Mr. Speaker, on this International Day of La Francophonie, allow me to share with you these lyrical musings. From France the ships made their way.
We braved the St. Lawrence,
Our canoes slicing the rapids,
Across the Great Lakes, day by day.
The way was hard and long.
But we tamed the land,
And planted deep roots.
Now with villages and churches, we're 9 million strong.
People said we wouldn't succeed,
The ocean would swallow us whole.
But in a new land, we did flourish,
Our new lives we did lead.
We are francophone. We are proud.
Hear our many accents, our eloquence.
Faced with injustice, we cannot be silenced.
Our voice is strong and loud.
We are francophiles—proud, joyous and bold,
Freedom flows through our veins.
We champion human rights 'round the world,
Helping the hungry, helpless and cold.
Francophones everywhere hope to see
A better world, pluralist and united.
The language of Molière, strong and free,
Is what unites La Francophonie.
In the House of Commons on March 20th, 2013. See this statement in context.