Address at the Inauguration of the Chair in Canadian Studies at
Université de Paris III Sorbonne Nouvelle
June 23, 2000
Paris, France
I am very pleased to be here. I wish to thank the Rector of the Académie,
Mr. René Blanchet, for his kind words. The inauguration of this Chair in
Canadian Studies at Université de Paris III Sorbonne Nouvelle is largely due to
his efforts, as well as the commitment of President Jean-Louis Leutrat and
Professor Jean-Michel Lacroix.
I would also like to express my deep gratitude to Mr. Lacroix, who has
devoted more than 25 years of his professional life to making Canada - its
culture, its literature and its institutions - better known in France.
I wish, also, to thank the Association française d’études canadiennes. It
consists of more than 18 universities in France, each of which, in the last 20
years, has established a Canadian studies centre.
Ladies and gentlemen, the Chair we are inaugurating today is a fine
illustration of our shared wish to discuss the Canadian and French experience.
There is no doubt in my mind that it will be a lively forum. A place for
reflection and for free and thought provoking discussion.
This Chair is also a testament to the breadth of interest that university
professors, students and researchers have in Canada. You are the new explorers.
The heirs of those who - exactly four centuries ago in the spring of 1600 - came
to Tadoussac. And who, as long ago as 1604, in the company of Samuel de
Champlain and Pierre Dugua de Mons, established the first French settlement in
North America - in a place that would become Acadia. Canada and France will
celebrate together this important date in 2004, just as in 2008, when we will be
marking the 400th anniversary of the founding of Quebec City.
Over those four centuries, Canada has been transformed. Building on our
French and British heritage, our country has forged its own unique and original
personality. And in this age of globalization - where our growing sense of
multiple identities impels us to seek our unique selves - you are quite right to
look at Canada.
We have built a strong nation with two official languages. A country that is
a member of both La Francophonie and the Commonwealth. That, in itself, is a
singular accomplishment on a mainly English-speaking continent.
Thanks to the determination of Canadians and the support of governments, the
Francophonie has strong roots in Canada. Its principal home is, of course, in
Quebec, where the majority of our country's eight million Francophones
live. But it also is alive in New Brunswick, an officially bilingual province
where 40% of the population is Francophone. And elsewhere in Canada the French
fact continues to flourish and strengthen.
Some 300,000 young Canadians from English-speaking homes are enrolled in
immersion schools, where almost all of the teaching is in French. Since 1971,
the percentage of young Canadian Anglophones who are bilingual has been rising
steadily.
Our legal landscape is also unique. Our law is based on English common law
and French civil law. This typically Canadian bijuralism provides an instructive
example for international organizations and groups that must blend legal
traditions. It has also attracted the interest of many French experts.
These examples illustrate the extent to which Canada is, first and foremost,
the result of a profound conviction. The conviction that the idea of community
becomes most meaningful when every individual can find his or her own place
while respecting the identity of others. In this regard, our country is a
response to the challenge of the coexistence of identities.
At the dawn of this 21st century – as we all know – our
societies are increasingly multicultural or plural, as you often say in France.
The challenge to governments is to integrate this diversity as they pursue the
public good.
In this regard, it is wise to begin with a recognition of the rights of all
our citizens. This is the route we have taken in Canada in responding to the
special needs and circumstances of First Nations, the Inuit and the Métis. One
of our most significant recent initiatives was, of course, the creation in April
1999 of a new territory for the Inuit - Nunavut.
As you know, President Chirac was the first foreign Head of State to visit
Nunavut, only five months after it came into existence. On that occasion, he
spoke of a "Canada which is seeking and inventing rules for living together
in peace and tolerance." In these few words, your President captured the
essence of Canada.
Canadian multiculturalism is about overcoming isolation among peoples by
promoting mutual respect for our differences. This is, indeed, a challenge that
today faces the entire world. But it is on the basis of this principle that our
society has been developing ever since 1867, and especially since the beginning
of the 20th century. Today, only 48% of Canadians trace their origins
to France or Great Britain. The rest have joined us from every corner of the
globe.
This reality is reflected in the fact that the majority of people living in
Metropolitan Toronto, our largest city, were born outside Canada. The same can
be said of about half of the population of Vancouver, as well as an increasing
number of Montrealers.
Canada's Governor General was born in Hong Kong. The Premier of the province
of British Columbia was born in India. The third most common language spoken in
the country, after English and French, is Chinese!
In this context, it was hardly by chance that Canada opted for federalism as
its way of government. And this was a significant choice if we believe in the
potential of a decentralized system. For us, it was the only possible choice,
allowing everyone to preserve their identity while being part of a common
national project.
Naturally, any federal system also fosters debate and discussion - which can
be lively on occasion. But above our respective regional points of view, shared
values unite Canadians from coast to coast. And the central government expresses
those values.
Our history, our way of government and our vision of society shapes
Canadians' values and priorities. For example, opinion polls show that Canadians
give more importance to the role of government than our American neighbours do.
Canadians believe that government must work to ensure that prosperity is
shared. That the free market forces must be balanced by state intervention. To
assist the weakest members of society, maintain our universal health care system
and prepare future generations for success.
But, at the same time, we must control the size of government. That is why we
restored order to our public finances. Which has allowed us to achieve budget
surpluses over the last three fiscal years. It has also enabled us to cut the
national debt, reduce taxes and enhance existing programs or create new ones.
For example, every school and public library in Canada is now connected to
the Internet. Canada was the first country in the world to achieve this. And our
next goal is to connect every classroom to the Web. We are also in the process
of creating 2000 21st Century Chairs for Research Excellence in
Canadian universities, to develop a new generation of researchers and attract
the world's best minds to Canada.
These two examples show Canada’s desire to take its place in the
knowledge-based global economy. And we are convinced that the new world which is
emerging has the potential to improve the lives of every man, woman and child.
But it also brings its share of challenges.
One of the most obvious is undoubtedly that of preserving the cultural
diversity that so enriches our world. Technological transformations and the new
power of certain industries, some of which are based in our powerful southern
neighbour, have highlighted the importance of this issue in recent years.
In Canada, the fight for cultural diversity enlists both Francophones and
Anglophones. We strongly believe that it is possible to promote the
establishment of vast economic blocs without obliterating our differences. And
we are convinced that governments have a vital role to play in protecting and
promoting culture.
France and Canada are close allies in the struggle for cultural diversity. We
both invoke it in a number of fora, including UNESCO and La Francophonie. And it
is a concern that will, one day, have to be aired in other multilateral bodies
– including those that deal with technological and economic globalization.
Ladies and gentlemen, there are many intriguing discoveries in store in your
study of Canada. I am pleased and proud that you are interested in our country,
the history of our relations with France, and the challenges that await us as
allies and friends.
And I am convinced that this new Chair of Canadian Studies will help to
strengthen the special links between our two countries that have now existed for
four centuries.
Long live Canada! Long live France! And long live the friendship between
France and Canada!
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