5 November 2009
Ottawa, Ontario
Prime Minister Stephen Harper today received the Grand Cross of the Order of the Pleiades, awarded by the Assemblée parlementaire de la Francophonie to honour his contribution to the Francophonie. This is the highest level of the Order.
On receiving the award along with 13 other Canadian recipients honoured by the Assemblée parlementaire de la Francophonie, the Prime Minister said he was moved by the honour and reiterated his government's commitment to the promotion of French in Canada and throughout the world.
“Our Canadian Francophonie enriches the nation, inspiring communities throughout the country, and unites us with many other countries through a common language,” said the Prime Minister. “For Canadians, it is a source of great pride.”
The Government's commitment to the promotion of linguistic duality and the development of official-language minority communities is set out in its Roadmap for Linguistic Duality in Canada 2008-2013: Acting for the Future. The Roadmap is an unprecedented, government-wide investment of $1.1 billion over five years reaffirming the Government's commitment to linguistic duality and the vitality of official-language minority communities.
Created in 1976 by the Parliamentary Assembly of the Francophonie (APF), the Pleiades, Order of the Francophonie and the Dialogue of Cultures, is awarded to individuals in the Francophonie who have distinguished themselves by serving the APF's ideals. The APF chiefly works to promote and defend democracy, the rule of law, respect for human rights, the international influence of the French language and cultural diversity.
All News
