Hon. Lucie Moncion: Honourable senators, on September 25, we will mark Franco-Ontarian Day. It is a very important day for our community as we proudly celebrate our language and culture. This year, I would like to highlight the contribution of a great Franco-Ontarian, whose legacy is that of a more dignified francophone community.

Gisèle Lalonde, a remarkable member of Ontario’s francophonie, passed away on July 27 at the age of 89. Gisèle dedicated her life to improving the lives of francophones, whether in education, health or the community.

At the age of 32, she was elected as a school commissioner. In this English-dominated environment, she was the only francophone woman at her first school board meeting. Today’s French-language school board system in Ontario exists in part due to Gisèle Lalonde’s determination.

Ms. Lalonde was involved in municipal politics from 1985 to 1991, when she served as mayor of the City of Vanier.

However, it was in 1997 that Ms. Lalonde really made a name for herself, when the Conservative government of the day decided to close the Montfort Hospital, Ontario’s only French‑language teaching hospital.

As president of the SOS Montfort movement, she rallied the troops and organized a historic event on March 22, 1997, bringing together over 10,000 people from francophone communities across Ontario to demonstrate at the Ottawa Civic Centre. I’m sure you all remember the “Montfort, fermé, jamais!” rallying cry. That was 100% Ms. Lalonde, and it became a call to arms for all Franco-Ontarians.

Gisèle Lalonde was the architect of the court case against the Government of Ontario, a battle she won on December 7, 2001, when the Ontario Court of Appeal ruled on the constitutionality of francophone minority rights. Thanks to Gisèle Lalonde, the Montfort Hospital will never be closed. Since then it has doubled its size and the services it offers.

Ms. Lalonde was on the board of the Association des conseils scolaires publics de langue française de l’Ontario and helped create the Centre franco-ontarien de ressources pédagogiques, which produces educational material distributed across Canada and around the world.

Gisèle Lalonde was awarded many distinctions and honours in her lifetime. The list is a long one, but I want to name just a few. She received an honorary degree from Sudbury’s Collège Boréal and honorary doctorates from Saint Paul University, the University of Ottawa and Laurentian University. She was a member of the Order of Canada, the Order of Ontario, and the Ordre des francophones d’Amérique. She was presented with the Key to the City of Ottawa and the Fédération des communautés francophones et acadienne’s Prix Boréal. There is also a high school in Orleans named in her honour.

Thank you, Gisèle, for everything you have done. Our francophone community is faring better thanks to you.

Thank you for your attention.

Hon. Lucie Moncion: Honourable senators, I give notice that, at the next sitting of the Senate, I will move:

That the papers and evidence received and taken and the work accomplished by the Standing Committee on Internal Economy, Budgets and Administration relating to the study of the Long Term Vision and Plan from previous parliamentary sessions, be referred to the Committee so that it may then authorize the disclosure of certain presentations prepared for the committee to Public Services and Procurement Canada and the Office of the Auditor General of Canada.

[English]

Hon. Bernadette Clement: I’d like to thank Senator Moncion for that tribute to Gisèle Lalonde, who was a wonderful woman.

Honourable senators, I rise today in honour of Franco-Ontarian Day, which is on September 25.

On this day, the green and white flag with the fleur-de-lys and the trillium is proudly raised, and students across the province will sing “Mon beau drapeau.” Allow me to share a few lines:

This land so white is where it all begins.

The families grew, there was lots of kin.

They raised their children until fully grown,

and against the conquerors they held their own.

This song tells the story of newcomers, colonizers hoping to leave their mark and build a community in a majority‑anglophone country. This battle, the battle of Franco‑Ontarians, is ongoing. New advocates are needed because, as we can see everywhere, those now championing the cause do not resemble those who came before them.

Go to a meeting of the Réseau de soutien à l’immigration francophone de l’est de l’Ontario or the Association des communautés francophones de l’Ontario, de Stormont, Dundas et Glengarry and you will see faces that look like mine. You will hear accents from all over the world. You will see the present and the future of the French language in this province.

My hope is that the francophonie in Ontario and Canada will flourish, because it is welcoming. Second-language speakers, who are so numerous in this place, will feel confident enough to express themselves in French. Anglophones will want to engage with francophone culture. There will be exchanges between Indigenous and francophone communities.

Make no mistake: not mentioning colonialism in our celebration of the survival of the francophonie is an omission I cannot accept. French is a colonial language. We cannot do better in the future unless we acknowledge our past. This country was already rich in culture and language before we, the colonizers, the settlers, arrived.

Today, francophones come from all over the world, they have identities and customs that are unique and valued for weaving together common cultures and traditions. My hope is that, if we embrace differences in others, the refrain of “Mon beau drapeau” might come to be interpreted a bit differently, that it will not just apply to those who arrived hundreds of years ago and their descendants. My hope is that it reflects the colour of the skin we are in today and that the pride this song refers to is shared by everyone, regardless of their skin colour, accent or origin.

As we have sung many times here in Ontario:

True to their past,

speaking a language of old.

Proud to have come and stayed,

and still be here after all these years.

Thank you.