Celebrate Quebec

David Lemelin

I am fier of Quebec, proud to be Quebecois, proud of who we are. I don’t say it with this attitude of contempt or that comes with the rejection of others. It’s exactly the opposite: I’m proud of us and happy to be there, with the others, existing as a people, as a nation. And I am not, however, a jovialist who does not see the problems, faults and challenges of Quebec. On the contrary. I am a realist: all countries in the world have their problems, their challenges. All.

So, is it to simply be content with what we have and what we are? Not “to be satisfied”, butappreciate and the celebrate. To pay tribute to those who, over the centuries, have cleared, built and wanted to offer their loved ones a place to live and flourish. To pay tribute to those who have carried our culture and our language by offering it to their children and to these people who have come from around the world to enrich us collectively, by adopting this exceptional country of Quebec which opens its arms and its heart to anyone who wants to settle there.

And it is also to pay tribute and celebrate those who make Quebec vibrate today, who push it to surpass itself, to create, to make its place, whether it is culture, art, economics, business, knowledge, etc. Throughout the world, Quebec stands out, innovates, impresses. This people, a minority in an English-speaking ocean of America, still intrigues today with its vitality, its tenacity, its resilience. These people who speak French, despite the challenges, still resist. And today, all he has to do is take the step to fully, completely assume responsibility for himself, like a mature adult who can decide on his future and make decisions for himself, as in any normal development of life. a people.

In the meantime, the heart is in celebration. Quebec celebrates what it is, what it has become and can smile at the future for what it will be. As long as we let this pride exist in us, that we assume what we are, that we defend and promote our culture, our values, our heritage, that we share this with those who join us, there will be no limit to what Quebec can accomplish and become.

In any case, I, although fully aware of the challenges that lie ahead of us, see it as a source of motivation to continue to carry what we are. I see opportunities, a duty and a calling. I look behind us and smile at our ancestors. I look ahead and smile at our children. Because I see all our potential and am convinced of Quebec’s capacity not only to survive, but to live, to flourish and to shine, everywhere. I want to contribute to that. I do this, in particular, by expressing this pride, precisely.

It’s not arrogant or condescending. It is positive, constructive, welcoming and caring.

It’s simply well-placed pride.