Mr. Speaker, I am proud to say that today, March 20, Canadians and thousands of other people throughout the world are celebrating the French language.
The Francophonie plays a vital role in Canada. One Canadian in four has French as his or her mother tongue, while one in three can speak that language.
Because of its linguistic duality, Canada is one of many French speaking countries, while also a member of the Commonwealth. For that reason, Canada, in co-operation with the participating governments of Quebec and New Brunswick, maintains a special relationship with close to one hundred countries, half of which are French speaking nations.
As a member of the Francophonie, Canada is proud to show its national identity at the international level.
I would like members of this House to take this opportunity-