Rendez-vous de la Francophonie 2003 in the Public Service of Canada
The Rendez-vous celebrates the vitality and vigour of Canada’s Francophone communities. Some 600 Francophones and Francophiles from the National Capital Region responded to the invitation from the Honourable Lucienne Robillard, President of the Treasury Board.
The morning began with a dynamic, uplifting presentation by the band Châkidor. This energetic and humorous performance thrilled the audience.
The masters of ceremonies, veteran Radio-Canada television announcers Valérie Lessard and Normand Latour, entertained the audience and added their own note of good humour to the morning’s activities.
After a word of welcome from NAC community programming producer Michel Dozois, Language Training Canada student Allan Wood, accompanied on the guitar by his wife, sang a song he had written about conjugating the verb "savoir". It was quite a feat!
On behalf of the President of the Treasury Board, Mauril Bélanger, M.P. for Ottawa-Vanier and Chairman of the Standing Committee on Official Languages, officially launched the Rendez-vous. His address on the vitality of the French language and culture in Canada gave the participants a renewed feeling of pride that will encourage them to further promote the use of French in federal workplaces and to give it more importance in their daily activities. "By taking our French language and culture to heart, you advance the cause of official bilingualism more than any policy or any law. It is a matter of pride and of attitude," Mr. Bélanger concluded.
Other distinguished guests contributed to the success of the launch, particularly Roch Carrier, National Librarian of Canada, who gave an account of his personal journey as a writer. The participants enjoyed hearing how he had lived his personal life and about his successful breakthroughs as a writer, playwright, storyteller, novelist and poet. His anecdotes gave everyone renewed pride in their heritage.
An interactive game, "a passion for words", was created for the event, with the help of the Translation Bureau’s Martine Racette and consultant Frèdelin Leroux. The six participants, Marie Bergeron, Brigitte Mousseau, Georges Tsaï, Claude Dubois, Christopher Gibbins and Benoît Morissette, kindly agreed to play the game, to everyone’s pleasure. A good time was had by all!
Internationally renowned illustrator and cartoonist Paul Roux closed the morning and created a drawing inspired by the launch activities.
The participants were able to have books signed by the fifteen or so local authors who were in attendance. The atmosphere was exciting!
A string quartet of students from De La Salle High School created a subdued mood by playing appropriate music. The performers were Myriam Sadeg, Emmanuelle Lambert-Lemoine, Shasta Ellenbogen and Thaddeus Morden.
Two Royal Canadian Mounted Police officers in dress uniform, Constable Renaud and Corporal Lafond, helped give the event a ceremonial flavour.
There were also information booths to promote discussion and highlight the importance of the French fact in Canada.
Special thanks are due to the sponsors for their great generosity: the National Arts Centre, the National Library and National Archives, the Public Service Commission of Canada (Language Training Canada), Communication Canada, National Defence, Human Resource Development Canada, Finance Canada, Industry Canada, the Rendez-vous de la Francophonie, Canadian Heritage, Radio-Canada, Health Canada and the Treasury Board of Canada Secretariat.
Further thanks go out to all institutions for their contributions that were awarded as door prizes. Again this year, many people were delighted thanks to the generosity of the institutions.
All in all, it was another memorable Rendez-vous de la Francophonie.
Press release
Photos Album
|
