Lieutenant Governor of Ontario Edith Dumont arrived at West Nipissing city hall on Monday, March 23. She was greeted by a delegation of community leaders. 
During her tour of city hall, Lieutenant Governor Edith Dumont stopped in WN CAO Mike Pilon’s office to look at his honours from his previous work with the Ontario Provincial Police.
Christian Gammon-Roy
Tribune
West Nipissing was host to a very high-profile guest on Monday and Tuesday, March 23 and 24. The Honourable Edith Dumont, the first francophone Lieutenant Governor of Ontario, accepted an invitation to visit the community, during the International Month of La Francophonie and just in time for the annual Souper de la Francophonie put on by the Club Richelieu. The Lieutenant Governor’s visit also included city hall, the West Nipissing Community Health Center, which also hosted a Women in Leadership afternoon tea, and local schools. The visit was about two years in the making, finally coming together through the coordinated efforts of the municipality, Club Richelieu, Les Compagnons des francs loisirs and the Lieutenant Governor’s own staff.
Dumont began her tour at city hall, meeting with Mayor Kathleen Thorne Rochon, members of council and staff, as well as local representatives and organisation leaders from the Club Richelieu and Les Compagnons des francs loisirs. “To be able to have a guest of the stature of the Lieutenant Governor visit us during the International Month of La Francophonie is so meaningful for the community. It’s a really great opportunity to show all of the accomplishments and all of the things that have been built in our community by the sheer will and pride of our French community,” stated Thorne Rochon. The mayor also made it a point to outline the contribution of Francophones to the social, cultural and economic makeup of the community.
Francophonie was naturally a major theme during the visit. Dumont was asked to comment on her role as the first francophone Lieutenant Governor for Ontario. “I think it means that we can be proud as Franco-Ontarians to be part of all our important institutions. I’m proud of my province because diversity is a core value that we cherish across Canada,” she answered. Originally from the Ottawa region, she said it is always a pleasure to receive a francophone welcome in other parts of the province. “When we start travelling in Ontario, we realize that the francophone community is everywhere. It’s a good feeling. For me, I think that it makes us feel solidarity, it makes us want to keep speaking French, to keep working in French and to live in French. It feels good to recognize each other and to celebrate Francophonie. I know that we will celebrate it here tomorrow in Sturgeon Falls, but it’s something to celebrate year-round,” she stated.
The Lieutenant Governor highlighted the cultural connections between Francophones from different parts of Ontario, and the feeling of familiarity among them all. “Being with you today, it reminds me that we’re all connected. It’s only been a few hours since I’ve arrived, and I’ve met a Dumont and a Blais. My grandmother is a Blais and my father is a Dumont, so I tell myself that we’re connected, and Francophones, we’ve travelled a lot,” she described.
