Grand Rassemblement Jeunesse 2009

Tracadie-Sheila, New Brunswick, Wednesday, August 12, 2009

I am absolutely delighted to be the patron of such a wonderful gathering. With this patronage, you and I are instantly connected.

Just over one month ago, I was in Memramcook, not far from here, to bid a final farewell to one of my predecessors, the Right Honourable Roméo LeBlanc, for whom I have the deepest admiration.

On that day, the words of the Acadian national anthem echoed throughout the small Saint Thomas Church:

“Acadie ma patrie,
Ma terre et mon défi,
De près, de loin tu me tiens,
Mon cœur est acadien.
Mon cœur est acadien.”

Roméo LeBlanc was born and raised in Memramcook. And even though he spent years living in Ottawa, even though he travelled around the world—as a journalist, as a minister and as governor general—it was in Memramcook where he chose to live out the rest of his life, and nowhere else.

Because his roots ran deep into this fertile land that is Acadia.

Into its history, which is a lesson in courage and perseverance.

Into its French heritage, which has spread across our country and is a treasure for all Canadians.

Into this belonging to a family of brothers and sisters in language and heart. A rediscovered family that you are celebrating right now against the backdrop of the fourth World Acadian Congress.

Listen to the words that Roméo LeBlanc spoke 10 years ago at the second World Acadian Congress: “Your efforts, your battle are not in vain. They are an affirmation of the thriving life of the Acadian people wherever they are in the world today. (…) In spite of a painful history that is still with us, we, the Acadians, have surmounted extraordinary obstacles.”

These words are so powerfully relevant today, and I can identify with them myself as the descendant of an Acadian family, the LeBlancs, who in 1763, arrived in Saint-Domingue, a French colony in the West Indies, later renamed Haiti, its original name, when it achieved independence in 1804.

As you know, during the Deportation, the “Great Upheaval,” Acadians were split up, loaded onto ships and deported.

They were then scattered along the American coast, but many towns refused to let them in.

Some were shipped off to Europe, while hundreds of others set sail once again and emigrated to Saint-Domingue.

Cangé LeBlanc, father of my great-grandmother, Célia LeBlanc, was a descendant of the LeBlancs who arrived in 1763.

Those LeBlancs and all the Acadians who settled in Haiti were known as petits blancs, or “little whites”; they were labourers who slowly married into the local population, creating a Creole population.

Some of them did very well.  

My great-great-grandfather became a coffee merchant-exporter on the southern part of the island, in Jacmel, where my mother’s family is from.

My great-grandmother, it seems, was a determined, extremely energetic woman who was known for being actively involved, politically aware, and very elegant.

In jest, she was referred to as “the general,” which did not displease such a capable woman.

I wonder what she would have thought of her great-granddaughter becoming Governor General of Canada and commander-in-chief of the Canadian Forces!

You have to admit, it is pretty remarkable!

I am delighted to share this part of my genealogy with you, as I am very proud of it.

History would see our paths cross, and that is what is most important. Just look at how today, those crossings create spaces for solidarity, fellowship and closeness between us and within the extended human family.

It is said that only the tree that has withstood the repeated onslaughts of the wind is truly hearty, because it is in that struggle that its roots, put to the test, grow stronger.

Today, I say to you: be like that tree planted so firmly in the ground that nothing can bend it, break it or uproot it.

The prouder you are of your origins, culture, language, the history to which you are adding your own pages, the more ready you will be able to go out into the world and find your place in it.

A place that allows you to take up the torch of those who have come before you, yet is filled today, here, now, with your hopes, ideas, experiences, and your daring.

It is up to each of you to make this precious heritage that you have been given your own, to protect it and help it grow.

Whenever I see emerging young Acadian artists like Danny Boudreau, Dano LeBlanc—creator of the well-known character Acadieman—Daniel Léger, Fayo, Louise Vautour, Pascal Lejeune or even the group Radio Radio, which will be performing for you this evening, I say to myself that Acadia is still going strong and is more vibrant than ever.

I tell myself that the youth of Acadia have the strength of character, determination and creativity of those who first made it what it is by daring to dream and fighting to make those dreams a reality. I tell myself that it is they who are making its search relevant to today’s world.

A search that is particularly important given that it guarantees our success and Canadian originality in the current context of globalization.

Because although it may be teeming with possibilities, globalization also brings a tremendous amount of pressure to bear on cultures.

The balance between being open to the world and to others and preserving one’s uniqueness, one’s identity, is without a doubt the most pressing issue that we are all facing.

What is at stake is our ability to access the full range of human experience and the irreplaceable, invaluable cultural and linguistic diversity of humanity.

In this regard, Acadia is a success story, given its ability to renew itself and to create a space in which a myriad of voices, points of view, ideas and experiences can be expressed.

Acadia enriches the heritage of humanity and deserves to be protected, defended, celebrated, as it will be in a few days when we mark National Acadian Day with a great tintamarre.

You have always existed, resolutely, alongside the dominant language and in permanent contact with it.

It is at once a daily struggle, a source of inspiration for any minority community and an incredible strength.

New Brunswick, home to the largest number Acadians, is the only officially bilingual province in the country.

And do you know what?

That bilingualism is due in part to the young Francophone students at the Université de Moncton. Those students had a lot of courage and did not mince words in demanding services in French in the late 1960s.

They helped to change the way people thought and to build bridges between citizens within a community.

And today, they are society’s leaders.

Exactly one year ago today, I took part, as honorary patron, in the World Youth Congress that was held in Quebec City as part of the celebrations marking the 400^th anniversary of its founding.

The Congress brought together young people from all over the world, as well as Francophone delegates from Canada and several other Francophonie countries whom I had met two months earlier at a dialogue held at the Citadelle—the governor general’s other official residence—with the Conseil international des organisations de jeunes de la Francophonie.

I am especially pleased to note the presence here today of young Francophones from every corner of Atlantic Canada and the rest of the country, as well as a delegation from Belgium, Romania, France and the United States.

So, last summer, the young people from the World Congress, as well as those from La Francophonie, shared their views with me and began a most inspiring dialogue on their contribution and desire to take action and be taken into consideration in decision-making processes.

And I shared with them a profound conviction. A conviction upon which is based my commitment to you, our youth, whom I have made my priority as governor general of Canada.

The conviction that you are the “movers and shakers” of our planet.

For example, at the heart of the concerns of young Acadians like you, there is the desire to promote the French language as a space not only for communication, but also for encounter to reflect and take action together on issues such as the environment, democracy, leadership and civic engagement, as well as on challenges facing our society, very important social realities and concerns.

I hear you and I see the work you are doing. 

You know, wherever my travels have taken me, across Canada and abroad, I have seen just how far removed our youth are from the narrow “fend for yourself” mentality that seems to have taken hold of the world, to the detriment of all.

You are not indifferent; your presence here is proof of that. You are concerned about the future of your community and the world, and you want to do your part and share your unique perspective.

I love to see the extent to which you, today’s youth, are finding imaginative solutions and daring to find new ways of mobilizing those around you and rekindling the hope that the world can change.

I believe it is important to encourage and recognize the solutions that you are putting forward to address the challenges we are currently facing. They are quite often solutions that we had never considered and that would bring about lasting change.

And I believe that you are the lifeblood of this country, not just for what you can do to shape the future, but because of what you are doing every day, here and now, to shape the present.

I believe in your ability to bring together the efforts and energies of others for the good of all, for the common good.

This gathering is an incredible opportunity to come together, to exchange ideas and continue the dialogue with a view to bringing about solutions to the challenges facing today’s Acadia.

There are so many networks here that enable you to develop your capabilities, make your voices heard and move forward.

Networks that, for the most part, are expanding to include all of the Canadian and international Francophonie. Networks of solidarity that are multiplying and increasing the scope of your action.

So don’t hesitate to become involved in these networks or to expand them so that they reach youth in other communities who are facing the same challenges and the same realities.

In this same spirit, I also invite you to build bridges between generations.

Young and old alike, we have so much to learn from one another.

That is why I launched a mentorship program last year to pair up youth and members of the Order of Canada, women and men who have achieved extraordinary and inspiring things.

They include creative minds, scientists, business leaders, community representatives, journalists. The list goes on and on.

They are all interested in supporting young people who want to excel, and in learning about the concerns, ideas, initiatives and dreams of the next generation. It is a two-way relationship that progresses in a spirit of reciprocity.

If you are interested in this program, you will find more information on a card that we will be handing out later.

I have no doubt that when the ideas of youth and the experience of the members of the Order of Canada come together, there will result untold promises for your future and the future of our communities.

You belong to a people that is unique in the world. A people that can be found in every area of society and that is actively involved in our evolution.

The time has come to assert your uniqueness, creativity and skills, and to reinvent Acadia’s place in the world today.

Be proud of who and what you are. And don’t be afraid to dream big.

Know that as you, our youth, pursue your dreams, you will be making Acadia and all of Canada proud.

Be like that tree with strong, deep roots, whose branches reach high into the sky, up to where the horizon knows no bounds.

That is the challenge that I am putting to you today.

Thank you for extending such a warm welcome to me. I hope that this youth assembly will be an enriching experience for you, one that is equal to your aspirations, drive and willingness to take action.