joseph-Dugas, Stella-Maris, Saint Albert and Jean-Marie Gay, and the new school will give the next generation a place to learn, build friendships and celebrate Acadian identity and culture.

École Stella-Maris was built in Meteghan in 1965, while École Joseph-Dugas was built in Church Point in 1974.

The new consolidated school was announced in 2018.

Replacement school opens in Halifax

École Mer et Monde is opening at 3139 Oxford Street in Halifax.

The school will serve students from pre-primary to Grade 9 and has capacity for 700 students.

It replaces the previous École Mer et Monde on Atlantic Street.

The new site includes a child-care centre, theatre space, radio booth and community centre.

Education Minister Brendan Maguire says the school is “an important investment in French-language education” in Halifax.

He says Acadian and francophone students and families deserve welcoming, modern learning environments.

Racette says the new École Mer et Monde reflects the continued growth and vitality of French-language education in Halifax.

She says having a school where students can learn and experience their language and culture every day is essential to building a strong sense of belonging.

The replacement school was announced in 2021.

The province says the former Atlantic Street location was purchased to avoid disruption to the school community during construction.

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Air Canada CEO retiring after English condolence controversy

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Air Canada’s CEO has announced his retirement about a week after delivering a video condolence message with only French subtitles for the victims of a plane crash in New York.

Michael Rousseau will step down by the third quarter of 2026, according to a statement from the company’s board of directors. Until then, Rousseau will continue leading the company.

After nearly two decades at the helm, the chair of the board thanked Rousseau for nearly two decades at the helm of the company.

We are grateful for the determined leadership he has provided not only in steering our company through the 2007-2008 financial crisis, COVID and other challenges, but also in capturing opportunities such as the acquisition of Aeroplan, in restoring the solvency of our pension plans and in advancing customer centricity and employee well-being priorities,” wrote Vagn Sørensen, board chair, in a news release.

On March 22, a Jazz Aviation flight left a Montreal airport with 72 passengers on board. But as it attempted to land at LaGuardia airport in New York, it collided with a fire truck, killing both pilots of the plane.

The CEO of Air Canada posted a video to social media on March 23, expressing his condolences for the victims, but it was only in English, with French subtitles.

The federal Committee of Official Languages received hundreds of complaints about the incident and summoned him to Ottawa to explain the message.

Prime Minister Mark Carney also criticized the speech, saying that Canada is a bilingual country, and delivering it only in French lacked compassion.

In a statement last week, Rousseau apologized, saying he wished his inability to speak French did not distract from the victims.

On Monday, Rousseau said he looks forward to supporting the company as they transition to a new leader.

“It has been my great honour to work with the dedicated and talented people of Air Canada and to represent our outstanding organization,” Rousseau wrote in a statement.

More to come…

woman in teal t-shirt sitting beside woman in suit jacket

Continuous declines in N.B.’s francophone population

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Concerns raised in an annual report from the Office of the Commissioner of Official Languages included that New Brunswick’s two languages are not equal.

Commissioner Shirley MacLean says current demographic trends are concerning and confirm that the vitality of the French language cannot be taken for granted.

“We must utilize the tools at our disposal to preserve and protect our minority official language.”

The concern comes from the 2011, 2016, and 2021 population censuses, which show a continued decline in the proportion of francophones in the province. The commissioner says this should raise concern for all New Brunswickers.

(Source: Stats Canada, Census of Population)
(Sources: Stats Canada, Census of Population)

As of 2021, the French-speaking population within New Brunswick represents roughly 30 per cent of the province’s total population, according to Statistics Canada and the Census of Population.

MacLean says everyone in the province has a role to play in preserving the French language.

“For the government, this includes strengthening and improving the Official Languages Act, enhancing francophone immigration targets, enhancing educational capacity, increasing immersion programs, and increasing access to francophone daycare spaces,” said the commissioner.

Francophone New Brunswickers should continue to utilize the language at home, in the community, in schools, and in communication with government institutions. Those with second-language competency in French must use it and encourage others to do the same, according to MacLean.

“When (citizens) do not receive services in a language of our choice from an institution that is required provide them, it is important that these issues are raised with my office so that we can address them,” said MacLean.

MacLean added that her office is fortunate to see collaboration with various government institutions that recognize when there is a failure to respect New Brunswickers’ official language rights and strive to correct the situation.

In the commissioner’s previous annual reports, she called on Premier Susan Holt to adopt further recommendations contained in the 2021 Finn-McLaughlin report. MacLean is encouraged by the announcement that the standing committee on Official Languages of the Legislative Assembly will be reviewing the Finn-McLaughlin report and the Official Languages Act in 2026.

MacLean says progress towards true equality is strongly linked to political leadership and vision. She says leaders such as Louis J. Robichaud and Richard Hatfield had that vision.

“As commissioner, I will be making recommendations that concrete steps be taken which will preserve, protect, and enhance the official language minority in our province.”

For more information about the statistics within this story, check out the key facts on the French language in New Brunswick in 2021.