Together
for the Future
Notes for an address by the Honourable David
Kilgour, Secretary of State
(Latin America & Africa)
to the Association Canadienne-Française
de l’Alberta
Edmonton, October 18, 1997
Good evening
ladies and gentlemen. I am very pleased
to be invited to meet again with the Association
canadienne-française de l'Alberta,
and to see your new La Cité Francophone
put to good use.
Your theme
of "Ensemble pour l'avenir!" is
a very appropriate one these days. We can
think of togetherness at many levels --
at the level of the local community, at
the level of national unity, and increasingly
at the level of the global community.
At the local
level, Franco-Albertans have a vibrant community.
In culture, education and civic participation,
your community sets a fine example for others.
I often wish that more Canadians elsewhere,
especially in Quebec, could visit your community,
and see that the French fact is indeed alive
in Alberta.
Your local
community contributes to our national togetherness.
Canada is not merely a country with a French
Quebec and an English "rest of Canada."
Rather we are a single nation with two official
language groups, whose members are spread
from sea to sea. It is the minority anglophone
communities in Quebec, and the minority
francophone communities, such as yours,
in other provinces like Alberta, that contribute
to this national reality.
Tonight,
however, I would like to comment on the
theme "Ensemble pour l'avenir!"
at a more global level. As Secretary of
State (Latin America and Africa), I have
become even more aware of how international
boundaries are changing in significance.
No longer can we isolate ourselves from
conflict or famine in Africa. And at the
hemispheric level, we are increasingly interacting
with members of the Latin American and Caribbean
communities.
In Canada,
one in three jobs and more than 40 per cent
of our gross domestic product are directly
dependent on exports. We rely on trade for
our livelihood. My government sees Latin
America as a priority area for expansion
of trade. Currently the majority of Canadian
trade is still directed at the United States.
Yet Latin America is a growing region that
has a GDP of $1.3 trillion, and a population
of 460 million. By 2020, that population
is expected to be 700 million, making it
one of the largest markets in the world,
and one with a growing number of middle-class
consumers. It is a region we must pay more
attention to.
Canada is
forging new links with Latin America and
the Caribbean at both political and economic
levels. In recent years we have assumed
our place in the Organization of American
States, and entered into the NAFTA [North
American Free Trade Agreement], which establishes
a new economic relationship with Mexico.
More recently we have concluded a bilateral
free-trade agreement with Chile. Efforts
are continuing to establish other trading
partnerships, and in March 1998, the nations
of the Americas will meet in Santiago, Chile,
to discuss proposals for a Free Trade Area
of the Americas by 2005. In January, Prime
Minister Chrétien will lead a Team
Canada trade mission to four major countries
of Latin America -- Mexico, Brazil, Argentina,
and Chile.
At the same
time, Canadians have been contributing to
the political stability of the region through
our peacebuilding activities in Haiti and
Central America. Increasingly we are assuming
a role as citizens of the hemisphere.
How can Franco-Albertans
play a part in our new global relations?
Many of you already know the advantages
of being fluent in both of Canada's official
languages. You already know how to conduct
your lives in more than one culture. These
are skills that also give you an advantage
internationally.
As one who
is struggling with Spanish after only a
few lessons, I am probably not the best
person to talk about the ease of learning
that language. But French shares common
roots with Spanish and Portuguese, and this
gives you a definite advantage in learning
to communicate with Latin Americans.
In the other
area of my portfolio, Africa, you also enjoy
great advantages as francophones, due to
the legacy of French and Belgian colonialism.
French is very widely spoken in Africa.
As Africans move from being recipients of
aid to participants in trade, Franco-Albertans
can play a role in Canada's relationship
with that continent too.
This is a
time for Canadians to be looking outward
beyond our borders, rather than turning
inward and withdrawing. Franco-Albertans
have a role to play in keeping Canada united,
and you have many cultural and linguistic
advantages that enable you to play an important
role with Canada in the global community.
As Canada becomes increasingly involved
in a shrinking world, we will need to work
"ensemble pour l'avenir."
Thank you.
|
