Statement made on 24 March 2010 by Senator Serge Joyal
Hon. Serge Joyal:
Honourable senators, the year 2010 marks the 100th anniversary of the founding of the daily newspaper, Le Devoir. This is an occasion to be celebrated, especially because it one of only two newspapers established by former federal MPs that is still in business. The other is The Globe, known today as The Globe and Mail, which was established in 1844 by George Brown, who was a member of the Legislative Assembly of the Province of Canada and became a senator in 1873.
The nationalist convictions of Henri Bourassa are well known: he firmly believed that Canada's military and foreign affairs policies should be distinct from those of Great Britain. He was, in some ways, ahead of his time. In 1931, the Statute of Westminster recognized the independence of the dominions and today, Canada is a completely sovereign nation, as Bourassa had wished in his time.
Bourassa's convictions about the future of the country led him to resign from the House of Commons and establish a newspaper to promote Canadian nationalistic thought. Le Devoir defined itself as a Catholic, nationalistic and independent newspaper.
Bourassa had an enormous influence on the people of his time. Bourassa edited the newspaper until 1932 even though his opinions on society were not always in step with the times.
Today, Le Devoir is a newspaper with a first-rate design, as proven by many awards won in recent years. It has embraced the transition to digital media without losing money, which is no small feat. Le Devoir has carved a special niche for itself among our media and its future is assured by its financial well-being.
But that is not all. Le Devoir enjoys a unique place within this country's public debate. The point of view of its editorial page is well known, as are those of other French-language newspapers, a healthy sign in a free and democratic society. Debate is always better served when opposing points of view on the future of the country are expressed using clear language and logical arguments.
Le Devoir prides itself on the fact that it opens its pages to opinions that differ from those expressed on the editorial page, and this definitely contributes to the vitality of our democracy.
The management and journalists at Le Devoir are extremely professional. Their approach to current events demonstrates their thorough familiarity with political culture and they carefully express points of view that exemplify experience, reflection and thorough analysis. I should also point out that the newspaper's cultural pages are unique in this country.
Perhaps most important of all is the quality of the French language that is used by Le Devoir, which is what its founder wanted. That is the institution's most brilliant crown jewel. In a world of communication that favours text messages and pronunciation spelling, there is a tendency to sacrifice nuance in favour of convoluted forms. As a result, the quality of the language is giving in to technology and the very essence of the language is degenerating.
I cannot emphasize enough that the quality of the French written in the pages of Le Devoir is exemplary. Its editorial writers, columnists and reporters express themselves beautifully in nuanced and elegant French. Long live Le Devoir and congratulations to the entire team.