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Ottawa
Monday, November 20, 2006
Distinguished guests, dear friends, ladies and gentlemen, good evening.
I feel truly honoured to celebrate with you the 20th anniversary of the French Language Services Act.
I feel honoured, because I know that we are walking in the footsteps of remarkable men and women.
I want to pay tribute to those people whose vision, conviction and courage led to this historical moment in 1986.
I believe the enactment of the French Language Services Act launched a new era for the Francophonie in Ontario.
All the progress made since then is first and foremost due to the determination and relentless efforts of a bustling and thriving community.
Thousands of people have contributed to the social project that is Ontario's Francophonie.
We have just recognized four exceptional individuals by presenting them with the first Ontario Francophonie Awards.
I want to take this opportunity to thank the members of the selection committee, who spent long hours reviewing the files of many candidates, before making an informed choice.
They took on a big responsibility, and I think you will agree with me that they fulfilled their role exceptionally well.
Tonight's recipients have devoted their energy and talents to the development of the Francophone community in Ontario for many years.
They chose to invest their time and efforts in the pursuit of their ideal, for the benefit of our individual and collective interests.
Through their determination and generosity, they contribute significantly to the growth of the Francophonie in our province.
For this, I thank Caroline, Annie, Gérald and Raymond.
The Francophonie is not an abstraction: it is through your work, your families, your daily activities, and through all kinds of small and big gestures that it stays alive and well.
This relentless commitment is the foundation of a community whose vitality knows no bounds.
As many of you remember, we launched a rich and diversified celebrations program on March 20, in Toronto.
We celebrated with the entire community over the year, in all of the province's regions and in all fields of activity.
...at the Salon du livre in Sudbury, the Festival scolaire des arts de la scène, the Festival franco-ontarien in Ottawa and the Jeux franco-ontariens in Timmins...
...at the annual conference of the Association française des municipalités de l'Ontario in Hearst, the first general assembly of the Assemblée de la francophonie de l'Ontario in Toronto, and the premiere of the French version of Don Juan in Stratford...
...with the community of Kingston, to celebrate the designation of the region, and the community of Brampton, to prepare for the implementation of French-language services next January.
What I can tell you is that everywhere I went, I could feel the energy and optimism of a community that is proud of its identity, proud of its know-how and proud of everything it brings to Ontario.
I can tell you that change is happening, that the Francophonie is progressing, and that we truly have many reasons for celebrating.
*****
Tonight's ceremony is the culminating point of a year filled with celebrations and achievements.
I assure you that this is just the beginning for us.
For instance, the Premier announced the government's intention to introduce a bill to create the Office of the Commissioner of French-Language Services.
We have gathered momentum that we want to maintain in the years to come.
I think the signature line of the Office of Francophone Affairs says it best: the time has come to put the accent on the future .
As some of you may know, two causes are very dear to me: the expansion of the Francophonie and the development of our youth.
I consider both things to be interrelated, because our future obviously depends on young people.
In order for the community to renew itself and embark on a journey toward new horizons, it has to mobilize young people and invite them to take part in its societal project.
In the case of Ontario's Francophonie, this societal project is necessarily built on a sense of belonging with the French language and culture.
We know that this sense of belonging depends on a lot more than mastering the language.
We need to develop and maintain a profound emotional attachment to the language. We have to experience the language through a multitude of expressions that are mindful of the past, relevant for the present, and promising for the future.
In this context, it is likely that young Franco-Ontarians are experiencing the Francophonie in a new way.
As adults, we are responsible for guiding young people, but we must also open ourselves to their point of view, because young people are increasingly tuned in to the world, and are already forging our future.
We need to recognize and accept that our young people are living in a world where multiple identities collide, a world of great linguistic and cultural diversity where new technologies are drastically changing traditional notions of time and space.
In order for the French language to become engraved in the identity of young people, we need to help them develop a profound sense of attachment to a modern, even post modern, Francophonie.
This is how the French language can become a natural way of expressing one's thoughts.
The poem read by Sylvie, this 16-year-old young woman, is an example of this natural sense of belonging.
I can say that it really moved me and gave me a sense of hope.
While we are concerned, and rightly so, with the preservation of our French language, young people like Sylvie are giving us confidence in the future.
Young people like her carry our hopes.
Now is the time to show the new face of Ontario's Francophonie, which is more open, modern, creative and focused on new horizons.
After dinner, young representatives from TFO will give us a dazzling demonstration of this.
Together with our young people, we can trace new and exciting avenues for the future.
Once again, thank you, dear friends, for your efforts and commitment, and enjoy the rest of the evening!
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Last Modified: November 29, 2007