Where we serve
Eastern Ontario
Geography:
The French-speaking population of Eastern Ontario is generally located within 25 kilometres of the Ottawa River and stretches from our nation’s capital to Hawkesbury and also includes the city of Cornwall on the shores of the Saint-Lawrence River.
Population:
There are 240,000 Franco-Ontarians. A portion of them live in Eastern Ontario and large numbers also live in the northern part of the province.
Economy:
The cities of Ottawa, Hull and Gatineau provide much of the region’s employment for the Federal government, in the high-tech industry and in the service sector. Agriculture and small industries are also important in Eastern Ontario.
Ministry:
There are two French Baptist churches reaching Franco-Ontarians. The churches in Orleans and Casselman are financially autonomous. For a number of years there was also a mission church in Cornwall. Sadly this church closed in 2008 as the congregation was unable to grow sufficiently to sustain itself. It is proving difficult to establish French churches in this region due to a high level of bilingualism among Franco-Ontarians and because of the rural nature of the area.