Minister attends Francophone Day celebrations

Intergovernmental Affairs Minister and Minister responsible for Francophone Affairs Tom Lush was pleased to join the province�s Francophone community today in celebrating la Journ�e provinciale de la francophonie, or Newfoundland and Labrador Francophone Day.

"As minister responsible for Francophone Affairs in the province, I am pleased to declare today as Newfoundland and Labrador Francophone Day," said Minister Lush. "The purpose of this day is to recognize the historical and current contribution of our Francophone and Acadian community to the development of our province and to reinforce the sense of belonging to the province�s francophones."

In 1999, the Government of Newfoundland and Labrador passed an order-in-council declaring May 30 La Journ�e provinciale de la Francophonie. Every year on May 30, the province�s Francophone community holds a series of activities and ceremonies throughout the province, from St. John�s to Labrador City to Mainland on the Port-au-Port peninsula.

The ceremony was organized by La F�d�ration des francophones de Terre-Neuve et du Labrador and included speeches by representatives of the community and both the provincial and federal governments, as well as performances by the students of L��cole fran�aise de Saint-Jean and the choir of L�Association francophone de Saint-Jean. For the third consecutive year, the French Services division of Treasury Board Secretariat lent a hand to the ceremony, providing the Master of Ceremonies and inviting the participants of its French Language Training Program to attend.

Media contact: Janice Lockyer, (709) 729-1341.

2002 05 30                                12:30 p.m.