On Friday, March 10, the Public Service Human Resources Management Agency of Canada, in collaboration with many partners, including the Rendez-vous de la Francophonie, kicked off the Rendez-vous celebrations in the Government of Canada. More than 600 Francophiles and Francophones attended the launch at the Canadian Museum of Civilization in Gatineau, Quebec.

The morning began merrily. The office woes of Francophones and Francophiles soon melted away with the valse musette music from the film “Le fabuleux destin d’Amélie Poulain” and with the help of accordionist Jacky Lepeintre, who set the mood for a celebration. Happy reunions, new acquaintances, delightful snacks, fine music—nothing was left to chance and everyone was happy to take part. A jovial atmosphere reigned. The very lively booths were a key part of the event’s success.

Many surprises awaited participants. Thanks to the generous contributions of institutions, booths were able to offer visitors enticing door prizes.

The contest marking the 36th anniversary of the Official Languages Act exceeded all expectations—51 texts were submitted from across the country, including 41 in French and 10 in English. It was a difficult choice to make, but the committee chose four texts as the top prize winners and posted them in the booth area. Thank you to everyone who took a few moments to share their vision of the Francophonie. The recipients received some valuable gifts in recognition for their fine efforts.

The theme of the Rendez-vous 2006 was cultural diversity. Francophones and Francophiles were encouraged to celebrate their cultural diversity, differences, traditions and accents, and create a culture that is a pleasure to share.

Accompanied by choir master Jacky Lepeintre and saxophone teacher Yves Lacourcière, the young students from Lycée Claudel kicked off the show with a song from “The Sound of Music” to the audience’s great delight. The children were a breath of fresh air.

Master of ceremonies Paul Lefebvre, Associate Artistic Director of the National Arts Centre French Theatre, played his role brilliantly. His words communicated his passion for the Francophonie, and his segues complemented the various stage performances perfectly. A real treat!

Extending a warm welcome to participants as host of the event was Michel Cheff, Director of Special Initiatives in the Office of the President and CEO of the Canadian Museum of Civilization.

This year, the opening remarks were made by a Francophile and great devotee of the French language. Diana Monnet, Vice-President, Official Languages Branch, Public Service Human Resources Management Agency of Canada, delivered a vibrant speech that stirred the entire crowd. “Each time you speak French,” she said, “you become an ambassador of the Francophonie. I am confident that you do so willingly and with conviction.” She also shared her personal definition of the Francophonie with participants, and was thanked with a big surprise!

Carole Beaulieu, Editor-in-Chief for L’Actualité, described the state of the French language nationally and internationally. She was quite optimistic about the future of French, recalling its place in the world and expressing her delight in seeing so many newcomers adopting French. She shared / of what it meant to speak more than one language, which she summarized in three words: pleasure, power and prosperity.

Sol, the wordsmith who upheld the vitality and richness of the French language, paid us a visit from the Great Beyond. Played by André Constant, “Sol” held the audience spellbound. The very attentive audience delighted in his wordplay and funny faces. It was as though the real Sol were on stage! It was a wonderful tribute to Marc Favreau, who once described Sol saying: “I draw with words; Sol operates on hear-say; he mixes everything up, understands nothing and therefore says it all.”

Next up was another surprise...

The classic American game show “Who Wants to Be a Millionaire?” was the inspiration for a game created by Fanny Vittecoq of the Translation Bureau, Public Works and Government Services Canada, with the participation of two teams of students from the Canada School of Public Service Training Centre.

Éric Charette of the Translation Bureau played game host for the two teams, the marmottes (groundhogs) and the incontournables (untouchables). In the end, no one won a million dollars, but we were all richer in knowledge. A big thank you to students Howard Hurley, Janice Mann, Warren Melanson, Pal Boghal, Teena Lapenski and Norma McLelland, and their teachers, Julie Levac and Johannie St-Roch, for being great sports.

And the surprises kept coming…

The crowd was then warmly welcomed by the dynamic and spirited Véronique Cloutier, official spokesperson for the Rendez-vous de la Francophonie for the third year running. After a few words about how she perceives the Francophonie, Véronique introduced Véronic DiCaire, godmother to newcomers to the Rendez-vous.

Accompanied by her two musicians, Véronic, with her trademark spirit and energy, played the theme song for the Rendez-vous de la Francophonie. What a pleasure it was to see this Franco Ontarian artist whose musical career has continued to grow since 1995, in Canada, France and the United States. Not bad for an artist born in the small town of Embrun, Ontario. She injected an infectious dose of pride into the show.

Then came time to wind down the launch.

André Thivierge, Director of the Marketing Promotion and Champions Division in the Agency’s Official Languages Branch, thanked everyone who contributed to this professional and dynamic event. He highlighted the exceptional participation of the master of ceremonies, Paul Lefebvre, and the presence of two RCMP officers, Annie Gagnon and Sylvie Jeannotte, thanking them for agreeing to come in their splendid dress uniforms. He also thanked all those who helped organize the event.

André extended an invitation to all participants to visit the Salon du livre de l’Outaouais (Outaouais book fair). It was free of charge thanks to arrangements made by Industry Canada; employees needed simply to show their government card. He also mentioned that cameramen had covered the event and that clips would be posted on the OLLO Web site. Participants were given a bookmark with the activities taking place in the following weeks.

In closing, André Thivierge thanked the members of the organizing committee:

Marie-Ève Sylvain and Mark Delorme, stage manager, the Canadian Museum of Civilization
Michèle Paré, Canadian Heritage
Jacinthe Mathieu, Canada School of Public Service
Lyne Labrèche, Privy Council Office
Pascale Gagnon and Laurent Vandeputte, Rendez-vous de la Francophonie
Aline Manson and Denise Fournier, Translation Bureau
Hakima Adjali, Export Development Canada
Karine Baron, Francine Dubé, Christelle Chartrand, Bernadette Larrue and Madeleine Simard, Public Service Human Resources Management Agency of Canada

The launch was an excellent showcase that enabled us to kick off the many government activities planned for the Rendez-vous celebrations. With the new theme song, Véronic DiCaire would continue to enrich the dialogue and strengthen the relationship between Francophones and Francophiles.