I, too, would like to thank you for this invitation to appear.
Good evening.
Just to give you an idea of the time span involved, I should point out that there has always been a Francophone community in Dawson, ever since the gold rush.
In the late 1980s and early 1990s, an effort was made to rally Francophones and have them join forces. Action was also taken to develop a profile of Francophones outside the capital. Then in 2009—not so long ago—a separate group, called the Centre de la francophonie in Dawson, was established.
Since then, we have been building on the momentum first created in the early 1990s. There are a great many sociocultural activities, something that enables us to get together and talk about our experiences. We have given classes in French for adults interested in perfecting their French, in order to preserve it, or actually learn the language. We have also have supported the Francophone community in recent months in myriad ways, as it feels the need to be represented because of specific situations.
The Centre de la francophonie in Dawson is a new group which believes its presence here today is important in order to represent its community. I think that is really what it's all about. It's also about allowing people to get together, engage in discussion and assess their circumstances. That is basically what the centre is all about.
I am curious to see how the session will unfold. This is my first time taking part in a meeting of this type, and for that reason, I will say nothing more for the time being. Mr. Bourcier made a very good presentation and provided a great deal of information.
There are a number of things occurring in Dawson at this time. I think it's important to make you aware of the situation. Even though we have been actively engaged with Francophones for more than 25 years now, there are still major challenges. That is why I feel that it is appropriate for us to be here today.