Mr. Speaker, I rise today to pay tribute to one of the oldest French language theatre companies in Canada. The twist in this tale is that this company is not now, nor has it ever been, based in Quebec. The company in question, which is celebrating its 70th anniversary this year, is the Cercle Molière, a French language theatre in the heart of St. Boniface, Manitoba.
Established in 1925, the Cercle Molière has survived in French for 70 years despite all the obstacles, for which we are very grateful. Whether the plays are by Molière, Michel Tremblay or Gabrielle Roy, the great thing is that the whole community is actively involved, either as actors, unpaid workers or audience members.
The theatre is a mirror of the surrounding community, and I applaud the Cercle Molière for its contribution to the growth and development of Manitoba's francophones. Bravo.