Madam Speaker, I am pleased to respond today to Motion No.382 by the hon. member for Verchères—Les-Patriotes.
As we all know now, since this issue has been raised in the House a number of times, Motion No.382 asks, as part of the procedures set in motion by the Société nationale des Acadiens:
That a humble Address be presented to Her Excellency praying that ... she will intercede with Her Majesty to cause the British Crown to recognize officially the wrongs done to the Acadian people in its name between 1755 and 1763.
I am among those who thought this issue had been settled to the satisfaction of all parties directly affected. We now have, I am proud to say, a royal proclamation that recognizes the historical fact of the Deportation of 1755, as well as the hardships and suffering of the Acadians at that time.
The hon. member who is moving this motion was present with me on December 10, 2003, when the government of Canada announced the royal proclamation designating July 28 of each year, beginning in 2005, as a Day of Commemoration of the Great Upheaval. “All of Canada recognizes the birthplace of the Acadians”, said the Minister of Canadian Heritage at the time, the hon. member for Hamilton East. We must assume our responsibility with respect to all of our history, both the moments of glory and the tragedies. We will have an opportunity to reflect on this aspect once a year, on July 28.
At that ceremony on December 10, the President of the Société nationale de l'Acadie emphasized that the proclamation showed the level of maturity which Canadian society has reached in terms of respecting diversity. The president saw this as more than simply a sign of respect for the Acadians; he saw in it a recognition of the importance of cultural diversity in our country, as a cornerstone of its strength and prosperity.
“Acadians are proud of their culture and their identity”, added the president. They have learned that it is possible to live as a people within this great country of Canada, just as it is possible to be a part of Canada's francophonie and the big family of international Francophonie.
Everyone there was moved to tears by the testimony we heard last December 10. I am a history buff and every time I read about the Acadian deportation, I learn something new. This was a tragic event, whose memory is painful. What happened to the Acadians cannot, must not, be forgotten. Unfortunately, in the past, many Canadians may have forgotten about it.
Their history will not be transformed into a mere folktale, a story told by the elders; it will remain forever as a tragic part of their forefathers' reality. I hope that our history books, our classrooms and our museums, big and small, will teach young Canadians of today and tomorrow about the tragedy of the deportation, and particularly about the heroic rebirth of the Acadian people.
During last year's debates on this subject, some members said that telling our young people that it was a historic event was not enough, if we wanted them to have a proper grasp of its terrible reality. They felt we needed to consult the historical references in our history books to make sure that children are being given sufficient information to properly grasp the enormity of what the Acadians went through between 1755 and 1763, and for a number of years afterward as well.
We also need to examine whether these events are properly covered in our Canadian history books. Are other historical events also explained as clearly as they should be?
The deportation of the Acadians is a chapter in our history that must not be forgotten. We can all turn to that period and wish that this or that event had not taken place, or had turned out differently. But there is nothing at all that can be done about it. We cannot change the past, except in our dreams.
In my opinion, it is time we moved on. We have read the page and must not forget it, but it is time we turned the page. We may need to refer back to it to refresh our memory, but it will always be there.
Today's values have roots in the experiences of our shared past. This experience and the lessons we learn from it are what shapes the identity of Canadians today, as people who are respected and respectful, open-minded, tolerant, dynamic. Acadians are a hard-working people. The entrepreneurial spirit of the Acadians is reflected in the strength of their institutions, their university, companies like Assumption Life and others, and many educational facilities.
They are part of what ensures Canada is successful and prosperous. The Canadian government recognizes their dynamic nature and vital contribution to life in Canada. Everyone in the House recognizes this, at least I hope so. They are among the seven million Canadians who, like me, speak, sing, write, work—I play music—and live in French. These francophones are proof of a formidable vitality and extraordinary determination to grow and spread across a mostly anglophone continent.
There are many urgent issues relating to the official languages that need to be resolved. I am the chair of the parliamentary committee considering these issues. Minority communities, the Fédération des communautés francophones et acadienne du Canada and the Société nationale de l'Acadie, among many others, are categorical: they want job creation, health services in French, legal services in French, education and early childhood development, to name but a few.
We could also consider Bill S-4 by Senator Jean-Robert Gauthier, which will soon be introduced in this House. Apparently, I will have the honour of sponsoring this bill in this place to make Part VII of the Official Languages Act mandatory. These are tangible initiatives that need to be addressed now.
Naturally, the government is keenly interested in the future of the Acadian community. We all are. The Congrès mondial acadien will be held very soon on the occasion of the 400th anniversary of Samuel de Champlain's arrival. I intend to participate in it, as I did last time in Louisiana, or, as the locals say, in Louisian. I had the great pleasure of spending time with them.
However, I am not of the opinion that we should adopt this motion today. I think it is a bad idea for three reasons. I am not the only one to think so. First, we have approved the royal proclamation initiative.
Second, I think that the principle of demanding an apology through the head of State of another country brings us back, in a way, to colonial times. I do not partake in such activities. We are an independent and proud country. Francophones in this country are proud too. I think this is a bad idea.
Third, what kind of precedent would such an initiative set?
Where are we going with this? Will we make the same kind of demand with respect to the revocation of the Edict of Nantes?
We could talk about the loyalists in my riding. Are we going to ask the United States government to apologize for the way my loyalist constituents were treated?
I see a Bloc MP saying yes. He is free to think so, but that is not how I see it. I am asking my colleagues to vote against this motion. It is a matter of asserting our pride in being francophones today and when we vote on this motion, and not adopting this motion put before the House.