A Renewed Board for Entité 2, Awaiting a Transformation to Strengthen French Language Services
[June 18, 2025] — Entité 2, responsible for planning French language health services in the Waterloo-Wellington (WW) and Hamilton-Niagara-Haldimand-Brant (HNHB) regions, held its 15th Annual General Meeting on June 17, 2025, via videoconference. The event brought together representatives of the Francophone community as well as health system partners.
This meeting was an opportunity to review a year marked by concrete progress in planning, partnerships, and community engagement.
Participants also had the pleasure of hearing pre-recorded messages from Mr. Fabien Hébert, President of the Assemblée de la francophonie de l’Ontario, and Mr. Carl Bouchard, French Language Services Commissioner, both of whom recognized Entité 2’s commitment and highlighted its important role in planning French language services.
In her address, Board Chair Melinda Chartrand emphasized the importance of staying mobilized as major changes are on the horizon for French language services in Ontario.
"As we await major announcements regarding French language services planning, we remain mobilized. The Board is committed to supporting the team and advocating for the interests of Francophones," said Ms. Chartrand.
Executive Director Annie Boucher spoke about the organization’s grassroots efforts:
"Thanks to a dedicated team and two regional communities of practice, we strengthened our support for service providers and expanded our reach. Health equity for Francophones is built through this work on the ground."
The Entité 2 team then presented the year’s key highlights.
Ms. Hanane Kabli illustrated the organization’s expertise in supporting service providers, notably through the Healthcare providers community of practice for French Language Services. Mr. Baba Diop shed light on Entité 2’s role as a strategic partner. Finally, Ms. Boucher emphasized the importance of staying attuned to the evolving realities of the Francophone population.
Entité 2 also highlighted its regional collaboration with Entité 1, with whom it shares the Ontario Health West region. This partnership led to the co-hosting of a Regional Tour and Plenary, bringing together Francophone communities, decision-makers, and providers around concrete solutions to improve access to French language services.
View the 2024-2025 Annual Report (French)
Board Renewal
The AGM marked the arrival of three new members to the Board of Directors: Ms. Micheline Hervé-Belleau, Ms. Christine Gilles, and Ms. Jennifer McMahon.
The Board also paid tribute to Mr. Jean-Rock Boutin, a dedicated member since 2017, who completed his mandate after eight years of exceptional service.
Ms. Melinda Chartrand was re-elected as Chair for a new three-year term. During the special meeting that followed, the executive committee was confirmed: Mr. Marcel Levesque and Ms. Micheline Hervé-Belleau were appointed Vice-Chair and Secretary, respectively, while Mr. Aristide Kouamé remains in his role as Treasurer.
"This year’s achievements clearly demonstrate the relevance of the work carried out by the Entités. Present on the ground and close to the people, Entités are essential actors in ensuring that the voice of Francophones is heard. This role, recognized under the Connecting Care Act, enables us to build bridges between communities and the health system," concluded Ms. Chartrand at the close of the meeting.
Entity 2 is a nonprofit organization serving the territories of Hamilton-Niagara-Haldimand-Brant and Waterloo-Wellington (WW). Entity 2 is attentive to the needs of Francophone communities and recommends strategies to improve access to quality healthcare services in French.
INFORMATION: Annie Boucher – Executive Director