Montréal, June 24, 2016 — The Green Party of Canada wishes all Quebecers a very happy Saint-Jean-Baptiste Day. June 24 is not just a feast; it’s also a celebration of Quebec, a chamption of Francophone culture in Canada.
"Saint-Jean-Baptiste Day provides us with the opportunity to proclaim loud and clear that Quebec is the promoter of la Francophonie in Canada and in North America," said Elizabeth May, Leader of the Green Party (MP, Saanich-Gulf Islands).
"This is the day when we can showcase both our differences and our links with the rest of the country," added Daniel Green, Green Party Deputy Leader. "Saint-Jean-Baptiste Day shows that Quebec remains the defender of our French language and of our culture."
With la Francohonie in mind, the Green Party is calling on the federal government to require that the impact study on the TransCanada Energy East pipeline be published in French.
Last month, TransCanada submitted to the National Energy Board a 39,000-page document on its Energy East pipeline – exclusively in English. The company committed itself to having all the documents translated into French without delay, but that was over a month ago.
Mr. Graham Fraser, the Commissioner of Official Languages, deplored the situation in his latest annual report.
"Quebecers must have access to the information on this pipeline proposal in French, given the impact of a major spill," Ms. May said.
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For more information or to arrange an interview, please contact:
Robin Marty
Press Secretary Quebec | Attaché de presse Québec
Green Party of Canada
514.652.3669
robin.marty@greenparty.ca