November/December 2003
Vol. 35, no. 6
ISSN 1492-4676

Le Droit Makes Headlines

Pauline Portelance, Communications

On September 22, nearly 200 people witnessed a historic moment when representatives from Library and Archives Canada and the daily newspaper Le Droit unveiled the front page of the newspaper’s first issue, dated March 27, 1913, at a reception marking the 90th anniversary of the paper.

Attendees heard speeches by special guests, including Gisèle Lalonde; Claude Gagnon, President and CEO of Le Droit; Guy Crevier, President of Gesca and publisher of La Presse; Don Boudria, Minister of State and Leader of Government in the House of Commons and Roch Carrier, National Librarian of Canada.

Radio Canada, through the participation of news anchor Michel Picard, was a key partner throughout the event. Television viewers from Eastern Ontario and Western Quebec were able to watch the unveiling during the news program Aujourd’hui.

The event also included the official opening of an exhibit of photographs, letters, copies of newspapers and flyers that tell the story of a daily newspaper that has played an important role in the Francophone communities of Eastern Ontario and Western Quebec.

The exhibit included a huge photo montage of former employees and an amazing collection of front page stories from the newspaper. In its first issue, Le Droit adopted and proudly displayed the motto "L’avenir est à ceux qui luttent" [the future belongs to those who fight]… and the paper’s 90 years of existence is concrete proof of this.