Mr. Speaker, I know you to be an admirable colleague and an ally of official languages and francophones, especially in Ontario. I am pleased to make a few comments to you today on the topic of official languages.
It is a privilege for me to speak this evening to a topic that combines my two great loves: the French language and the City of Montreal, my language and my city. Both need our attention and some serious help.
Montreal has been hard hit by the COVID-19 crisis, which has emptied all the high-rises downtown and brought many of our businesses to the brink. Montreal, which had excellent momentum before the pandemic, is now a shadow of its former self, according to some observers. However, I know that with love and attention it will rebound.
Then there is the status of the French language in our Quebec metropolis, which everyone is talking about lately, and rightly so. The issue of the French language in Quebec and in Montreal is fundamental, and we have to do everything we can to protect it.
I come from the Joly branch of the family with roots in Saint-Canut and the Racine branch from Sainte-Anne-des-Plaines. I can trace 13 generations of francophones in Quebec. I still tease my mom when she sometimes tries to use her English. As a teacher, my mother, Laurette, did everything she could to pass on to us, her three children, her love of French.
We had big families where I come from. We would get together regularly, and during the holidays, we would always watch Bye Bye on French CBC. About 40 of us would crowd around the television. Christmas and New Year's Eve celebrations were always fun. All my life and to this day, I laugh, I cry and I love in French. I learn and I work in French. I live every day in French with Félix, whose grandmother, Gabrielle, fled Germany during the Second World War.
As Quebeckers and Canadians, we must constantly remind ourselves that we are francophones in America, having come from around the globe, a linguistic minority in an immense space, and we are therefore in a situation of survival. We must always do more and go a little further than what is expected of us.
Our government recognizes that and offered a historic recognition in the Speech from the Throne last September. We recognize that we have a responsibility to protect and promote French, not only outside Quebec, but also within its borders.
It is with that objective in mind that we will modernize and strengthen our Official Languages Act, and we will do it properly because it is too important for our country and our identity. This means that we must have the courage of our ambitions, ask tough questions and draw the necessary conclusions, such as the decline of the French language.
It also means that all of us here are duty bound to work together, not against each other, to strengthen our French language in Quebec and in Canada. Language-related anxiety is very real among Canadians and we have to take appropriate measures.
I am extremely concerned by the data that shows a decline in the use of French in Montreal. Obviously, people should have access to services in French in their day-to-day lives. As a francophone, I want to be able to go to a coffee shop and be served in French. I want to make sure that my children will grow up and get a good education in French in my own city.
Passing on one's language is integral to our identity, our roots. Every parent would say how important it is. It is visceral. It is an issue that touches us deeply at the very core of our being and, as a Montrealer, proud member of Parliament for Ahuntsic-Cartierville and Minister of Official Languages, I want to tell people that I hear them and I understand them.
We will work together to ensure that Montreal remains Quebec's crown jewel of the French language for the generations to come. All levels of government need to participate, and we must all work together.
Let us be clear: The common language in Quebec is French. Any work to strengthen one person's rights must not come at the expense of another's.
The city of Montreal is woven together by diverse cultures and steeped in the history of the francophone and anglophone communities that have been coexisting, intermingling and working together to build a future for generations. Has it always been that simple? No, it has not, but this intricacy, this mosaic, makes the city stronger and fuels creativity. French has flourished for years and continues to do so, thanks to the existing laws and strong institutions.
Today, the conclusion is rather simple. We must do more. Times have changed, and society has as well. I urge those elected officials who are tempted to turn official languages into a political issue to take a step back. We can all work together to strengthen the French language in Montreal and ensure that everyone's rights, including those of the anglophone minority, are respected.
I hope we can rise above partisanship in this debate, above the notion of “Montreal versus everyone else”, above the divisions that are so easy to create. When Montreal is doing well, all of Quebec does well and breathes a little easier, and so does the entire country.
As we deal with the COVID-19 crisis, which is, let's face it, already extremely stressful, now is not the time to exacerbate tensions. Rather, we need to defuse them. This is the time to be conciliatory. We owe it to our fellow citizens. I know that I have valued allies among my francophone and anglophone colleagues. Regardless of our origins, this is a subject that motivates us and brings us together. Our language is beautiful; we must take care of it and we must be proud of it.
Let us work together as members in this House, with all governments and citizens, so that Montreal, a francophone city, a city of students, a Quebec metropolis, remains the crown jewel of La Francophonie in the Americas and keeps inspiring the entire world. We all have a responsibility to do so.