Canada-France Inter-Parliamentary Association (CAFR)

The biannual meetings between the Canadian and French groups are the Association’s core activity. They enable parliamentarians to discuss subjects of common interest from differing points of view prompted by the unique political dynamics of Canada and France. The outcomes of the dialogue can then be relayed by members to their respective parliaments and governments. The last annual meeting in Canada (Vancouver and Whistler, British Colombia) took place in October 2022.

From 10 to 15 October 2022, seven French parliamentarians travelled to British Colombia, Canada, to participate in the 48^th Annual Meeting of the Canada–France Inter-Parliamentary Association (the Association). The meeting was held in British Columbia (B.C.).

The French delegation was led by National Assembly Member Christopher Weissberg, Chair of the French Branch of the Association, and Senator Yan Chantrel, Chair of the France–Canada Friendship Group in the Senate. Other members of this delegation included senators Pierre Cuypers, Marie-Pierre De la Gontrie and Catherine Morin-Desailly, and National Assembly Members Philippe Gosselin and Danièle Obono. In addition, the delegation was accompanied by Delphine Bert, the Association’s Executive Secretary for the Senate and Thierry Deilhes, the Association’s Executive Secretary for the National Assembly.

The Canadian delegation was led by Member of Parliament Marie-France Lalonde, Chair of the Canadian branch of the Association, and consisted of Senator René Cormier, Association’s Vice-Chair, as well as Members of Parliament Lena Metlege Diab, Fayçal El-Khoury, Laila Goodridge, Denis Trudel and Dominique Vien. The delegation was accompanied by Catherine Cuerrier, Association’s Executive Secretary, Alexandra Savoie, Association’s Advisor and Analyst at the Library of Parliament of Canada, and Angélique Campbell, Protocol Officer with the Parliament of Canada. Cyrille Michel Sanchez, Head of Unit for Domestic Policy and Advocacy at the Canadian Embassy in France, accompanied the delegation during its stay in British Columbia.

The two themes of the Annual Meeting were cultural diversity in the digital world as well as ecological transition and green technologies. The delegation participated to working sessions and activities related to these two themes. For example, it met with the Alliance Française de Vancouver to discuss its virtual reality initiative and Creative BC to discuss its support for the creative industry. The delegation met with the Minister of Environment and Climate Change Strategy and with the Minister of Energy, Mines and Low-Carbon Innovation and Minister responsible for the Consular Corps of British Columbia, to discuss green transition and green technologies. Finally, the delegation visited businesses working in the renewable energy sector and three research centres at the University of British Columbia (UBC).

The delegation also participated in activities focused on two other topics of interest: British Columbia’s francophone community and the survival of the French language; and First Nations. For example, the delegation visited the Audain Museum and the Squamish Lil'Wat Cultural Centre. It also met with Francophone organizations at the Maison de la Francophonie de Vancouver and with the Cercle des dirigeants français.

The 48^th Annual Meeting provided an opportunity to develop and strengthen the ties between Canadian and French parliamentarians and to exchange on topics of common interest.