The Queen's representative in Canada made a stop in Coquitlam this week to tour the city's birthplace and talk with cultural, business and political leaders about how the francophone community of Maillardville continues to build on its traditional roots.
Under high security detail on Wednesday, Governor General David Johnston and his wife, Sharon, dropped by Carré Heritage Square and Place des Arts for an hour to visit the city museum of Musée Mackin House and to have a fireside chat about Maillardville's history and its revitalization efforts; they also heard recitals from young musicians.
The pair was guided along their walk by Johanne Dumas, the executive director of Société francophone de Maillardville, who spoke to the couple almost entirely in French.
During his speech later, Johnston, too, addressed the crowd mainly en français, saying he was pleased with the "diversity and richness" of Maillardville and he had "admiration and respect" for what's happening in the neighbourhood that was founded 103 years ago by Fraser Mills workers, primarily from Quebec; today, it remains one of the largest francophone communities in western Canada with pioneer families still living there.
Among those who had a chance to speak with the GG were Nicole Roberge, a Riverside secondary school teacher whose artistic work is well-known in the Tri-Cities; Re/Max realtor Leo Bruneau; Fern Bouvier, a freeman of the city and Place des Arts' board president; Maurice Guibord, president of the Société historique de Colombie-Britannique; and Réal Roy, president of the Fédération des francophones de la Colombie-Brittanique.
Roy told Johnston that he's surprised how many anglophones in this province speak French and he's encouraged Canada's other official language is thriving in the west.
Afterwards, a string quartet made up of senior PdA students Janice Lin (first violin), Carl Fung (second violin), Sasha Poon (viola) and Bronte Wager (cello) entertained with the first movement of Haydn's Sunrise Quartet while Grade 2 students from École des Pionniers sang Frère Jacques before presenting Sharon Johnston with flowers.
