Statement made on 26 October 2011 by Senator Maria Chaput
Hon. Maria Chaput:
Honourable senators, on Friday, October 21, 2011, at the invitation of the Fédération des francophones de Terre-Neuve et du Labrador, I attended a banquet at which francophone communities paid tribute to Edna Hall, an employee of the Department of Canadian Heritage.
Here is an excerpt from the speech given by Julio Custodio, President of the Fédération des francophones de Terre-Neuve et du Labrador:
Tonight, the Federation's provincial council would like to recognize the exemplary contribution that an employee of the Department of Canadian Heritage has made to our francophone communities.
Ms. Hall had a clear understanding of the needs of the community and she took advantage of opportunities to support the community in its development.
She worked tirelessly with the provincial government to create the Office of French Services.
The Comité d'orientation aux Affaires francophones was also created under her direction. Today, this committee, which is managed by Canadian Heritage and brings together federal and provincial stakeholders and francophone organizations, is still a very welcome tool.
She supported the notion of building an educational and community centre in St. John's.
When the province announced funding for the construction of a new French school in St. John's, she ensured that the Department of Canadian Heritage was at the table to finance the community and shared portions.
Ms. Hall brought an awareness of the needs of the francophone community to senior officials within the public sector and encouraged them to show leadership regarding the Official Languages Act, particularly Part VII, which promotes positive measures.
Honourable senators, the French presence in Newfoundland and Labrador dates back to the early 16th century.
At present, there are 21,000 people in the province of Newfoundland and Labrador who can communicate in French, including 2,500 whose first language is French.
The francophones of Newfoundland and Labrador are found in three main areas: the Port au Port Peninsula, the greater St. John's area, and Labrador. In some communities, francophones make up nearly 12 per cent of the population.
Honourable senators, the francophones of Newfoundland and Labrador publicly recognized Ms. Hall for being a leader who was convinced of the benefits of linguistic duality in Canada. I would also like to thank her here today and wish her every success in her future endeavours.