For the 400th anniversary of Lake Champlain in Burlington, Vermont, the Minister of International Relations and Minister responsible for La Francophonie, Pierre Arcand, unveiled the sculpture given by the Québec government on July 10 to the Governor of the State of Vermont, James H. Douglas, and the Mayor of Burlington, Bob Kiss.
Earlier this week, the City of Montréal welcomed the Mayor of Phoenix, Phil Gordon. The Mayor’s entourage included representatives of the Canada Arizona Business Council and the Greater Phoenix Economic Council, the organizations behind the mission to Montréal.
As part of a four-show European tour, Alfa Rococo will perform on July 11 at Les Francofolies in La Rochelle, France, and on July 20 at Les Francofolies in Spa, Belgium.
Christine St-Pierre, Minister of Culture, Communications and the Status of Women, is in France from July 7 to 12 to support Québec artists who take part in the 63rd Festival d’Avignon.
Québec’s very own Ariane Moffatt has been awarded the 2009 Rapsat-Lelièvre prize for her third album, Tous les sens, featuring a skilful and wide-ranging blend of musical styles and sounds. The singer/songwriter will officially receive her prize in July during the Spa Francofolies in eastern Belgium, at which she will also perform. The ceremony will mark the 25th anniversary of the Rapsat-Lelièvre prize, which honours francophone songwriters in Wallonia-Brussels and Québec.
On June 30, a group of Québec researchers presented the preliminary results of a groundbreaking study on the psychological impact of the Dawson College shooting, in conjunction with the 31st Congress of the International Academy of Law and Mental Health held from June 28 to July 4 at New York University.
The President of Québec’s National Assembly, Yvon Vallières, was elected President of the Francophonie Parliamentary Assembly (Assemblée parlementaire de la Francophonie or APF in French) at the 35th session of the organization held in Paris on July 6.
On July 2, Québec Premier Jean Charest presented Jean-Pierre Kelche, grand chancellor of the Légion d’honneur, with the insignia of the grand officer of the Ordre national du Québec. Chantal Moreno, advisor to the secretary general of the International Francophone Organization (OIF), His Excellency Abdou Diouf, was presented with the insignia of the knight of the Ordre. The ceremony was held at Québec Government Office in Paris.
During their official visit to Brussels (June 26-29), Québec Premier Jean Charest and Manitoba Premier Gary Doer demonstrated their commitment to fighting climate change and reiterated their desire to sign an expanded Canada-EU economic partnership agreement in the next two years.
Québec welcomed a delegation from the Party School of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China (Central Party School) on June 26. The visit was organized under an agreement signed in March 2006 by the Canadian organization Rights & Democracy and the Central Party School. The partnership between the two organizations is aimed at opening channels for dialogue on human rights and democratic development.
Following a meeting with the Minister-President of Bavaria, Horst Seehofer, on June 30, Québec Premier Jean Charest announced that a symposium will be held next year concerning industrial hubs involving companies and institutions from Bavaria and Québec. The goal of the event is to reinforce and finalize new economic and technology partnership projects in a number of target sectors.
During their official visit to Brussels (June 26-29), Québec Premier Jean Charest and Manitoba Premier Gary Doer demonstrated their commitment to fighting climate change and reiterated their desire to sign an expanded Canada-EU economic partnership agreement in the next two years.
During their official visit to Brussels (June 26-29), Québec Premier Jean Charest and Manitoba Premier Gary Doer demonstrated their commitment to fighting climate change and reiterated their desire to sign an expanded Canada-EU economic partnership agreement in the next two years.
Premier Jean Charest recently announced that Québec and Manitoba will be the first two North American subnational governments to join the Territorial Approach to Climate Change, a new initiative promoted by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP). The announcement was made in Brussels on June 26 during Mr. Charest’s official visit to Europe.
Brussels, June 26th, 2009 -
“The Assembly of European Regions (AER) has been a long time activist in favour of a model of local governance that fully includes the development of green energies, both in Europe and in the frame of North/South relations. Thus have I very naturally given a favourable answer to your invitation, as the AER joins forces with those who actively fight climate change.” It was with those words that the AER’s President, Michèle Sabban, addressed Quebec’s Prime Minister Jean Charest, Manitoba’s Prime Minister Gary Doer, The Climate Group’s CEO Steve Howard and Catalonia’s Minister for Environment and Housing, Francesc Baltasar i Albesa.
The Minister of International Relations and Minister Responsible for La Francophonie, Pierre Arcand, is carrying out a mission to Rome and L’Aquila, Italy on June 25 and 26.
This year, Québec’s Fête nationale was celebrated in Catalonia in conjunction with the 10th anniversary of Québec Government Office in Barcelona (BQB). More than 200 people from all walks of live attended an event held on June 18 at the Palau Moja, an 18th century residential palace that now houses the offices of the Catalan Ministry of Culture.