April 6, 2006
OTTAWA -- The Right Honourable Michaëlle Jean, Governor General of Canada, will be in Montreal on Friday, April 7, 2006, to take part in events honouring Marie-Josèphe Angélique, a Black slave charged with arson and subsequently hanged publicly in Montreal in June 1734, not far from what is now Place d'Youville.
The Governor General emphasizes the importance of remembering this period in our history: "I hope that Marie-Josèphe Angélique's story can serve to remind us of the importance of defending the values of justice, freedom and tolerance that unite us one and all, beyond our differences."
The Governor General will take part in the following events:
EVENT-TRIBUTE, 10:00 a.m. (La Maison Parent-Roback, 110 Sainte-Thérèse Street)Her Excellency will deliver a short speech and then move outside to lay flowers on the plaque commemorating the history of slavery in Quebec. OPEN TO MEDIA
GUIDED WALK, 10:30 a.m. (from La Maison Parent-Roback to the Centre d'histoire de Montréal) The Governor General will walk to the Centre d'histoire de Montréal, retracing the footsteps and life of Marie-Josèphe Angélique. The walk will be led by Denyse Beaugrand-Champagne, historian and author of Le Procès de Marie-Josèphe Angélique. OPEN TO MEDIA
Please contact Stéphanie Jecrois at (514) 872-4641 with the City of Montreal for more information on the event-tribute and the guided walk.
LAUNCH OF EDUCATIONAL WEB SITE, 10:45 a.m. (Centre d'histoire de Montréal, 335, Place d'Youville)Her Excellency will deliver remarks during the launch of the new educational Web site "Torture and the Truth: Angélique and the Burning of Montreal." There will also be a brief dramatization of the life of the young slave. OPEN TO MEDIA
Please contact Caroline Dubois at (819) 821-8000, extension 3395, for more information on the educational Web site.
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Media informationRideau Hall Press OfficeMarilyne Guèvremont (613) 998-7280 www.gg.caRandy Mylyk, Press Secretary to the Governor General (613) 302-6182
