Evidence of meeting #9 for Official Languages in the 42nd Parliament, 1st Session. (The original version is on Parliament’s site, as are the minutes.) The winning word was tool.
A recording is available from Parliament.
Liberal
The Chair Liberal Denis Paradis
Friends, I would like to begin by welcoming the French delegation, which will be with us for a few minutes.
I would like to welcome Ms. Vautrin and her colleagues.
Ms. Vautrin, perhaps you could introduce your colleagues to the members of the committee. We will take about five minutes for this. We will have to change our agenda slightly, but I think it's important to recognize your presence in Ottawa.
Catherine Vautrin V.P. French National Assembly and its delegation, French Republican Party
Mr. Chair, thank you for welcoming us here.
We just attended question period, which was fascinating.
Our delegation includes French and European parliamentarians. Arnaud Danjean is a member of the European Parliament. His area of expertise is defence. Tokia Saïfi served as a minister and is now a member of the European Parliament who specializes in foreign affairs and circum-Mediterranean cooperation. Arnaud Robinet is deputy mayor of Reims, the champagne city. Franck Riester is deputy mayor of Coulommiers, which is known for its cheese, as Arnaud laughingly commented. I am just repeating what was whispered in my ear. Both Arnaud and Franck are members of the French Parliament. Maël de Calan is the elected representative of a department in a region in Brittany. He is from the Roscoff commune. I am the vice-president of the National Assembly and a member from Reims, alongside Arnaud Robinet.
We are very pleased that the Canadian government invited us to spend a few days here to learn about Canada's institutional systems and to talk about things that we have in common and that interest us. This morning, we listened to a debate on education and another on immigration that clearly raised some questions.
Mr. Chair, on behalf of our group, I would like to thank you for this opportunity to meet everyone here, and I thank you for welcoming us.
Liberal
The Chair Liberal Denis Paradis
Thank you, Ms. Vautrin.
I will ask members of the committee to introduce themselves and tell us what region they represent. There are francophones and anglophones around the table, but most of the members are francophones from across Canada.
We will start with our parliamentary secretary.
Liberal
Randy Boissonnault Liberal Edmonton Centre, AB
Thank you, Mr. Chair.
I would like to thank my colleagues from abroad for being here with us today. On behalf of the Minister of Canadian Heritage, the Hon. Mélanie Joly, I thank you for being here with us.
I'm from Edmonton, the capital of Alberta. Alberta has a francophone community made up of over 80,000 francophones and 240 francophiles. We have francophones, francophiles and “franco-curious” people booming.
I am the first Franco-Albertan to hold a seat at the federal level in recent decades. I'm very proud to be here and honoured to meet you.
Liberal
Dan Vandal Liberal Saint Boniface—Saint Vital, MB
My name is Daniel Vandal. I am the member for Saint Boniface—Saint Vital, a riding in Winnipeg, Manitoba. Winnipeg is in the middle of Canada. Actually, it is in the middle of North America. Saint Boniface—Saint Vital has a significant francophone and Franco-Métis population. Approximately 22% of the population speaks French.
I am pleased to welcome you to Ottawa.
Liberal
Liberal
Darrell Samson Liberal Sackville—Preston—Chezzetcook, NS
My name is Darrell Samson. I'm an MP from Nova Scotia, and I'm Acadian. I'm sure you've met lots of Acadians. There are several in the room and around this table. I should also say that a third of Quebeckers are of Acadian extraction. As I'm sure you've observed, they are not only a happy people, but also an extremely proud one.
I'm sure you know who the Acadians are. We came from your part of the world and arrived in Acadia, which includes Nova Scotia, New Brunswick, and Prince Edward Island. We live all over the world now, but the important thing is that we came to stay.
Thank you.
Liberal
Paul Lefebvre Liberal Sudbury, ON
I'm not quite as colourful as Mr. Samson.
I'm originally from Kapuskasing, but I'm the MP for Sudbury, a city about five hours' drive north of Ottawa. People call my city the mining capital of the world because it has nine mines. It also has a university and two colleges. I'm originally from Kapuskasing, which is another five hours' drive north.
I am a member of the fourth generation, and we no longer know our Quebec cousins. We have lived in the north for several generations. We were raised in French. My children studied in French. I taught a tax law course at Laurentian University, also in French.
We live outside Quebec, but we live in French. That is our reality on all counts, from education to health to anything family-related.
Like everyone here on our side, I'm a new MP, and I'm very proud to represent my region.
I would also like to welcome you to Ottawa.
Liberal
Liberal
Linda Lapointe Liberal Rivière-des-Mille-Îles, QC
Hello, and welcome.
My name is Linda Lapointe. I'm the member for Rivière-des-Mille-Îles. That is in Quebec, and I live in French.
Liberal
Linda Lapointe Liberal Rivière-des-Mille-Îles, QC
Rivière-des-Mille-Îles is north of Montreal. It's a suburb that's home to about 100,000 people. It's a pretty suburb located along the Rivière des Mille Îles. If you've ever been to Montreal, you know that Montreal boasts three waterways: the St. Lawrence, the Rivière des Prairies, and the Rivière des Mille Îles. The Rivière des Mille Îles is to the north at the junction of my riding and the Lower Laurentians. It's a very beautiful riding.
I'm very happy to be here.
My ancestors are from Normandy, but we may have a little Acadian blood.
Liberal
Liberal
René Arseneault Liberal Madawaska—Restigouche, NB
Good afternoon.
My name is René Arseneault. I'm the MP for Madawaska—Restigouche, which is in a little maritime province called New Brunswick.
I am descended from proud Acadians. On my father's side, an Arseneault piloted Pierre Du Gua de Monts's ship, on which Champlain was travelling. On my mother's side, I am a Savoie. My mother is a Savoie, but from the crooked branch because we did not inherit any of the land that all the Savoies own in Europe.
Naturally, I'm proud to be Acadian. In Acadia, people speak French. As you know, Quebec is not the only place where people speak French. That is part of the beauty of Canada's cultural diversity when it comes to languages.
I'm proud to be here and to represent the people of my riding, 82% of whom are francophone. My home is not the Acadia of the sea. Traditionally, songs and poems about Acadia allude to the sea and to fishing. My Acadia is the land and the forest, particularly the lumber industry.
I welcome the French delegation.
Liberal
NDP
François Choquette NDP Drummond, QC
My name is François Choquette, and I'm the MP for Drummond.
I'm a member of the Canada-France Interparliamentary Association, but unfortunately, I wasn't able to be there at noon, so I missed you, but I'll take a raincheck for another time.
Thank you for coming. It's very nice to have you.
Drummondville is in Quebec. It's in central Quebec, right between Montreal and Quebec City. Drummondville is the home of poutine, although some people think it's Victoriaville. It's a wonderful place, of course. If you have a chance to go to Quebec and you stop in Drummondville, I would be pleased to welcome you there.
Liberal
Conservative
Bernard Généreux Conservative Montmagny—L'Islet—Kamouraska—Rivière-du-Loup, QC
Good afternoon, everyone. Welcome to Canada.
My name is Bernard Généreux, and I'm the MP for Montmagny—L'Islet—Kamouraska—Rivière-du-Loup, which is a big riding that borders the St. Lawrence in eastern Quebec. I am honoured to represent the most francophone riding in Canada: 99.999% of the people there are francophone. My wife is the only anglophone in the riding.