For the Launch of Les Rendez-vous de la Francophonie 2002

 

Speech by
Lucienne Robillard,
President of the Treasury Board, and
Member of Parliament for Westmount-Ville-Marie

March 11, 2002
Ottawa

Introduction and Welcome

Ladies and gentlemen, it is a pleasure to be with you this morning for the official launch of Les Rendez-vous de la Francophonie 2002.

I would like to start by welcoming our various distinguished guests, and thanking all of the organizers and sponsors of this year's event for your hard work and commitment. I would also like to thank our very capable Masters of Ceremonies, Mme Huard and Mr Charbonneau, for agreeing to take on that important role this morning.

This is the fourth year that the Treasury Board Secretariat has been involved in this event, and I must say it is wonderful to see that the celebrations are attracting more and more people each year.

We are here this morning to launch a celebration of the vitality of the French language and culture in Canada. I have looked over the list of events taking place over the next two weeks. The organizers have certainly succeeded in developing a program that gives full expression to how profoundly our linguistic duality has touched all aspects of life in this country - from art and culture, to sport, to commerce, to the Public Service and its many institutions.

Our Linguistic Duality and Our Quality of Life

Our linguistic duality has helped to shape and define the Canadian experience for generations. It has made us what we are as a people and a country. It is part of our national soul. I believe that it is, in many ways, as much a part of our national identity as our democratic institutions, our legal institutions and our cherished social programs. That is why the Government of Canada has a profound responsibility to work with Francophones and Anglophones alike to ensure that the French language continues to be a very real and apparent part of everyday life in this country.

Certainly, there are economic advantages to being a bilingual country. Succeeding in business today is increasingly contingent on a company's ability to build bridges between countries and cultures. In an increasingly globalized knowledge economy countries and businesses need to be able to communicate effectively. Our linguistic duality helps us to accomplish this.

That being said, the benefits of our linguistic duality are not purely economic. To suggest this is to entirely miss the reason why we are all here - and the reason we all care so passionately about the French language. This is not something that you can quantify in pie graphs and charts. It is much more precious than that.

I do not know how many of you were among the 75,000 spectators who attended Les Jeux de la Francophonie last summer. If you were, you must have a sense of what I am talking about. And I also know that a good number of Government of Canada employees voluntarily gave their time to ensure the success of those Games. I want to thank them for all their work.

For two weeks, the National Capital Region welcomed 2,600 participants from every corner of the earth. Their backgrounds and individual experiences could not have been more different. Yet there was a feeling at the Games that transcended the differences. In celebrating the French language together, we were celebrating unity and a profound sense of community. We were celebrating family.

In addition to seeing some of the world's best athletes, we were blessed to have gathered in one place some truly gifted artists who gave expression to their personal passion through painting, dance, poems and song. The Games were an exceptional experience. We are fortunate to be joined today by Stefan Psenak, who won a much-deserved silver medal in poetry. Stefan wrote a poem especially for Les Rendez-vous de la Francophonie, which we'll hear later this morning.

Ladies and gentlemen, I believe that our enthusiasm to celebrate our linguistic duality represents something truly noble in the Canadian heart. It reflects our commitment to principles like openness and mutual respect. Canadians have succeeded in building a society where people appreciate that diversity is a source of creativity and strength. Generations of Canadians - French-speaking Canadians, English-speaking Canadians, Aboriginal Canadians, and new Canadians from around the world - have demonstrated what a diverse people can accomplish when united by common purpose.

Promoting French Abroad: Canada and La Francophonie

As I have said, I believe that the Government of Canada has a duty to promote the French language both at home and abroad.

As a member of La Francophonie we are part of a network of 55 States and governments, on five continents, that represents approximately 11% of the global GNP, 11% of the global population and 17% of global exports. Our commercial exchanges with our Francophonie partners amounted to over $18 billion in 1998.

Our common linguistic heritage provides a foundation upon which mutual support and cooperation can continue to grow. As a member of this group we have committed to working together in areas as diverse as culture, politics and promoting new technologies. Together we can try and promote greater stability and general peace and prosperity within the community of nations.

That is the international front. But what about here at home?

I have had the good fortune to travel extensively over the last few years across Canada. I can say, confidently, that the Francophone spirit lives and thrives in communities from coast to coast to coast. Certainly this is the case in Quebec, but it is equally true in small villages in Prince Edward Island and Manitoba and Northern Ontario. Each place I visited I felt the same sense of pride, confidence and optimism among Francophone community representatives. I also sensed a profound desire to build for the future.

That is not to say, by any means, that we are not aware of the delicacy of the situation, and of the need to be vigilant. La francophonie is a daily challenge that our communities must not only take up, but must take up in an exemplary manner.

Human Resources Modernization and Official Languages

The Government of Canada is determined to be a constructive and central part of that building process, allowing the vitality of our francophonie within Canada and its promotion abroad.

For instance, the Government of Canada, under the guidance of the Treasury Board, is in the process of giving new life to official languages in the context of the federal government. The Official Languages Act has been a centrepiece of federation legislation for a generation. We will continue to ensure that its principles and tenets are respected and reflected in day-to-day operations.

We are working on many fronts to accomplish this. We have reaffirmed our commitment to support official language minority communities and to work in partnership to give them the tools they need for development.

We are assisting in the development of French on the Internet. We have recently supported the development of a website - ANIMusique - promoting Francophone artists to the world. Activities like this are crucial to maintaining a strong French culture and language within a multicultural Canada.

Recently my department has developed a new policy on alternative service delivery. This policy reiterates our commitment to ensure that the interests of official language minority communities are fully respected.

Obviously, the Public Service of Canada is central to any efforts to promote a more bilingual Canada. As Public Service employees you provide an example to inspire our private sector, our non-governmental organizations, our academic institutions, our community associations and millions of families and individuals across the country. The leadership you exercise within federal institutions - in your day-to-day to work, in your dealings with colleagues and in your interactions with the public - filters outwards into society as a whole.

As you are aware, we are in process of modernizing our human resources practices. We are taking the necessary measures to ensure that the Public Service of Canada can continue to attract and retain exceptional employees and continue to provide the expertise and leadership needed to meet the challenges of the 21^st century.

Promoting and sustaining the bilingual nature of the Public Service is an important priority in this exercise. On this there can be no compromise. The Public Service of Canada is, and will always be, a bilingual institution. That being said, we certainly need to be more active in the way we promote the use of the French language in the federal workplace. It needs to be a more prominent feature of daily activity.

I am troubled when I hear that many Francophones still do not feel comfortable working in their mother tongue. Many still use English by default in meetings, even when working with Francophone colleagues. We need to stop doing this. We need to be proud of our language and not hesitate to exercise our right to use it in our work.

It is important to note that this is not simply a concern for Francophone public service employees. Promoting bilingualism should be every public servant's duty, both Francophone and Anglophone. We need to encourage a greater spirit of collaboration and openness between colleagues. I know that one of the managers in my department encourages her staff to speak in their second language at their weekly staff meeting so that the whole unit can practice together. We need to encourage more of that type of innovative approach and recognize that knowledge and proficiency in two languages is a blessing.

Certainly younger Canadians seem to be very aware of this fact. More and more are seeing bilingualism or even trilingualism as the ticket to broader horizons and better employment.

I must admit, I am particularly pleased to see so many students and young people here this morning. We need to get more younger Canadians involved in the Public Service - we need more of you to recognize that the Public Service has a great deal to offer in terms of a challenging and rewarding career. We are looking to younger Canadians, both French and English speaking, to provide new perspectives, ideas and energy. There are many opportunities opening for you right now and I encourage you to look at everything your country has to offer.

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There will be other opportunities over the coming years to celebrate the richness that comes from having our two official languages. This year, for example, we will join people around the world to celebrate one of the French language's greatest writers, Victor Hugo.

In 2004, we will be celebrating the 400^th anniversary of Samuel Champlain's arrival in the New World and the birth of New France. This should be an important milestone on both sides of the Atlantic.

Of course, we don't need special occasions to celebrate and promote our affection for the French language. It is something we can and should do everyday. There are literally millions of Canadians - like yourselves - who care passionately about our linguistic duality and about Canada's francophonie. Together, we will ensure that it continues to grow and thrive for generations to come.

If I have one wish to leave with you, it is that all of you will have the opportunity to experience Canada's French language and culture in your day-to-day activities.