Caraquet, August 21, 2009
Acadian Youth: The Key to the Future of a Community
Rich in Culture and History
Notes for an address at the “Pleins feux sur la génération 19-35 ans” day
Graham Fraser – Commissioner of Official Languages
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Dear friends,
I am very pleased to be here among you in the Acadian Peninsula on such a special day and on the occasion of the World Acadian Congress. Ten years ago, I gave a speech to members of Dialogue New Brunswick. It was also in 1999 that the province hosted the Francophone Summit. Through the Congrès mondial acadien, New Brunswick once again welcomes the world.
Like thousands of Canadians, earlier this summer, I watched the televised funeral of Roméo LeBlanc, a great Canadian and a great Acadian. I was moved by the accounts of those who knew him, which confirmed my own impression. I did not know Mr. LeBlanc well, but I had met him in the early 1960s while I was a teenager and he, a London, UK, correspondent for Radio-Canada. It’s often around young people that people tend to open up. He was easygoing, open and respectful; qualities that he demonstrated throughout his life and career. I’d like to take this moment to express my deepest condolences to Mr. LeBlanc’s family and to the Acadian community.
You are no doubt aware that, for a very long time now, I have been passionate about Canada’s French language and culture. I am always trying to learn more about Francophone communities in Canada, including Acadia.
Even though I took French courses in high school (French immersion didn’t exist yet), it was during a visit to Île-aux-Noix, near Montréal, that the Francophone culture really made an impression on me. I was 19 years old and a student at the University of Toronto. The Official Languages Act didn’t exist yet, and it was unusual to see a young English-speaking Ontarian visiting Quebec willingly, to immerse himself in French culture. This experience ended up being a turning point in my life. This is also why, throughout my career as a journalist, I have been interested in issues related to the French language and culture, as well as the language policy in Canada.
I am particularly fascinated by the question of identity, especially in relation to official language minority communities. I have already shared my thoughts on this during my visit to Caraquet last March. I talked about trying to understand what it means to be a Francophone in Canada and, more specifically, to be Acadian. I found Alexis Couture’s remarks interesting when he said that youth “have a much broader vision of Acadia; that they don’t have this notion of regionalism.” Besides, like other Francophone communities in Canada, Acadia is redefining itself.
As young Acadian leaders in your communities, you are contributing to this process. More importantly, you are helping to promote the growth and vitality of your communities across Atlantic Canada. Though some of you may no longer live in the region, you play an equally important leadership role, be it by creating awareness about Acadian issues or by supporting your regional counterparts.
I am also glad to see that, as young Acadians, you recognize the need to return to your home region to live. You are also committed to continued education in French and to a thriving Acadian culture. This is what makes you role models for the wider French-Canadian community.
There is, of course, more work to be done. According to a recent study by the Canadian Institute for Research on Linguistic Minorities entitled And After High School?, most young people believe that there are very few interesting job opportunities in Atlantic Canada—there are more jobs in Western Canada, in Ontario and in Quebec. I believe this perception is unfortunate, if not erroneous and is contributing to the exodus of young people, an issue that is affecting most of our official language minority communities, particularly in Atlantic Canada. We live in an increasingly urban society that is moving further and further away from rural regions, preferring to settle in major centres. The study by the CIRLM also tells us that only a third of our youth plan to stay and find jobs in their own communities after graduation. This can be perceived as a self-fulfilling prophecy, where the prediction influences the resulting action. If Acadian youth continue to leave the Atlantic region, the economy will certainly suffer.
I am glad that Acadia is taking measures to fight this trend. In New Brunswick, two major initiatives are in place to encourage the younger generation to return to and get more involved in their communities. One of these campaigns entitled “J’y reviens, j’y reste”, which is managed by Entreprise Péninsule, aims to bring young people in the 18–35 age group back to their communities and provide them with tools to facilitate this process. The Fédération des jeunes francophones du Nouveau-Brunswick is another organization that is doing its part through its “C’est MA communauté” project, focusing on leadership development among youth and on providing youth with opportunities to get involved in their community and participate in the municipal decision-making process. To date, these initiatives have been a great success.
Despite these efforts, not all young people will want to stay in Atlantic Canada. We live in a time of great mobility and Acadians have always been travellers. The idea, however, is to get them to take a second look at the opportunities that are available in their own communities. In Acadia, the younger generation can easily contribute to the vitality of its community and be directly involved in its growth. Working for community organizations is one such opportunity that could help you acquire valuable experience in leadership and management—experience that may serve you well throughout your career.
Leadership, however, is by no means limited to your job. You are role models for not only your own generation but also the generation to follow. Despite the influence of English, your actions will help today’s youth discover their cultural heritage and identity and value the French language.
In order to ensure community vitality, it is also important that youth pursue their post-secondary education in French. In New Brunswick, most young Francophones choose to do so. However, it is not so common in other Atlantic provinces, where English is more often the language of study. I would therefore like to commend Université de Moncton, Université Sainte-Anne, community colleges of New Brunswick and the Collège de l’Acadie for offering quality programs in French and for welcoming, every year, a significant number of Francophone students from Acadia and beyond. I also urge other universities in the Atlantic region to follow their example. Some universities already offer immersion students the possibility of continuing their studies in French. But wouldn’t it be a great opportunity for these students to be able to gather with their Francophone peers under one roof and exchange ideas?
Such a spirit of openness to the majority community is important, because, like me, there are Francophiles who support our official language minority communities and their arts and culture. As the face of our society evolves, all communities, including Acadia, will have to change with the times and in the process welcome new players like Francophiles and newcomers.
This fall, we will be celebrating the 40th anniversary of the Official Languages Act. For its part, New Brunswick is also celebrating the 40th anniversary of its own Official Languages Act
this year. This will be a great opportunity for youth to reflect on past achievements and take an active role in shaping the future of Acadia and of the Canadian Francophonie.
Thank you.
