Mr. Speaker, the Cirque du Monde, a subsidiary of the Cirque du Soleil, will be in Purvirnituq and in Inukjuak, Nunavik, in March 2002.
The Cirque de Monde is a program introduced by the Cirque du Soleil with the co-operation of the Fédération des coopératives du Nouveau-Québec, the Caisse d'économie des travailleurs et travailleuses du Québec and the Kativik school board.
The aim of the Cirque du Monde is to help young people between the ages of 15 and 24 develop their self-esteem, and thus prevent, among other things, youth suicide and violence. It is not professional training as such.
Currently, there are 35 similar programs sponsored by the Cirque du Soleil under way in 18 different countries. The Cirque du Soleil invests 1% of the revenue from its annual ticket sales in its social action programs. This represents a considerable sum of money.
The director of these programs, Paul Laporte, maintains that these projects have a long term impact on communities, because the projects started by the Cirque du Soleil can be kept going for many years.