Mr. Speaker, I am honoured and humbled by this opportunity to speak to Bill C-297, the purpose of which is to revoke the conviction of Louis Riel for high treason.
When I studied the history of Quebec and Canada, one of the saddest events was undoubtedly the conviction and subsequent execution of Louis Riel.
Members will recall that this happened shortly after Canada became a confederation, the Canadian Confederation, at a time when it had decided to expand its borders.
It was feared that the Americans, who had just bought Alaska, would take possession of western Canada and that Canada, as it existed at the time, would not be able to connect with British Columbia, a new province at the time, to form a country.
As is often the case, the whole issue started with a deal between Canada and the Hudson's Bay Company. In order to extend its territory, Canada reached an agreement with that English company, for a certain amount of money. There were individuals living in western Canada in those days, but they were mostly Metis. They had formed a people. John A. Macdonald's central government wanted to retain control at any cost.
Louis Riel is a great Canadian, a great patriot, a man who fought for his people and his language in that environment. Louis Riel heard the cry of his people and defended them. We all remember that Louis Riel was born in St. Boniface, on October 22, 1844. He was born in western Canada. His father, Louis Riel, was a Metis, and his mother, Julie de la Gimonière, was the first daughter to be born in a family of white settlers in western Canada. In 1858, he studied at the Montreal seminary, so he knew French very well. Then he went back home. They say he did not have the calling to be a priest, even though he came from a very religious family.
In those days, the federalists, the Ottawa centralists, wanted western Canada to remain a territory, under the control of Ottawa, for as long as possible. People who lived in that region did not agree. Louis Riel founded Manitoba as we all know.
The Ontario Anglo-Protestants wanted to see Louis Riel hang. Louis Riel surrendered in 1885. After several battles, he surrendered on May 15, 1885. His trial was riddled with irregularities, everybody agrees on that. The trial was held in Regina and the jury was made up of six English speaking jurors.
Had the trial been held in Winnipeg, the outcome would have been different. In Winnipeg the jury would have consisted of six French speaking jurors and six English speaking jurors. At that time Manitoba was already a province.
In Winnipeg, the presiding judge would have been a Supreme Court judge, whose independence is guaranteed by law. The Regina judge could be removed at any time by the federal government, and that government wanted Riel's head.
On November 16, 1885, at the age of 41, Louis Riel,a hero of the Metis people, was hanged. In December, after much effort by his family, his body was moved to Saint-Vital, in Manitoba, and buried in the cemetery of St. Boniface cathedral. Less than a week after the hanging, on November 22, 1885, a crowd of some 50,000 gathered on the Champs-de-Mars in Montreal and demonstrated. This was the start of the two solitudes in Canada.
While people in Ontario were delighted because a common criminal had been executed, the Premier of Quebec, Honoré Mercier, was saying in Montreal: "Our brother, Louis Riel, is dead". There were riots in Montreal, despite the fact that people were very religious, strong believers. There were riots and speeches. The government had been asked to show mercy, but hed refused. Even the six jurors had said: "Guilty, yes, but we request clemency". They were ignored.
This sad event was probably the beginning of the end of the good relations between the two founding peoples of Canada. In 1867, the Fathers of Confederation and the others who seemed to agree soon realized that Canada had misled them, because it was expected at that time that the new territories, the new future provinces would be bilingual. We know this is not what happened.
Now, rights are given when it may be too late. But, at that time, Honoré Mercier of Quebec, and people believed that Canada would be bilingual.
In concluding, I would like to read you the last letter that Louis Riel wrote before he died. This is Louis Riel's will. Of course, I will read it to you, and we have to go back to that time to fully understand that Louis Riel held no grudges.
This is Louis Riel speaking: "May my burial be simple. May it be attended by the comforts of religion. Far from me, far from my mortal remains are the desires for revenge, the reprisals. I forgive those who have committed so many injustices against me. I pray that my heart will be filled with the perfection of forgiveness and that all my trespasses will be forgiven, as I forgive all my enemies,
my adversaries, my opponents, my antagonists of all allegiances who trespassed against me. I therefore name Reverend Father Blais André as executor of my wishes as to my burial, so that my body may be carried through his care to the hospital to be laid in state, and from there to St. Boniface, to be buried beside the beloved remains of my dear beloved papa. May my body rest beside his".
And it is signed: Louis David Riel.
This is an injustice done a very long ago. But I think that, when a society has the courage to admit the errors of the past, that society is progressing. Louis Riel was undoubtedly the founder of Manitoba. He was a man who left his mark on his time. He was a man who fought against the government in Ottawa, a centralizing government even in those days.
I think that, today in this House, we, on all sides, must recognize the greatness of that man, the man who defended francophonie in America.
