A morning in Peterborough

This week, I had the privilege of being invited to speak to the students and faculty of the French Studies program at Trent University in Peterborough.

My visit allowed me to meet some very interesting people while at the same time providing me with a forum to deliver my usual message regarding the importance of requesting French-language services.

This message was very well received and I wish to take this opportunity to thank the organizers of this event, and in particular, French Studies coordinator Yves Thomas.

I also wish to extend my regards to the other invited guest speakers. Among them, Franco-Ontarian playwright Michel Ouellette, the author of French Town and Testament du couturier; François Paré, professor at the University of Waterloo and author of Les littératures de l’exiguïté and La distance habitée, and Sylvie Bérard, professor at Trent University and author of Terre des Autres et de La Saga d’Illyge.

Although Peterborough is not a designated region, I was able to witness firsthand the importance of the French language in this region, thanks to Peterborough’s Francophones and Francophiles.