Yahoo Finance The collaborative work between persons expropriated from Forillon and Parks Canada was recognized at the Parks Canada CEO Awards of Excellence
A meeting was held at Forillon National Park to celebrate the award and honour Marie-Laure Rochefort, the first president of the Association of Persons Expropriated from Forillon and their Descendants
GASPÉ, QC, Sept. 19, 2024 /CNW/ - A group consisting of seventeen people, including descendants of expropriated families and members of the Parks Canada team, met at Forillon National Park today to celebrate an award earned through the Parks Canada 2024 CEO Awards of Excellence. This occasion also served as an opportunity to honour Marie-Laure Rochefort, a key figure in this achievement.
The group stood out in the "Spirit of Collaboration" category, with three of its members receiving the Award of Excellence from Ron Hallman, President and CEO of Parks Canada, on behalf of the group, at a ceremony held on June 7 in Gatineau. This honour, which highlights the creation of a lasting relationship between Forillon's expropriated people and Parks Canada, recognizes the development of a constructive collaboration that facilitates the storytelling and commemoration of the expropriated people. Since most of the recipients were unable to travel to Gatineau in June, it was important for them to come together in Gaspé to celebrate this prestigious award.
The collaboration between Forillon's expropriated persons and Parks Canada, along with their shared achievements, is largely the result of the dedication of Marie-Laure Rochefort, one of the 17 recipients and the first president of the Association of Persons Expropriated from Forillon and their Descendants. Since the beginning, Ms. Rochefort has been a strong advocate of the values that lie at the heart of the Association's mandate: recognition, respect, and, above all, the "Duty to Remember."
In recognition of this exceptional contribution, Parks Canada announced today that $25,000 will be donated to the Association of Persons Expropriated from Forillon and their descendants to support projects aimed at commemorating those who were expropriated so their stories can be documented, told, and inscribed in the collective memory. Despite the challenging histories, the openness and mutual respect demonstrated by the architects of this relationship allow us to approach the future with optimism.
Quotes
"It's a privilege to acknowledge and celebrate today the tremendous efforts of our friend and ally, Marie-Laure Rochefort, in commemorating expropriated persons. She has been the driving force behind the Association's success and accomplishments. The financial contribution announced today will allow us to carry on, on her behalf, our 'Duty to Remember' with the expropriated families and the Parks Canada team."
Hermeline Smith
Association of Persons Expropriated from Forillon and their Descendants
"At Parks Canada, excellence is a core value that shapes how we undertake our work. The dedication, passion and respect demonstrated by the Forillon expropriated persons whom we work with, particularly Marie-Laure Rochefort, are exemplary and deeply inspiring. The ongoing special relationship we are fostering with the Association of Persons Expropriated from Forillon and their Descendants, as well as with members of expropriated families, will allow us to accomplish great things together."
Ron Hallman
President and Chief Executive Officer, Parks Canada
Quick Facts
In June 1970, Forillon became Quebec's first national park in the Canadian network. Located at the eastern tip of the Gaspé Peninsula, Forillon National Park spans 244.8 km2, including a marine strip that extends over 150 metres (4.4 km2) wide.
To create Forillon National Park, around 225 families had to vacate their properties, and nearly 1,200 owners lost their woodlots and parts of their cultivated land. This expropriation led to major upheavals in the family, economic and social life of these residents and the community.
In 2010, the Association of Persons Expropriated from Forillon and their Descendants was created with the mandate to represent the expropriated people of Forillon in all consultative bodies related to Forillon National Park and to integrate the history of expropriation into the broader history of Gaspésie, Quebec and Canada. Marie-Laure Rochefort is president of the Association.
Since 2010, the Association has been a key partner for Parks Canada. It is consulted at key strategic moments and serves on the park's advisory committee. Collaborative leadership with the Association has resulted in meaningful connections and mutually beneficial accomplishments, such as the Pass Program, which grants park access to six generations of expropriated people, the installation of commemorative panels honouring families who once lived in various sectors of the park, and, more recently, the Grande-Grave Heritage Accommodation Project.
The Parks Canada CEO Awards of Excellence, the Agency's highest honour, were created to recognize partners and employees who demonstrate exceptional excellence or achieve outstanding results.
On June 7, 2024, the award was presented to 13 members of expropriated families (Marie-Laure Rochefort, Amanda Roberts, Andrée Bouchard, Claudine Noël, Debbie Phillips, Eileen Perry, Elizabeth Tuzo McGregor, Hermeline Smith, Kathleen Langlais, Lynn-Ann Smith, Pierre O'Connor, Pierrette Perry, Sarah-Émilie Fournier) and to four Parks Canada employees (Michel Queenton, Émilie Devoe, Élisabeth Lacoursière, Stéphane Marchand (retired)) in the "Spirit of collaboration" category, in recognition of the "Creation of a lasting relationship between the expropriated persons of Forillon and Parks Canada."
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SOURCE Parks Canada (HQ)
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