Montfort to provide primary care in French at the Maison de la francophonie d’Ottawa
Ottawa, April 17, 2026 – The Francophone community in Ottawa’s west end will now be able to receive primary care in their own language at the Maison de la francophonie d’Ottawa. Montfort, Ontario’s Francophone academic hospital, will soon open a new clinic there, the Équipe de santé familiale communautaire Montfort de l’Ouest d’Ottawa / Montfort Ottawa West Community Family Health Team, which aims to gradually take on 6,725 patients by December 31, 2027.
The clinic will initially prioritize care for Francophones who do not currently have a primary care provider, who are on the Health Care Connect waitlist, and who live in neighbourhoods with postal codes beginning with K2 or K1R, K1S, K1T, K1V, K1Y and K1Z. Francophone communities in these neighbourhoods are growing rapidly, as evidenced by the approximately 30 French-language schools in the area.
This new service is part of the latest announcement by the Ontario Ministry of Health to create and expand primary care teams, as part of Ontario’s Primary Care Action Plan. It is made possible by a new annual provincial investment of $2.4 million.
“The investment in the Montfort Ottawa West Community Family Health Team represents an important step toward improving access to French-language primary care in our community,” said George Darouze, MPP for Carleton. “Through the Primary Care Action Plan, our government is ensuring that more families can access quality care close to home. This support will help strengthen our healthcare system and better meet the needs of patients across Ontario.”
“As the MPP for a riding with a large Francophone population, I know how important it is to be able to receive healthcare in our own language,” said Stéphane Sarrazin, MPP for Glengarry–Prescott–Russell and Parliamentary Assistant to the Minister of Francophone Affairs. “This new clinic at the Maison de la francophonie in Ottawa represents a concrete step forward in better serving Francophones and improving access to primary care. It is exactly the kind of initiative that strengthens our communities and meets the real needs of families.”
“Opening primary care services in French in Ottawa’s west end is one of the outcomes to be achieved as part of our 2024–2028 Strategic Plan,” explains Dominic Giroux, President and CEO of Montfort. “The community consultation we held at the Maison de la francophonie as part of our strategic planning process in 2024 was the one with the highest number of participants, unequivocal proof of the pressing need for primary care in French in the city’s west end.”
“We are delighted to welcome Montfort to the Maison de la francophonie,” says Linda Savard, Chair of the Board of Directors of the Coopérative multiservice francophone de l’Ouest d’Ottawa (CMFO). “The addition of primary care to the services offered at the Maison meets the needs of our growing Francophone community, at a time when there are currently very few health services in French in the western part of the city.”
“We are proud to have contributed to the achievement of this historic milestone for our community,” added Jacinthe Marcil, Chair of the Conseil des écoles publiques de l’Est de l’Ontario (CEPEO). “We will do everything we can, alongside our partners, to ensure the success of this transformative initiative for the Francophone community.”
“This is a great day for the Francophone community in Ottawa’s west end,” said Mayor Mark Sutcliffe. “With this new primary care team, thousands of residents will have access to healthcare services in French. Many thanks to Montfort, the Maison de la francophonie and the CEPEO for their leadership on this project, which contributes to healthy communities.”
“Language is more than a means of communication, it is a cornerstone of compassionate and equitable care,” says Pamela McDonald Kuhne, co-chair of the Ottawa West Four Rivers Ontario Health Team. “When Francophone patients can speak and be heard in their own language, it builds trust, enhances safety, and strengthens the connection between people and providers. We welcome this investment by the Province as this initiative reflects our commitment to ensuring that care in French is not the exception, but the standard for Francophone patients in Ottawa’s west end.”
The Équipe de santé familiale communautaire Montfort de l’Ouest d’Ottawa / Montfort Ottawa West Community Family Health Team is a new corporation cofounded by Hôpital Montfort, the CMFO and the CEPEO. The five founding members are:
- Three members of the Hôpital Montfort Association residing in West Ottawa: Denise Amyot, Samia Ouled Ali and Nya Njenga;
- The Chair of the CMFO Board of Directors: Linda Savard;
- The Chair of the CEPEO: Jacinthe Marcil.
The new corporation will be consolidated with Hôpital Montfort, like the Institut du Savoir Montfort and Santé Montfort. The inaugural Board of Directors comprises:
- Manon Abud, Vice-President, Engagement at the Canadian Medical Association;
- Carolyn Crowley, Associate Vice-President, Patient Care and Social Accountability at Hôpital Montfort;
- Jean-Gardy Dumoulin, Principal of École secondaire publique Omer-Deslauriers and former member of the CMFO Board of Directors;
- Roger Farley, Chair of the Patient Partner Council at the Ontario SPOR SUPPORT Unit and former Chair of the CMFO Board of Directors.
This project was made possible through collaboration between Hôpital Montfort, Santé Montfort, the Montfort Academic Family Health Team, the CMFO, the CEPEO, the Ottawa West Four Rivers Ontario Health Team, Ontario Health and the Ministry of Health, with the formal support of 25 partners. We sincerely thank everyone who contributed to the development of this initiative and made its success possible.
The Équipe de santé familiale communautaire Montfort de l’Ouest d’Ottawa / Montfort Ottawa West Community Family Health Team will apply for designation under the French Language Services Act.
The clinic will open its doors in the coming months, following the setup of the premises and the recruitment of a team of 15 people, including four physicians and nurse practitioners. Further details will be provided as the opening approaches.
In the meantime, Montfort asks the public not to contact the hospital or its partners to register for the new service. Those wishing to be served by the Équipe de santé familiale communautaire Montfort de l’Ouest d’Ottawa / Montfort Ottawa West Community Family Health Team are invited to register with Health Care Connect to be eventually taken on.
The recruitment process for the Executive Director position has also begun; we invite interested individuals to apply online.
Media inquiries
For Montfort: communications@montfort.on.ca
For the CMFO: marcel.morin@cmfo.ca
For the CEPEO: medias@cepeo.on.ca
About Montfort
Montfort is Ontario’s Francophone academic hospital, providing exemplary person- and community-centred care. Montfort is one of two hospitals in Canada that: are teaching hospitals; serve a general population; have intensive care, obstetric, mental health, rehabilitation and other acute care beds; are among the top 40 hospitals out of over 600 in Canada, as well as the top 40 research hospitals in the country; and have no performance indicators below average or weakening, according to the Canadian Institute for Health Information.
With its vision of a bold Francophonie for healthy communities and as part of its 2024-2028 Strategic Plan, Montfort aims to: serve a growing and aging population; expand French-language services; strengthen our social accountability; enhance the impact of education and research; and innovate to remain a sought-after environment.
Awarded the highest distinction by Accreditation Canada three times in a row, Montfort is the first hospital to be designated Francophone host as a Best Practice Spotlight Organization (BPSO) by the Registered Nurses’ Association of Ontario.
About the Maison de la francophonie d’Ottawa
The Maison de la francophonie d’Ottawa is a multi-service Francophone community centre located at 2720 Richmond Road in Ottawa’s west end. It is managed by the Coopérative multiservices francophone de l’ouest d’Ottawa (CMFO), in partnership with the Conseil des écoles publiques de l’Est de l’Ontario (CEPEO). The Maison’s mission is to promote life in French by bringing together, under one roof, Francophone services, activities and organizations working in the community, cultural, educational and social sectors, for the benefit of Francophones and Francophiles in the region.
A virtual tour of the Maison de la francophonie is available online.