Wynne shoring up francophone support in eastern Ontario

In the five years since she's been premier, Kathleen Wynne'sFrench has improved dramatically.

But the Liberal leader knows it's not exactly parfait.

"I can hardly claim to be perfectly fluent in French, we all know that," she told folks Thursday at Mouvementd'implicationfrancophoned'Orlans, a largely French-language community centre in Ottawa's eastern-most suburb.

Still, she said she tries"very hard" because she thinks being able to communicate in French is extremely important, adding that her mother sent her and her sisters to French-language classes in Grades 7 and 8 because the languagewasn't taught in middle school in the 1960s.

• In Orlans, appetite for change threatens Liberal incumbent
• PODCAST:The Pollcast: The fight for the Franco-Ontarian vote

It was a direct appeal toa community that has historically votedLiberal anyway. But in this unpredictable election, taking the francophonevote for granted is something the Liberals cannot afford to do.

That's why, with just a week left until voting day on June 7, Wynne wasin eastern Ontario trying to shore up support for her incumbents there.

Wynne touts bilingualism at Francophone campaign stops

6 years ago

Duration 0:51

Liberal leader Kathleen Wynne visited a French community centre in Orlans Thursday, May 31, along with the St. Albert Cheese factory.

Could GPR go Tory blue?

Wynne started her day in Orlans, which includes a significant francophone community, has been Liberalsince 2003, and where incumbent Marie-France Lalondewon by a whopping 20-point margin in 2014.

ButOrlansis also something of a swing riding in that it changes with government, which is one reason why observers believe PC candidate CameronMontgomery has a chance to take that riding.

She then moved onto GlengarryPrescottRussell, a largely rural and largely francophone riding just east of Ottawa that's also home tothe famed St-Albertcheese factory.

GlengarryPrescottRussell hasonly votedLiberal since it was created in 1999. Now, the possibility of a Tory win there is real.

And that's why the Liberal leader was in eastern Ontario Thursday,reminding folks that it was a Liberal government thatprotected French as an official language in Ottawa under provincial legislation. It was a Liberal government that renovated and built 60 French-language schools, and that will launch a review to improve the French Language Services Act, Wynne said.

As for her competitors, WynnesaidPC Leader Doug Ford seems to thinkfrancophones only live in Quebec, while the NDP'sAndrea Horwathhas ignored Franco-Ontarians in her platform.

'A tough election'

When a CBCreporter asked if she was on a "save-the-furniture" tour, Wynnelaughed and said she's"travelling theprovincetalking tocandidatesfrom all over."

But she conceded the Liberals are in a fierce fight.

"Look, we know this is a tough election, we know this is a tough election all over the province," Wynne said. "We need to talk to as many people we can in as many corners of the province."

There are 622,000 francophones in Ontario. And if Wynnehopes to hang onto the ridings like the ones she visited Thursday, they'll all have to vote Liberal.