Jean-Michel Leprince: Journalist par Excellence



Mr. Leprince at Columbia University last night

Last night, at Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism, renowned Société Radio-Canada/CBC journalist Jean-Michel Leprince received the Maria Moors Cabot Award for excellence in journalism, covering Latin America and the Caribbean. Canadians, in particular Quebecers, are understandably proud of this deserving honour for a journalist who has graced our television screens for over 30 years.

The oldest international award in journalism, now in its 73rd year, the Cabot Prizes honor journalists who have furthered inter-American understanding. It is a fitting recognition of the quality and the integrity of Jean-Michel Leprince’s work. 

To fully appreciate his contribution to journalism, it is important to understand the scope of his work. He joined la Société Radio Canada-SRC (CBC's French network) in 1973 and was the Ottawa parliamentary correspondent from 1982 to 1989. In this role, this French-born reporter covered foreign affairs, international events, and defense–related issues.

He later was named Washington correspondent during the President George H.W. Bush years and reported on the Gulf War, the overthrow of the Haitian dictatorship, the arrival of Canadian troops in Sarajevo, the elections in South Africa and the Chiapas rebellion.

Jean-Michel later opened the first SRC bureau in Latin America where he was on the ground covering drug wars, terrorism, civil war in Colombia, and dissident movements across Latin America. He soon became the reference for reporting on Latin America matters.

CBC/Radio-Canada is a state-run news corporation whose standard of excellence is recognized around the world, just like the BBC. This television network, founded in 1952, first provided through the medium of the small screen a glimpse, and later an in-depth understanding of world events. Jean-Michel Leprince is a product of this constant search for information and excellence in reporting.

The honour bestowed on Jean-Michel through the good offices of Columbia University President, Lee C. Bollinger, provides an opportunity to highlight the importance of a free press in a democracy. Journalists obsessed with finding the facts, with the constant search for truth and acting with integrity is an ideal that should never be compromised. Over the years, Jean-Michel Leprince has steadfastly been faithful to this creed. That he received this award is a witness to his convictions and his achievements. Bravo Jean-Michel!

Québec Innovation and Julie Payette

If there is one aspect that highlights a forward-looking modern economy, it is the importance a government attaches to innovation, research and science. It is the basis for building long-term prosperity, creating economic wealth and preparing the best talent for the changing world. Québec’s Strategy for Research and Innovation (2010-2013) just got an added boost with the recent nomination of its scientific delegate, astronaut Julie Payette. 

Ms. Payette was chosen by the Canadian Space Agency as an astronaut in 1992 and went to join NASA at the Johnson Space Center in Houston in 1996. As the saying goes, the rest is history. She took part in two space missions, Discovery and Endeavour in 1999 and 2009 respectively. She was chief astronaut at the Canadian Space Agency from 2000-2007. Through it all, Ms. Payette has built a solid reputation of achievement and is considered among Canada’s most admired and respected public figures. 

Joining the Québec scientific team and working out of Québec's Washington bureau provides Ms. Payette with the opportunity to promote Québec’s strategy and its scientific policy, build international partnerships and alliances in the U.S. and beyond with Québec research-based organizations, and also make known Québec’s progress in many scientific fields. Furthermore, and in conjunction with Québec’s Laval University, she will promote and develop alliances with Laval’s Arctic Net which studies the impact of environmental change in the Canadian Arctic. 

All in all, it is a mandate that in itself innovates and provides opportunities to advance in many areas considered to be important to Québec’s economy. She will also focus on her specialty, the aerospace sector. This sector in Québec has over 225 businesses and over 200 suppliers, nearly 40,000 jobs and 70% of Canadian R&D in the sector occurs in the greater Montréal region. 

On a more personal level, I have come to know Julie Payette. She is an inspiration to young people in Québec and across Canada. She is always available to speak about the value of education and the importance of science. In addition to her impeccable qualifications, she is a person dedicated to preparing the next generation. Bienvenue Julie!

High Speed Rail by Another Name

 

It seems that the term high speed rail (HSR) is running into trouble in the daily lexicon of Congressional politics. Some may be tempted to say that HSR is bound to be abandoned if President Obama loses in 2012. Others will tell you that the Congressional Super Committee on budget cuts, about to report in November, will make HSR a casualty.

After spending a couple of days in Washington on a ministerial mission with Quebec Transport Minister Pierre Moreau and Quebec's HSR emissary and former Ambassador Raymond Chretien, I came away with the distinct impression that there is genuine, yet cautious optimism that HSR is still a viable enterprise and will not be abandoned.

In the course of the mission, we met with Amtrak officials, Homeland Security officials, Transport Secretary Ray LaHood, Representatives Louise Slaughter D-NY) and John Mica (Fl-R) and staffers from both sides of the partisan divide. All seem to agree in their own respective ways that improved inter-city passenger rail travel is still on. Population growth, congested traffic centers, crumbling infrastructures and greater appetite for rail travel easily make the case for HSR - at least, a North American version of it.

Some within the GOP are reluctant to use the HSR acronym. Yet, there seems to be an understanding that California and the Northeast Corridor (NEC) are logical choices for HSR. Some are confident in the Amtrak vision to make it happen, others may be less so.

From a Quebec perspective, the designation by the Federal Railroad Administration of the Northeast Corridor for HSR is good news. The fact that monies rejected by some Governors in other regions have been allocated to states in the Northeast like New York, Vermont and Massachusetts represent an added factor for optimism. Quebec intends to be part of NEC and this is why it is pushing for preclearance at the Canada-U.S. border to reduce trip time and has invested $100,000 with Amtrak, Vermont and NYSDOT to evaluate plans to transform Montreal's Central Station. 

Reducing trip time, increasing reliability and augmenting frequency of use are objectives in any incremental approach to inter-city travel. All officials met on the mission agree with these, and that convinced me that the U.S. is staying the course that will ultimately result in a North American version of HSR - some dedicated track routes with speeds averaging 150 mph along with shared feeder tracks with average speeds of over 100 mph. 

It will not be done without some difficulty, and certainly not overnight in the proverbial sense of the word. However, just like the Interstate highway system of a few generations ago was built with presidential commitment over several administrations, there is widespread conviction that HSR will follow a similar path.

So call it what you will, be it HSR or the incremental improvement to rail travel and inter-city connection, it became clear to me on this mission that there is no stepping back on the horizon.

Studying Québec- Fulbright Style

Senator J. William Fulbright’s Awards Program is one of the most respected academic programs of its kind in the world. It provides opportunities in international education for scholars, teachers and students who help increase knowledge beyond their borders, and deepen understanding between their home countries and the United States. It is very prestigious, with more Nobel laureates having been recipients of Fulbright awards than any other awards program. It is no wonder that the Quebec government enthusiastically endorsed the joint project of the State University of New York’s College at Plattsburgh’s Institute of Quebec Studies and Fulbright Canada to create a Distinguished Chair in Quebec Studies at SUNY-Plattsburgh.

While there have been Fulbright chairs focused on the study of Canada at SUNY, the agreement to devote a Chair to Quebec studies is a first- and a first among federated states in Canada. The study of Quebec will involve many facets including an in-depth look at Quebec’s history, as well as contemporary Québec, its unique culture, its institutions, its governance, and its evolution in many fields of human activity. It is fertile ground for scholars, teachers and students.

Studying Quebec provides a fascinating glimpse into how a civilization began under French colonial rule and evolved into a modern and vibrant democracy. From Cartier to Champlain to Lafontaine, we can observe how a land was founded, explored, settled, and developed into a society that took in the many challenges of the New World and has in some instances been a change agent and a leader.

From the days of the French regime, to the years under British rule, to the creation of a federal Canada, Quebec is the story of adventure, persistence, survival, and innovation. Its transformation from a rural economy to a modern industrial and high-tech one will be a subject of study. How Quebec became an energy powerhouse in the post-war era and one of the world’s largest suppliers of renewable energy, will also be a focus of study. 

Québec remains a predominantly French-speaking society with a significant English-speaking community, and numerous cultural and ethnic communities who have come to its shores and have done much to contribute to the richness and diversity of Québec’s cultural and economic life. Québec artists now perform on world stages and its entrepreneurs rank among the leaders in the global markets.

Our political system, inspired by both the British parliamentary institutions and American principles of government, make Quebec a unique forum for examining the evolution of a democratic and federal state and its capacity to deal with diversity and change . The way Quebec has dealt with language issues over the years, and how Quebec has handled the debate between federalism and national sovereignty display the strength of its institutions, its belief in the democratic process, and the adaptability of the federal system. 

In recent years, Quebec has chosen to identify itself as a nation within Canada, and a federated state on the world stage. This has allowed Quebec to promote its identity and advance its interests around the world. It is fair to say, as my American friends would say – “Québec punches above its weight”!

The Fulbright Distinguished Chair will allow a number of scholars from Quebec, starting in 2012-13 and for a five-year period, to share their knowledge and expertise with their peers, with students and with the community in Plattsburgh and throughout New York State and other regions of the United States. The Chair will also provide a chosen opportunity for Québec’s best scholars to develop new academic collaborations within America’s largest network of public universities, the State University of New York.


A promising enterprise undoubtedly, and one truly in the spirit of Senator Fulbright’s vision, of fostering peaceful relations between the United States and the world through educational exchange.

The Importance of Financial Security

The 2008 financial meltdown helped transform a cyclical recession into the deepest economic slowdown since the Great Depression of the 1930’s. The continuing housing crisis, the sustained high levels of unemployment, rising deficits and debts, world events affecting the economy in Japan, and the sovereign debt problems in the EU have contributed to making growth slower and less certain than other post-recession cycles.
We have witnessed how this economic picture has affected the political climate in the U.S. as it is about to embark on the next presidential cycle. The Tea Party has been a new phenomenon for the right and it has come to dominate the Republican Party. It has also had an impact on both the conduct of congressional business, and possibly on the GOP nomination process. Just recently, a new development from the political left has found expression with the “Occupy Wall Street” movement of the last four weeks. It remains to be seen what its social and political impact will be.

It is clear the U.S. is hurting and the worst delusion for the rest of us is to believe that the situation will be limited and contained to its borders. It won’t. This is why efforts by France and Germany to work together in a more audacious manner to deal with the European difficulties have to be welcomed. Actions on the job front in the U.S. must be encouraged. Continued efforts by the world central bankers, world financial regulators and political leaders to deal with policies aimed at preventing a repetition of the last financial meltdown are necessary.

Québec as a federated state has jurisdiction over how financial transactions take place and financial markets interact. The province also works closely with federal financial institutions to make sure that investors have the knowledge and the protections to guarantee the security of their investments. It has to be aware of what other jurisdictions are doing because investments are not limited by borders.

This week Québec’s Minister for Finance Alain Paquet conducted a mission to meet with key financial regulators at the federal and state level. The goal is to better appreciate steps taken since the 2008 financial debacle and the recent passage of the Dodd-Frank legislation (2010). Such inter-jurisdictional collaboration is key to learn from other’s best practices and errors.

Canada did come out of the meltdown in a strong position because of how we chose to regulate our banks and commercial institutions. This being said, because financial insecurity has no borders, it remains essential that policy makers from around the world maintain the dialogue and the contacts on how to prevent a repetition of what happened.

Plan Nord and the CG/LA Forum

From October 11-13, the CG/LA 3rd Annual North American Strategic Infrastructure Leadership Forum is taking place in Washington D.C. As in the New York conference of last January, the Québec government has been invited to present its Plan Nord, a major project affecting the territory north of the 49th parallel, which was announced to the world on May 9, 2011.

Last January, I was given the opportunity to present an overview of the project. This time Energy, Mines and Natural Resources Deputy Minister Robert Sauvé, fresh from a promotional tour in Europe and Asia, is a featured speaker.

Since the initial announcement, Québec Premier Jean Charest has visited New York, cities in Europe, China and Japan to promote the essence, opportunities and potential of Plan Nord. The response has been generally positive with some initial mining investments announced along the way.

The CG/LA forums focus on major infrastructure development projects. The one in Washington provides an opportunity to put sponsors and interested parties together, aiming at advancing these projects. This forum will gather leaders from the public and private sectors and concentrate on projects in Canada, Mexico and the U.S.

Québec supports the efforts of CG/LA and considers it a premier event to advance its vision of economic development. This week, we present Plan Nord as a vision and project built on a sustainable development partnership that respects environmental concerns and objectives, as well as the wishes of First Nations communities in the territory.

The activities involve mining, energy, forestry, transport and wildlife tourism. It covers a territory near twice the size of Texas and is a gateway to the Arctic. Premier Charest has called it the “project of a generation,” with a requisite investment of $25 billion and meant to span over 25 years.

The CG/LA Leadership Forum presents an optimistic view of how economic wealth, sustainable development and progress are created for future generations. Building infrastructures, investing in creating and protecting the environment need not be a zero sum proposition. Quite the contrary. Plan Nord fits that very view.

Our Creative Ambassadors at Work

Mourning the loss of Steve Jobs has led many of us to look back on how innovation and technology can change attitudes, habits and the way people go about their lives. We know the legacy of Steve Jobs will be related to much more than the use of computers. His genius changed the way we live and interact. Yet, this pioneering spirit can rightly be found in different spheres of life such as medicine, politics, and culture.

Just last week, I was reminded of another, far less known innovator in the world of film, but one who helped change what to expect from entertainment, Norman McLaren.  His spirit lives on in many of today's films.

In the spirit of learning more about filmmaking innovation and the subsequent impact on culture, I attended an evening at the Kennedy Center where Montréal-based 4D Art presented a dramatic salute to this former National Film Board president. McLaren, a creative genius who used multimedia technology to innovate and bring modern film and entertainment to new heights.

The 4D Art company, the brainchild of Michel Lemieux and Victor Pilon, has already graced the Kennedy Arts Center stage four times and thanks to the VP of programming,  Alicia Adams, was able to present the production of  "Norman" to a stellar audience of patrons, artists and agents. The performance was impressive and appreciated by all.

When you see how film has evolved from the pioneering days of McLaren, one cannot help but acknowledge that the work of one individual can make a difference for all who follow. In the case of Lemieux and Pilon, they have used their four dimensional art to remind us of the genius of a man who influenced much of their own art and that of subsequent generations.

Seeing the reactions of patrons in the Eisenhower theatre, I was reinforced in my profound conviction that Québec culture and artists can make for the best diplomacy and do much to bring people together. This is why Québec, which is celebrating the 50th anniversary of the creation of its ministry of culture, has made our cultural activity here in the U.S. such an important goal and in itself, contributes to convey our creative spirit.

Hail to the French Connection

Last year, this office celebrated its 70th anniversary - a milestone for Québec’s oldest office abroad. It underscored the vital importance for the province back in 1940 to forge partnerships with the U.S. in trade, investment and finance. The strong ties and friendship continue to deepen ever since.

Today, Premier Jean Charest and his Minister of International Relations, Monique Gagnon-Tremblay, will be in Paris to celebrate the 50th anniversary of la Délégation Générale du Québec à Paris. No small feat, but one with roots in history spanning centuries.

From the origins of Jacques Cartier’s voyage to the new world, to Samuel de Champlain’s establishment of settlements in Acadia and Québec, to superhuman efforts to establish a civilization in a world challenged by nature, to a constant battle to maintain the French language and culture after the British Conquest, the French connection remains a fundamental characteristic of the identity of what is Québec today. When the Paris office was inaugurated some 50 years ago by Premier Jean Lesage's government, it was meant to be the expression of Québec’s identity, achievements, hopes, modernity, and dreams.

Over the past 50 years, Québec has become a modern vibrant society that has transformed, through exemplary democratic means, a collective will to tap our most creative and innovative goals and aspirations. Today, Québec and France proudly stand side by side in the Organisation internationale de la Francophonie (OIF).  Since November 7, 1985, Québec and Canada also participate as equal partners in the “Sommet de francophonie,” a francophone nation summits held every two years.

As a federated state, Québec has through successive governments and decades, chosen to develop an international personality dedicated to enhancing Québec's cultural, economic and political actions beyond its borders. With 26 offices around the world and participation in three international organizations, Québec has been able to maximize its international presence to promote its identity, defend its interests and build the grounds for greater prosperity.

From this side of the Atlantic, Québec still continues to see the French connection as an essential ingredient in our international profile. As part of Canada, we continue to play a role in the British Commonwealth and in the largest commercial relationship in the world with the U.S.  As part of the OIF, we can also act as partners with sovereign nations to promote our interests among francophone nations around the planet. Together, it makes Québec a leader among federated states and it has benefitted our citizens.

Living in New York, I have come to realize that the French connection is not solely the property of Québec. Our host country has its connectivity to the French fact. Allies in the American Revolution and the two World Wars, the U.S. and France have shared a history. To celebrate the 100th anniversary of the American Declaration of Independence, France offered the Statue of Liberty as a sign of friendship. Every once in a while, when I visit Ellis Island or look out from the Brooklyn Heights promenade, I take a moment to reflect on this magnificent monument. I find inspiration as it symbolizes friendship and liberty.

So with the Statue of Liberty acting as a bond and with Québec proudly present both in New York City and Paris this October 5th, we in New York extend our hands to our friends across the Atlantic and say hail to the French connection! Above all, hail to friendship and liberty.  Bravo Paris.

The New York of the North

Once again, a Montréal delegation of advertisers and innovators is travelling to New York City to be a part of the 8th annual Advertising Week. Over three years ago, Montréal’s advertising community represented by its leading agency advertising association, AAPQ headed by Yanik Deschênes, launched an initiative called YUL-Lab ago to present Montréal, Québec’s metropolis and Canada’s second largest city, as a creative incubator for advertisers wanting to reach different clienteles with diverse cultural components.

Montréal’s predominantly French-speaking majority population, blending with its thriving English-speaking community and diverse cultural communities, provides a unique setting for announcers wanting to test and develop  creative ideas to reach new markets.

This visit to New York is more than presenting Montréal’s potential. It is also a belief that Montréal’s advertising and creative community sees the U.S. market and New York City in particular as a source of inspiration as well as a challenge. At an opening event, hosted by Canada’s Consul General in New York John F. Prato, we were treated to a panel of Canadian and Québec-based creative entrepreneurs about the wisdom of being on the U.S. market.

Respected leaders from the creative community such as François de Gaspé Beaubien of Zoom Media, Paul Lavoie of Taxi, Joe Casale of Casale Media and Mark Sherman of Media Experts led the discussion on how creativity and entrepreneurship can be a two-way street. They explained their respective success and how they were able to leverage their Canadian experience for the U.S. market. It was heady stuff, win–win in every sense of the word.

Why is such an initiative important? Just like NYC, Montréal is a character city, a unique civic personality known to be an attraction to visitors, immigrants, creators and innovators. A brief stay in Montréal will attest to some of the characteristics associated with the great city of New York and to some extent, shared. Whether eating a pastrami sandwich at Katz, or a smoked meat at Montréal’s Schwartz or attending a concert at Lincoln Center or at Montréal’s emerging Quartier du Spectacle, or walking in Central Park or Mont Royal Park on a sunny Sunday, one gets a feel that we actually have much in common.

In the past two years, the Quebec government, through this office and emissary, former Canadian Ambassador to the U.S. Raymond Chretien, has been promoting a high speed link between Montréal and NYC. The argument is most compelling when you compare the current Adirondack voyage lasting over 11 hours. Yet, there is more than facilitating and accelerating the connection between these two great cities at stake.  Both share a similar appetite and appreciation for cultural events, a belief in greater integration between their universities and the development of business initiatives, the strong conviction that diversity enhances the fabric of the city and that creativity and innovation are the catalysts to improving the quality of life and building for the future.

In New York City, some of my neighbors often refer to Montréal’s McGill University as Harvard of the North, a well deserved attribution for this great institution. But after spending two years here, I realize the importance of the link between Montréal and NYC and its potential. Who knows, someday we may have a new attribution – Montréal, the NYC of the North.

Robert Bourassa: A Legacy to Remember

In June 2008, Québec Premier Jean Charest declared that all premiers would keep the title of "premier ministre /premier" beyond the tenure in office. This was a page right out of U.S political conventions where a president, a senator, a representative and a governor keep their titles for life. A welcome move as it honors, irrespective of political affiliation, the commitment and the service of those who served.

Since 1970, I have had the honor of knowing every Québec premier of all political stripes. I have actually served three of them (Robert Bourassa, Daniel Johnson and Jean Charest) in different capacities. It is fair to say that Québec has been well served by dedicated individuals engaged in advancing the interests of their fellow citizens. Today is a brief recall about one whose legacy, among others, is worth remembering: Robert Bourassa (1933-1996).

Robert Bourassa became Québec’s youngest elected premier in April 1970. He served initially for six years (1970-76) and made a spectacular political comeback getting reelected in 1985, and served until his retirement from politics in 1994. Fifteen years ago on October 2, 1996, Premier Bourassa passed away. It is important that we take time to remember how an individual can make a difference.

Throughout his political career, Robert Bourassa always believed that the true strength and promise of Québec rested with its economic potential and growth. From the onset, he worked tirelessly in promoting Québec’s economic advantages and leverage them in transforming Québec into a modern, innovative and creative society.

By the time he left office, Québec had become a leader in renewable energy, biotechnology and aerospace and had led the way promoting free trade with both the U.S. and Mexico. Successive premiers have recognized this contribution and built on this legacy.

In 1970, he launched the most ambitious energy project in Québec history – the development of the James Bay Project. A recent visit with some American friends to the Robert Bourassa Complex provided concrete evidence of Québec’s enormous renewable energy potential. In the 1970’s, Bourassa argued for, and won the debate for hydroelectric development over the proponents of nuclear energy development. Québec society, which has North America’s lowest carbon footprint as our electricity is generated by over 95% from renewable sources, has never looked back.

Other important defining achievements from the Bourassa years include universal healthcare, making French the official language of Québec while ensuring minority rights for its English-speaking minority, establishing Québec’s first environment ministry, adopting a Bill of Rights Charter, negotiating a quasi-constitutional agreement with the Québec Cree nation to develop the James Bay Project, establishing the Council on the Status of Women and harmonizing both the federal and the provincial tax system to make Québec more competitive internationally.

Despite this impressive list of accomplishments, Robert Bourassa’s legacy is not just related to specific policies and decisions. It also includes his approach to politics and the heat of political debate. He was a visionary and inspired a generation of followers who became engaged in defending and promoting Québec’s interests. However, he never personalized divergences with his political opponents. His civility and his respect for the achievements of previous governments as a basis to build from has garnered him much respect and affection beyond the partisan divide. He could disagree without being disagreeable. And finally, his primary purpose for engaging in political life was to build for future generations a society where economic development and prosperity would contribute to advancing social justice for all citizens.

He was a believer in federalism but his cherished goal to bring constitutional reform was never achieved but not from a lack of trying. Still, over his tenure, he defended Québec‘s place in the Canadian federation and in so doing, was able to make some advances which kept Québec as an influential partner within the Canadian federation in economic, fiscal and immigration matters.

It was hard to define him ideologically as he was a pragmatist. It is fair to say that he believed in an activist government, and saw government as an instrument to fight inequality within society. Above all, he wanted to make Quebecers progress in all facets of their development as a people. In the final analysis, this is a legacy worth remembering, and building on.