 Songs would be used, they could be fit the rhythm of Sulaviron, Sulaviron As I say I repeat the victory, Buimato Fangue Sulaviron, Fangue Fangue Sulaviron Qui fitreum le meri croissant Fangue Fangue Sulaviron Qui fitreum le meri croissant Fangue Fangue Sulaviron Le Caillou Sulaviron Fangue Fangue Sulaviron Fangue Fangue Sulaviron Fangue Fangue Sulaviron Fangue Fangue Sulaviron This is wonderful music. So can I leave my stuff, my toys behind or is there going to be dancing up here? I don't think there will be any dancing. Are we good on the microphone? Great, thank you. All right, I am Lise Verano. I am the honorary consul to France in the state of Vermont. I am a Chevalier, which means I was knighted by the President of France because of all the French projects I've done over the years. And I am a Francophone in the sense that my parents were French and they were from Quebec, and I grew up speaking French. I did not even know how to speak English until I was like in second grade. So it's a great example of why learning French in schools is so important and professionally, it's opened doors for me, giving me opportunities. And I get to be here today to introduce some wonderful people that do wonderful things in French heritage and French language. So on that note, I will now introduce you to the mayor of Winnuski. So yes, she is here with us. So Christine Logg, mayor of Winnuski. Bienvenue. So welcome, if you are not from Winnuski, welcome to Winnuski and if you are, it's nice to see you. I'm Mayor Christine Lot and I'm pleased to welcome you all here for the celebration of Francophone culture and special thanks to the Winnuski School District for welcoming us into this beautiful performing arts space. On March 11th, our Winnuski City Council adopted a resolution recognizing March as Francophone Month in Winnuski and I will read that now. Whereas the French language is the official language of 29 countries and 444 million people and one of many languages currently spoken by residents in our community, a strong Francophone presence has existed in Winnuski since the first French explorers came to this area followed by French Canadian immigration in the 1800s, marking a lasting impression on our mill industry and making Winnuski one of the largest industrialized places in Vermont at the time, providing employment opportunities for French, Canadian, Polish, Syrian, Lebanese, Irish, and Italian families looking for work. In 1868 was established the St. Louis Convent, now St. Francis Xavier School, where instruction was provided by the Sisters of Providence of Montreal who brought Quebec published French language books, promoting literacy in French to ensure retention of their students' language and skills. The St. Francis Xavier Church, established in the same year, allowed Francophone residents to attend Mass and receive the sacraments in their own language and according to their own customs. The Twin Spire Church stands today as the most visible reminder of the presence of the French community in Winnuski. The French had their own hospital, Fanny Allen, established in 1894 as well as a college, St. Michael's, established in 1904 in nearby Winnuski Park, Colchester now, and although founded to provide services to the French in their native language, the benefits of these institutions were available to non-French speakers as well as these institutions serving the community to this day and whereas the city of Winnuski continues to welcome new immigrants and refugees, currently welcoming new residents from French speaking countries throughout the continent of Africa and whereas the long-standing tradition of celebrating French Heritage Day continues with support from the city of Winnuski, from downtown Winnuski and the Allianz-Francois-Lake-Champaign region, so therefore be it resolved that the mayor and city council of the city of Winnuski recognize March as Francophone month in the city of Winnuski, kicking off today with this event. Thank you. I want to say, you know, that we traditionally done this event in Burlington in Montpelier over the years and this year we wanted to spread it out to all the other French Francophone communities and Winnuski certainly came to mind and I want to thank personally Mayor Lotte for stepping up and hosting our event today. Merci beaucoup. She mentioned St. Michael's College. We have with us in attendance today Peter van Tijn. He's a professor and director of French language at St. Michael's College. Thanks for being here. So we have some special guests from Mount Abraham Union High School that are going to tell us a little bit about themselves and what studying French means to them. So if Anna Marie, Anna, Neil and Sienna can come on up and as we wait for them to get up here, it's really important that we do our part as adults and promoting youth in languages including French language around the world. So today I am pleased. I'm not sure if I'm going to introduce you by name first, but Anna Marie, you are first. Bonjour. Je m'appelle... Je m'appelle Annie Dufault et j'habite à Moncton-Vermont. Je suis ici avec mes camarades de classe de français au lycée Mount Abraham. On va partager nos réponses à la question, c'est quoi la français pour vous? Pour moi, la français est important pour beaucoup de raisons. La langue est un portail d'opportunités, expériences et apprentissage. J'ai commencé à apprendre la langue parce que j'ai quelques membres de ma famille qui parlent et j'étais entourée par la culture francophone. Tout à long de lycée, la français a été un de mes cours préférés. C'était toujours un cours que j'attendais avec impatience. Il n'y a aucun autre cours où un étudier, non seulement un langue, mais aussi des cultures de monde, c'est une expérience très unique. J'ai maintenant les ressources de connecter avec des gens d'origine différente, avec des histoires à raconter. Les langues sont en replaceable. La français compte beaucoup pour moi. C'est quelque chose que je ne vais jamais prendre pour acquis. Merci beaucoup. Bonjour. Je m'appelle Anastole et j'habite à Lincoln-Vermont. J'ai choisi d'étudier les Français pour plus de raisons. J'ai pensé qu'il est important de prendre d'autres langues que les autres. De plus, les Français m'aient permis d'entrer en contact avec d'autres personnes qui n'aient pas forcément l'anglais. C'est aussi utile pour travailler ou pour voyager. J'ai choisi de prendre les Français parce que ma mère a grandi en apprenant les Français avec sa mère et mon frère appris des cours de français au lycée. Mon grand-mère était un professeur des mathématiques et des Français au lycée, où c'est comme ça qu'il s'est crevé ma mère appris les langues. J'espère continuer à prendre le langue à l'université l'année prochaine. Merci. Bonjour. Je m'appelle Nelle Harvey et j'habite à Lincoln-Vermont. Pour moi, la langue française est une façon de connecter aux autres, à travers les mondes. Pendant l'autumn de l'année passée, j'ai eu l'opportunité d'hésitier en France pour une semester. C'était un rêve pour moi, donc j'ai tassé un grand valise et j'ai quitté l'État-Unis. A début, j'ai pensé que la semester serait un peu difficile avec beaucoup de moments amusants. J'avais très tôt, mais dans la meille façon. Chaque moment était un défi, mais j'essayais beaucoup de nouvelles choses, comme la nourriture, les sujets, les sports et plus. A la fin de la semester, j'avais fait les grands progrès dans ma nouvelle langue française, mais c'était n'était pas aussi important que les choses que j'ai vécues. Grâce aux Françaises, j'ai dû découvrir la nouvelle culture, j'ai rencontré des gens formidable et je suis allée sur beaucoup d'adventures nouvelles. J'espère étudier plus de langue française à l'université et de travailler comme un liaison entre une pays francophone à l'avenir. Merci beaucoup. Bonjour tout le monde, j'appelle Syanna et j'habite en Moncton avec ma mère, ma père, ma petit-frère et mes deux chiens. Pour moi, le français est une façon de participer à une autre communauté et culture. Éteudier le français est une façon d'explorer le monde tant physiquement et mentiment. Le français est un lien avec mes amis, ma famille et ma communauté. C'est une forme d'expression et une forme d'art. J'ai l'intention de parcourir le monde et de découvrir la different culture. Le français m'a donné de numerous opportunités. Je suis reconnaissante pour la communauté qui je trouvais. La langue et la culture français sont incroyable et j'ai la chance d'avoir l'opportunité de participer à une communauté en Criabla. Merci beaucoup. Before they get off the stage, as you notice, it was all in French, so I hope they're getting French credit. Very well done, very well spoken and for those of us who understood the French, the stories were everything about why they were studying French and what it meant to them and their families and the opportunities that happened because they were studying the French language. So I will thank you again for coming on up. Thank you very much. Thank you so much. Our next speaker is Anson Tebbet and Anson is the Secretary of Vermont Agency of Commerce and Community Development. I have worked with Anson before and many different French promotions. We do a lot of work with Quebec and agriculture. There's a lot of opportunity for the state of Vermont to participate in French exploration and I think having someone like Anson Tebbet be able to come here today on behalf of the state of Vermont to say a few words about his programs. Anson. Well, thank you very much. Now, before we go too far, I have to do my social media. So you've got to help me with this. Thank you, Anson. Thank you, now, Abe. So hold on a second here. We have a document. Do we know what kind of social media is accurate, right? Alright, so I've got it going here. Now on the count of three, I want you to show up to the back, okay? Let's do a practice run, okay? One, two, three. Cut. I'm going to do it for real, okay? One, two, three. Well, thank you very much. Thank you, students. Thank you, Mayor. I took French. I went to a little school called Cabot. Vermont, you've probably heard of it. We make cheese there as well. So I went to Cabot High School. We had a wonderful French program. And I'm still friends with my French teacher. When I took fourth year of French, if we had time, we were allowed to play French Scrabble. And we'd go down to the Cabot Village store. It'd send me down to get Perrier water. And we'd play French Scrabble. And it stays with you as part of our messaging. It stays with you all. I'm a big baseball fan. Today is opening day of baseball. And wouldn't have been nice if Quebec, we had our Montreal Expos back. And we're always going to hope that's going to happen again. But I've been to many games up there. And in fact, there was a game in the 80s. So they weren't way back. In the 1980s, I was a junior in high school. We skipped school with my history teacher, who was a baseball fan, and went to a playoff game, a one-game playoff between the Los Angeles Dodgers and the Montreal Expos. And Rick Monday hit a home run and the Expos lost. But that was before a lot of security. We just, you know, checked in the guys and we went up there and we spent a day with snowing that day up there as well. Enough of the silliness. I want to thank you all for being here. Our partnership with Quebec, with the farm community and our products is really, really important. Our biggest trading partner in Quebec. We are going, the Vermont will be represented at a big food show in Montreal in May, Seattle. And we'll have some of our Vermont producer there called Cheese in Quebec, which is really, really a not an easy thing to do. But it is a wonderful opportunity and it's a great relationship we have with Quebec. Yes. So one of my things, the governor could not be here today so it's appropriate if I read this now? So this is, so everyone, this is a, this is, comes from Governor Scott. I pretend that he's, he's written as he signed it. So I'm going to read it as I am Governor Scott. So here we go. It shouldn't take too long so bear with me. State of Vermont, Executive Department of Proclamation. So this is proclamation. Whereas the French language is spoken by 300 million people in nearly 90 countries and in five continents. And whereas March 20th is International Day of La Francophonie, celebrating the bond between Francophone regions around the world and their shared values of democracy, human rights, culture diversity, and solidarity. And whereas the speaking of French in its expression and affirmation of people's cultural identity and whereas a strong Francophone presence has existed for centuries in Vermont for the first explorers along the coast of North Africa, North America to the strong 19th and 20th century French Canadian immigrant community. And whereas the name of our great state, Vermont, Green Mountain and many of our towns and places bear French names such as Montpelier, Lake Champlain, Amber Gens, and whereas a number of Vermont towns, institutions, organizations recognize La Francophonie as a vector for economic development by joining or developing initiatives such as Burlington's French friendliness resolution. And whereas Vermont is home to French speakers who contribute positively on a daily basis to the lives of livelihood of all citizens. And whereas Vermont values its strong history, culture, economic relationships with the Francophone world, a relationship driven by common goals and shared values. And whereas the month of La Francophonie was replaced during the month of March 2024 offering Vermont residents the opportunity to celebrate and discover the French language. Now, therefore, I, Philippine Scott, Governor, proclaim March 2024 as Francophonie month in Vermont. Given under my hand and the great seal of the state of Vermont on this 18th day of March, A.D. 2024 signed Philippe B. Scott, the Governor. I want to show you how special this is. It's got the seal. There it is. Congratulations on a wonderful day. Thank you for celebrating. You know, when you get a proclamation like this with the seal from the Governor and the Montpelier from the Capitol, it's very, very special. It doesn't happen all the time. You are all part of this heritage that you are here celebrating with us today. Because you know that just because you don't speak French growing up, it doesn't mean you don't have French roots. So we have the French flag here. Anybody see this one? This is the country of France. We think of France, we think of French. And we have Quebec. We've talked about Quebec. This blue and white one here, which is our neighbors to the north, as well as Canada, which has French and English. And then Vermont, we have French and English and many other languages as well in the United States. So with that said, when we are in Vermont and we want to celebrate Vermont, French and Vermont, it is something like this. When the mayor of Honuski came up and read her city council proclamation, it says we are important. It's important for us to continue to do these things that are French heritage. The students that were speaking today, it's so important that you are learning this in school and then you're speaking it so well. So on that, I will now introduce Tate Brooks. He's the Deputy Secretary of Vermont Agency of Commerce. And the community development and has also worked with several different projects with France, Quebec and Canada and other countries as well. And he's here today to have a few words and talk about his experiences. Tate. Missy and Grace. Bonjour, salut. I wasn't going to talk about the expos today, but since Anson brought it up, growing up in St. Albans, I used to, and my family used to often go up on Sundays to watch the expos and have the opportunity to watch Pedro Martinez, who later won the World Series with the Red Sox. I see Anson smiling. And I know many of us in Central Vermont and Northern Vermont still relish those days and look at hope for those opportunities in the future. Well, thank you for inviting me to speak here at Francophonie Celebration. It's wonderful to have representatives from Quebec and France here with us today to honor our shared heritage as well as our current partnerships and relationships. I'd like to thank you to Wenuski and Mayor Lotte for hosting us and the wonderful musicians for performing here this afternoon. Thank you to the students for learning French, Francais, and sharing your love of language with us. Missy Bakou. Vermont's relationship with Quebec and France are invaluable. It's been said many times, but I'll repeat it again today. Quebec is Vermont's largest trading partner. So keeping lines of communication and commerce open are vital to the success of this region, and we are grateful to have such willing and capable partners across the pond with whom we work and those also across the border. As the Deputy Secretary for Commerce and Community Development, I thought it would be appropriate to delve into the numbers that measure the financial success of these relationships. Here are a few. In 2023, 75 Canadian-owned businesses employed nearly 3,000 Vermonters. The vast majority of those companies are headquartered in the province of Quebec. In 2023, Vermont imported $2.6 billion in Canadian goods and $91.2 million in goods from France. That year, Vermont exported $680 million in goods to Canada and $35 million worth of goods to France. Vermont welcomes more than 2 million Canadians each and every year who contribute more than $200 million annually to our economy. Also worth noting, half of Vermont's electricity comes from Quebec, so the province is literally helping Vermont keep the lights on. The state of Vermont has a regional office in Montreal to support and encourage Canadian companies to think about Vermont as a place to grow or expand their U.S. presence. Just last month, Quebec-based LaRoe, which makes front-loader-mounted snowblowers, launched LaRoe America. DMS, machining and fabrication in berry is now assembling, welding and painting some of LaRoe's snowblowers. LaRoe America's new footprint in Vermont and the numbers I just mentioned reinforce what we are celebrating today. Successful partnerships. The Scott administration is committed to keeping these relationships healthy and thriving, not just to benefit for Vermont, but for our French-speaking partners as well. Thank you again for inviting me here today and happy International Frecophony Day to all. We'll see. Thank you. Thank you. This is really nice. You know, the state of Vermont also has a program called Think Vermont, and it's Think Vermont when you're looking to bring in business, and we, by having French community and welcoming of students and people who want to do business here, it's really important to the future of Vermont to have more Francophone and French-speaking people in business. So all of you who are sitting there speaking in French at the podium today, you're part of that future and the future generation to help bring economy back into Vermont from other countries that speak French, because it makes you feel welcome when you go to a place where they speak your language. So even though you're in Vermont and the United States, if you can have French as a second language, a third language, it's really helpful to your personal career. So with all the young people in the audience today, thank you. On that note, I will introduce you now to a few more students from Mount Abraham. If we can have Kaylin and Joanna come on up. And Piper. All right, are you in French or in English this time? In French. In French, okay. Okay, écoutez très bien. Everyone listens very carefully. All right. Bonjour. Je m'appelle Kaylin. J'ai 17 ans et j'habite en Vermont. Je voulais prendre le français parce que je voulais savoir parler une autre langue. Et je pensais que le langue française était belle. Donc il était facile de choisir de prendre un corps de français dans mon lycée. C'était un peu plus difficile de prendre que j'avais pensé, mais j'ai continué quand même. Je ne comprenais pas tous les mots que j'ai entendu, mais je pouvais comprendre les émotions. Grâce à ça, j'ai appris que le langue n'est pas seulement une question des mots. C'est ce que nous en faisons. Donc pour moi, le français est une façon de m'exprimer ainsi que d'être une autre langue dans mon répétoire. Et avec cette autre façon de m'exprimer, je peux me connecter avec plus du monde d'une manière significative pour moi. Mais je peux aussi me connecter avec moi-même. Quand je parle le français, je suis une personne différente. Et cette version de moi est une autre partie de ma personnalité que je veux célébrer. Merci beaucoup. Bonjour, je m'appelle Joanna. J'ai 18 ans, et j'habite to Starks Rivermont. Pour moi, le français n'est pas juste une langue que j'étudie. C'est une mode d'expression. C'est incroyable que j'ai l'opportunité de communiquer avec mes camarades dans une langue étrangère. C'est un peu comme une langue secrète qui est juste pour nous. C'est une langue complexe avec beaucoup de détails et règles, mais c'est pourquoi c'est si amusant et satisfant d'apprendre. Mais le français est aussi une façon de comprendre. C'est une façon de communiquer avec les gens d'autres pays et cultures. Nous pouvons parler avec le français, les Sénégalaises, les Aïciens, mais aussi les Québécois dans notre propre jardin. Ça je pense est la raison pour laquelle j'ai choisi le français en première place. Pour communiquer avec nos voisins du Nord. C'est très cool que nous avons une culture si différente et si proche de nous et ce serait un grosse erreur de ne pas profiter de l'opportunité de l'apprendre. Je dors le français et j'ai beaucoup de chance d'avoir eu l'occasion de l'étudier. Merci beaucoup. Bonjour, je m'appelle Piper Guilmets et j'habite à Moncton-Bremont. Pour moi, le français est une façon de me connecter avec mon héritage. Mes grands-parents étaient canadiens francophones. Maintenant, c'est juste mon grand-mère et elle ne se souvient pas de beaucoup de sa vie. Même si elle ne peut pas me parler de son passé, je peux en prendre davantage de la culture qui entoure sa héritage français. Le français m'aidera à me sentir connecté à elle. Quand j'ai étudié la paix francophone, je comprends les aspects de sa vie à la vie de sa famille. Je me sens plus connecté avec elle à travers la français. Maintenant, je vois les parties de ma culture dans la lesson de français que j'apprends. J'espère approfondir mon compréhension de la langue pour améliorer mon connection avec mon patrimoine et pour partager avec les générations futures. Merci beaucoup. Très bien, merci. One of the students was just talking with a grandmother who may not have remembered a lot of things but was able to speak French and she was able to catch the heritage and traditions even though the grandmother couldn't remember a lot of things, she was still able to pass it on. So I think that's also very important. I visited recently a patient that was an Alzheimer patient and she wasn't remembering her past but when I stopped speaking French to her she spoke very well and she told me stories in French and her daughter goes, I didn't know she knew that much French. So it goes to show you that some of the things you learn as a young person can stay with you and it's good for your brain, it's good for your society, it's good for history and the future. So it's great to see French being spoken here today. I think we have, let me see, I'm going to look at the time. I want to make sure we're good. And I think we have a little bit of time for, I'm not sure if we're going to do it. Are we going to do a little bit more music or are we going to do the introduction? A little bit more music. OK, la musique, c'est vous plait. OK, va y then. Carol's not here, she had surgery this week. And she plays the guitar and sings also. We're going to do a song called Un Cadazien d'un and it comes from around 1837 during the battle at Patriote and when the French and the English were fighting and the French lost and many had to flee Québec and go live in other areas. So this song is about wanting to go back to Canada, to Québec. Un Cadazien d'un. My mom has sprouted wings so we won't accompany this with her, I'll just sing. That's OK. So you told them a little bit about the history of the song Un Cadazien d'un. I'm just going to fill in a little more background. I researched my genealogy dating back to the 1600s in Flanders, part of France and my francophone family emigrated down at the time that this song we're going to sing was written because there were not enough places for young men to start farms and they came down to Ellenburg Depot where they could still see Canada literally from where they live and the song is about the yearnings that people have for the home that they've known and where all their family are gathered and to think about the bravery to come to another country and start afresh and then two generations later my great-grandfather moved to Hanover, New Hampshire and started farming and then I get to look over that family history. So it's like I wonder if they even remembered they came from Québec by that time. They still spoke French, that's for sure. So I don't know where my harmonica went but that's okay, we'll sing it in pitch. What is our pitch? We'll start here. You'll see. Oh, there's a harmonica. I know that. You have to look. You can see my country, my country that I remember from Irana. I'm full of you, you're disfigured and my homeland is there and my homeland is my own expirience my own expirience. You know when I was growing up we had music in the house. I don't know many of you maybe do but it was accordions, it was guitars, it was harmonicas, it was violins you know the whole entourage of music and just music is a big part of a lot of cultures just different tones, different sounds. So I would appreciate all of that. Thank you. So I would like to introduce someone that I'm meeting for the first time today Federique Horn, she is the Consulate General of France and Boston Remarks. She's a cultural attaché for in France in Boston, viennese. Nice to meet you. Good to see you. Dear my love, dear Secretary Tabatz, Secretary of the Pewty Brookes, Madame la Consonoraire de France en le vermon, cher représentante de la délégation du Québec, dear students, dear Francophonie friends, au nom du Consulat général de France à Boston, je suis ravie d'être ici avec vous pour célébrer cette proclamation. This is an important milestone in the Francophonie Mon celebration and it's a joy to be here in the Winoski School District for this wonderful occasion. I would like to sincerely thank you for all your commitment and your welcome. I also want to use this occasion to thank the entire organizing team that made this ceremony possible. Nous célébrons en effet aujourd'hui un héritage. La Francophonie est une part essentielle de l'identité du vermon. C'est une histoire commune qui a fasciné, qui a façonné et fasciné votre état et mérite d'être célébré. We are gathered here to celebrate a legacy. Indeed, Francophonie is an integral part of the island city of Vermont. It is a shared history that has shaped your state and deserves to be celebrated. Aujourd'hui, la Francophonie du vermon est toujours bien vivante. Today, Francophonie in Vermont is still very much alive and all of you gathered here today are the living proof of its vitality. The French language holds a special place here in Vermont and I'm particularly glad to be here in the city of Winoski that has such a strong Francophone heritage and continue to this day to welcome French-speaking population. So, vive la Francophonie of yesterday, today and tomorrow. Vive la Francophonie du vermon. Merci. Thanks. Merci beaucoup. C'est ça. So, interestingly enough, the consul of France in Boston has a delegation here today. I want to thank the whole delegation, Arnault-Marceau, cultural attachés, yes, and yes. And they are in fact going to be having sessions if I may speak a little bit to that. They're going to be going to UVM. They're going to be going to daycare centers. They're going to be going to different places that are going to be working on different French language programs. We have with us here today as well a member of the Alliance Française Board of Directors, Beth Brody, right here in front. And as you some of you may not know, Vermont has a sister city between Burlington, Vermont and rural France. And today we have also a few members from that committee, and Richard Leesh, my right hands right here in front. Merci. So there are a lot more than just that what I've mentioned. Those are just the ones that come to mind immediately here. And I just want to recognize some of the people in the room. Thank you very much for coming here today. I think it's real important that we keep these things up and do what we can. So I am more than honored. I am thrilled to represent the French community here in Vermont. But I have worked closely with people from France and from Quebec and Canada over the years. And one of my very good friends and longtime partner here is Marie-José Duquette. I would like to invite you up. She has been instrumental in putting this event together today with her team in Quebec. They do this for all of New England. They go all the different New England states. She may actually speak a little bit about that. But without people like Marie-José and the councils in all the countries, we wouldn't be able to continue and promote all of what we're doing today. So please welcome Marie-José. Merci beaucoup. Merci. So should I talk about Expo? Yeah. I know the Expo. I know. But I will not talk about this. So un grand merci. Un grand merci d'être ici. Thank you for being here. Un grand merci aussi, Lise. It was a pleasure for me to be here. And the délégué Marie-Claude Francaire would like really to be here today. So Mayor Christine Locke, Sec. Thébede, Dep. Sec. Brooke, Distingué Invité, Amis du verment, bonjour. Thank you for a Winnowski High School for welcoming us. And of course, Lise Verano, for being our master of ceremony. She's a wonderful friend of Quebec and partner in everything Franco. So to all of everyone of you, thank you for joining us to celebrate Vermont Special Relationship with the Francophone World. It's a real pleasure to be here with all of you today and listen to the student and the importance of learning French. Et aussi d'écouter le groupe Vaivien. Ça fait du bien justement aux oreilles d'entendre de la musique francophone. From a rich history of Franco-Canadian immigration to a more recent Francophone migration from around the world, Vermont has been shaped by the Francophonie in many ways. La promotion et le rayonnement de la langue française ont toujours été important pour le gouvernement du Québec et ont guidé nos actions en develant gluttaire. Québec is proud to be a part of la Francophonie. For us, la Francophonie is a family, a space for solidarity and collaboration around a shared language, shared values and, in the case of Vermont, a long-standing relationship. Vermont is a neighbor and a friend. Several activities are often organized with partners in Vermont. I'm thinking of the Vermont International Film Festival, which often presents more than 17 Québec films in April this year. Additionally, we had food, film and friendship on October 29 last year. A great activity with four chefs from Vermont and four chefs from Québec. And the list can belong, so I will stop here. C'est vraiment un plaisir à renouveler d'être armée-vous et de souligner annuellement la contribution des francophones à la vie économique, politique, sociale et culturelle. Thank you so much for hosting us today. Un grand merci. Well, on that note, that brings us to the closing and, in closing, I do want to take a moment to just let everybody know there are many francophone events still being planned throughout the year, not just in March. I'm going to go ahead and self-promote the very next one that I'm going to be participating in. And it's going to be in June. It's going to be a sailing for Crohn's awareness. Crohn is a disease of the stomach disease and intestines and all that. So something people don't really want to talk about. But we have a sailor from Enfleur France. He is sailing, literally on a sailboat from France to Quebec to the United States. He will be making a stop here in Burlington, Vermont at the Champlain sailing center on the lake, on Lake Champlain, which is a very similar voyage to what Samuel de Champlain sailed when he came to this country and founded the New France. So anyone who might be interested is June 16th. There will be some postings going out. But it's a really very, very telling story about someone who suffers with a disease and is able to have a career. He's a young person, but he has a career sailing around the world and competing and doing very, very well at that. So anyway, that's happening in June and there's many, many more. In Winniskey, there's going to be the French Festival. So keep your eyes open and go to the Etienne France website. Go to your school. Go to the state of Vermont sites for events. There's a lot of opportunity to learn more. There's the Boston consulate has postings of all New England events happening around the New England area. So I want to say thank you again to all our guests and our speakers today. To Winniskey, the superintendent of schools who's here with us today as well. Merci, thank you for facilitating making this venue available to us to bring our people together and bring young people into the room which is really the most important thing we can do as citizens here in Vermont. So merci beaucoup. On that note, there will be some more music and please join us with some other French events and next year, we'll see where we'll be. Merci beaucoup. Sing with us. What I'd like you to repeat is l'album va, l'album va, l'album va. Mamie ma pet, mamie ma belle, y a chez nous y a d'un croissant bachassant, avec son beau fusil d'argent, tout va de blanc, au fils du roi tu es le chien, la bombe en lui sort des diamants, et par le bec l'or est l'argent. Asimou, capuchon je lui donne l'air, capuchon je lui donne l'air. Asimou, et la trulute does the trulute because it lets you exercise every little sound you can make with your lips and play it with rhythm. So I invite you to play it with rhythm with your mouth, even if the words are your own words. Asimou,