News Release
Embrun (January 01, 2006) – Pierre Lemieux, the Conservative candidate for Glengarry-Prescott-Russell in the January 23rd election announced a new volunteer initiative today to help save L’echo d’un peuple, the Casselman, Ontario based outdoor theatrical production that illustrates the history of Franco-Ontarians. “We need to not just defend, but instead promote and build upon the heritage and historic contribution that Franco-Ontarians have made here in Glengarry-Prescott-Russell and across all Ontario,” said Lemieux. “L’echo d’un peuple is a new but important institution that needs our help now and I am stepping up.” Lemieux attended L’echo d’un peuple this past summer at the Drouin farm in Casselman. “It was most impressive and expressed the strength and pride we have in our cultural roots. Having 300 volunteers participate in every production clearly shows how important L’echo d’un peuple is to people and families in our riding,” he said. Recently Francoscénie, the organization responsible for L’echo d’un peuple, entered bankruptcy protection. “I want to work with the directors of Francoscénie to establish a volunteer fund to which people can contribute to ensure that L’echo d’un peuple can continue. If L’echo d’un peuple is important to people, they will contribute. People want to help, but sometimes they don’t know how. I would like to work with the Directors of Francoscénie to establish a fund. By establishing a fund, people will see how they can help and will be happy to help. If a quarter of the population of our riding gave $10, a quarter of a million dollars would be raised. But some will give $50, $100, $500 or more, companies will participate – there is a real opportunity here to make a difference. When this fund is established, I will be one of the first in line to contribute.” Lemieux explained that his family roots are French-Canadian. He speaks warmly of his grandfather, who lived his whole life in Quebec and was very proud of his French-Canadian heritage. “My grandfather and I were very close and he had a great influence on me, in fact I was named after him by my father. It is through both him and my father that I have a great appreciation of the importance of our French-Canadian culture and of how it has contributed to Canada”. |