Since the unveiling of the Downtown Strategy at the start of the year, several things have been said about the Latin Quarter. Several voices were raised to question, or even denounce, our desire to promote the French-speaking character of this sector.
Although I was a little disappointed that our vision could have been misinterpreted by certain people, I see it as a strong signal of the importance that Montrealers attach to the French language in the metropolis. I rejoice in this. Montreal is the only French-speaking metropolis in the Americas. It is a status as important to protect as it is to keep alive. Therefore, I feel the need to clarify the scope of the announcement made last Monday and, above all, to recall how far we have come. I will be clear: the Latin Quarter is and will remain the Latin Quarter. Our desire is rather to highlight this district, which over time has hosted large French-speaking organizations that have shaped the metropolis.
I am thinking, of course, of the St-Denis theater, the Grande Bibliothèque and the University of Quebec in Montreal. Earlier this year, the Quebec government also gave the green light to the Maison de la chanson project, which will reopen to the public the magnificent Saint-Sulpice library, closed since 2005. And, this week, the École nationale de l’humour, which is the only French-speaking post-secondary organization dedicated to humor in Canada, announced its intention to set up in the Latin Quarter. By recognizing this unrivaled hub of French-speaking culture, located in the heart of downtown, we hope that other organizations will set up there and that public and private partners will invest there.
Thus, the Downtown Strategy recognizes the characteristics that distinguish each of the downtown sectors and wishes to highlight them. For me, it is clear that promoting the strong French-speaking identity of the Latin Quarter does not mean that the rest of the city is not. To omit the heritage of the Francophonie in the Latin Quarter would have been, in my opinion, a much more serious error than celebrating it.
From the start of our first mandate, our administration has made the promotion of French a priority, by introducing several structuring and concrete measures. We began by supporting all the districts so that their practices finally complied with the requirements of the Charter of the French Language. In addition, for the first time in the history of the City of Montreal, we have appointed a French language commissioner as well as an elected official responsible for this issue within the executive committee.
We also use City facilities, such as libraries and cultural centers, to develop programs focused on promoting the French language among the entire population. Finally, the City of Montreal works in collaboration with its partners, such as the government of Quebec, the Office de la langue française and community organizations, to make French the social binder of Montreal. Being a metropolis means playing a determining role in welcoming and integrating new arrivals. To play this role well, teamwork is absolutely necessary.
We are very proud to be the gateway to Quebec for newcomers, students, investors and tourists from here and elsewhere. Our administration’s approach will always be to promote diversity in all its forms, while celebrating the unifying character of the French language, the official and common language of the metropolis of Quebec.
Every day, I realize how much it is an opportunity as well as a responsibility.