2009 Lieutenant-Governor’s Dialogue Award Recipients
The winners of the 2009 Lieutenant-Governor’s Dialogue Award were announced on June 24, 2009 at a ceremony in Moncton. The recipients of the annual honour were: Edouard Allain, Rollande Landry (conferred posthumously), James Lockyer and CBC Maritimes & Radio-Canada Acadie.
Speaking to guests at Moncton City Hall, the Honourable Herménégilde Chiasson, Lieutenant-Governor of New Brunswick, said: “These three individuals and two organisations are all role models who champion the principles of harmony and respect between our province’s Anglophone and Francophone communities. They exemplify, in their words and deeds, the best intentions of all residents of Canada’s only officially bilingual province.”
Established in 2003, the Lieutenant-Governor’s Dialogue Award is given out annually by Dialogue New Brunswick (DNB) – a provincial, non-profit organization that promotes understanding, respect and appreciation between English-speaking and French-speaking citizens of the province.
According to DNB’s executive director, Carole Fournier, recipients are selected by a four-member jury.
“There are many deserving people in this province – many who devote their time and energy to the cause of linguistic and cultural harmony and understanding. This year’s recipients follow in the tradition and lead in their commitment to these principles.”
Site: http://www.dialoguenb.org/
Left to right: Father Stanislas Paulin Co-Chair Dialogue New Brunswick, Mr. James Lockyer (2009 recipient), Mr. Stéphane Landry (accepted the Award on behalf of his mother the late Mrs. Rollande Landry), Mr. Edouard Allain (2009 recipient), the Hon. Herménégilde Chiasson Lieutenant-Governor Province of New Brunswick, Mrs. Jonna Brewer (accepted the Award on behalf of CBC Radio), Mr. Robert Arsenault (accepted the Award on behalf of Radio-Canada Acadie), Mr. Stephen Augustine Curator of Ethnology, Canadian Museum of Civilisation and Hereditary Chief on the Mi’kmaq Grand Council (accepted the Award on behalf of CBC Radio and Radio-Canada Acadie) and Mrs. Kelly Cain Co-Chair Dialogue New Brunswick.
Mr. Edouard Allain
Edouard Allain possesses so much experience in Anglo-French relations in New Brunswick that his pedigree and principles would serve the United Nations well. As it is, he has been a teacher, a vice-principal, a principal, the Deputy Executive Director and Executive Director of the New Brunswick Teacher’s Federation. More recently, he has operated his own consultancy, specializing in labour relations and translation.
Mr. Allain has also worked tirelessly to support the New Brunswick Provincial Capital Commission, originally as Vice-Chair of its 2003 Study Team and Chair of its Education Sub-committee. In fact, he has acted as the Commission’s overall Vice-Chair since it became an independent agency in 2007. During this time, he has laboured to support the organization’s mandate to promote awareness and appreciation of the shared history and cultural heritage of all New Brunswickers.
According to one observer: “Sometimes, language can be a sensitive matter. Many times I have witnessed Edouard use his diplomacy and tact in order to reconcile and bring consensus to a group. In principle and in practice, he is sincerely committed to the harmonious coexistence of our two official languages.”
Indeed, Mr. Allain’s lifelong engagement in matters of education, professional development in education, and his commitment to a fully bilingual New Brunswick exemplifies the finest spirit in an inclusive, linguistically diverse society.
Mrs. Rollande Landry (conferred posthumously)
Rollande Landry was a teacher who understood the importance of education. Hers was the kind of education that brings Francophone and Anglophone grade-schoolers together to share ideas, feelings and stories – as she did in 1996 when she launched Riverview Middle School’s first Pen Pal program (sponsored by Dialogue New Brunswick) with a colleague in Campbellton. Her objective was to broaden the exposure to French as a second language. She succeeded beyond expectations.
A few years ago, this is how one Grade Sixer described Madame Landry’s initiative: “The program showed us that two cultures can grow together, and that we have the same interests. We had a lot of fun doing this. We enjoyed receiving letters in French because we were also learning French. I’m sure the feeling was mutual.”
Indeed, Madame Landry noticed how her pupils benefited from her initiative over the years: friendship; recognition of common interests and activities in both official languages; and knowledge and awareness of Francophone and Anglophone cultures and lifestyles. Throughout the school year, she remained a tireless advocate of linguistic and cultural understanding and harmony.
Mr. James Lockyer
James Lockyer chooses to live inclusively, and in both official languages. It’s a decision that has served him well during his remarkably varied and successful career. A former member of New Brunswick’s Legislative Assembly – a former Attorney General and Minister of Justice, Minister of Education, Minister of Supply and Services, and Solicitor General – Mr. Lockyer has also been an extraordinarily active contributor to both linguistic communities in the province for decades.
As chairman of the board of the YMCA of Greater Moncton, he conducted all meetings bilingually, slipping with ease from one language to another. He did this while always tactfully recapping the proceedings for those who were not as linguistically agile as he. In short, he ensured that everyone’s voices were included in every and all deliberations.
More recently, Mr. Lockyer served as chair of the Ford Men’s World Curling Championships. He insisted, in his own words, “This city, Moncton, is a bilingual city. We are not going backwards in time when only English was spoken at public events.” To this end, when faced with resistance, he challenged the sport’s national governing body to ensure that the opening ceremonies, and the designated master of ceremonies, were able to serve the needs of both French and English attendees appropriately. He won.
Currently, Mr. Lockyer is a professor of law at l’Université de Moncton, where he continues to build bridges between New Brunswick’s Anglophone and Francophone communities, one student at a time.
CBC Maritimes and Radio-Canada Acadie
CBC Maritimes and Radio-Canada Acadie routinely champion the principle of cultural and linguistic harmony in New Brunswick through their story selection, production and, most importantly, through their daily broadcasts. These networks delight in developing programs that shed light on the connections between Anglophone and francophone communities in and across the province.
This year, CBC Maritimes and Radio-Canada Acadie produced a series of 36 episodes on the Mi’kmaq community. Mon peuple: les Mi’kmaq – The Mi’kmaq my people was produced in French, in English and presented by Stephen Augustine, Curator of Ethnology, Canadian Museum of Civilisation and Hereditary Chief on the Mi’kmaq Grand Council. The series enabled three communities in New Brunswick to better understand each other’s realities. Another excellent example of this standard was the trans-cultural, French-English radio series, Au mitan coule une rivière : A river runs through it. This program drew parallels between towns, islands and English and French regions of New Brunswick, Prince Edward Island, and Nova Scotia. And it found that the Anglophone and Francophone communities in the Maritimes have much in common: They share the same land; they depend on the same resources; and they confront the same difficult economic challenges.
CBC Maritimes and Radio-Canada Acadie exemplify the best in communications – bridging the divide between French and English in a province that respects both cultures, and cherishes each.