Mr. Speaker, the French language is an integral part of life and of the history and future of Canadian culture, which has been supported nationally through official bilingualism.
I had the privilege of attending French immersion at École Pauline-Johnson, where I started learning French at an early age. It is one of many French immersion programs in the regions in my riding.
Our government has introduced a bill to modernize the Official Languages Act in order to protect and promote French throughout Canada, including in my province of British Columbia.
We also rely on francophone immigration programs to recruit more francophone immigrants, such as the wonderful Moroccan chefs who were recruited in Whistler and have enriched the community, becoming a cherished part of it.