Longtime French advocate receives honorary degree from MUN
Robert Cormier was honoured a doctor of laws at MUN's Grenfell campus convocation ceremony
Robert Cormier of Cape St. George was overwhelmed with emotion when he received his honorary doctor of laws at MUN's Grenfell Campus convocation Thursday morning.
"I feel very emotional. This is quite the honour and very unexpected as well," he said.
The Memorial University alumnus bowed his head while the packed audience at the Arts and Culture and Centre in Corner Brook stood on their feet and cheered and cheered.
He received the honorary degree for his passion and dedication to preserving and promoting the French language at home and throughout the province.
There was a little light in the back of my mind that said you have something that other people do not have- Robert Cormier
Cormier grew up in a French speaking home on the Port au Port Peninsula on Newfoundland's west coast. When he went to school, everyone spoke French, except the teacher.
From a young age, he felt the need to push for his community to take pride in their mother tongue.
"When I went to university for the very first time, I got to speak to a teacher who spoke French. And that really impacted … me," said Cormier. "There was a little light in the back of my mind that said you have something that other people do not have, right. And when I got back home me and others around me said we need to try and preserve this and keep it going."
This light inspired him, and others, to start the first French association in this province, Les Terre-Neuviens Francais.
He made huge strides to produce French-first language education for students and develop French immersion, provincewide.
His daughter, who teaches at the French first language school in Cape St. George, could not hold back her tears as she watched her father accept his degree.
"Very emotional. I am so proud, I am beaming," said Candace Cornect.
"He is a leader. He has the ability to get people involved and get people to work with him. He is a leader in that way, which is what we need."
Cornect grew up surrounded by French. Her children also speak it fluently; something Cormier is very proud of.
He was a teacher for many years, a principal too.
His decades of promoting and preserving French and culture in Newfoundland and Labrador has led to many accolades. He is a member of the Order of Canada, a recipient of the Queen Elizabeth II Golden Jubilee Medal and an inductee of the Order of Newfoundland and Labrador.
The work continues
Yet, Cormier is so humble when receiving these awards. He spoke to the audience of parents and graduating students about his language, background and family life, but spent most of his speech talking about his passion and continuous fight to preserve the language.
Cormier says the population in Cape St. George and parts of the Port au Port Peninsula are dwindling. And he worries that students are not speaking or hearing French at home, like they used to.
"On the Peninsula, the language is not totally secure just yet. It is going to take some time. The students are learning French as a second language, will they pass that on to their children? We are not quite sure and that is the big question," he said.
"Having that language at home, and having that pride in it, pushes you forward."
Cornect says with her father as a figure to look up to, the language will never die.
"I teach at the French first language school and we don't have many students left. But I feel that it's still very important to keep it up. And my dad is a role model for that," she said.
"I am sure that we can go to him and he will give us pointers. I don't think it is the end of the French language in our community at all."
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