Senator Gold, my questions come from a place of love. Congratulations and thank you for everything.

Thanks to $500,000 in annual funding from the Department of Canadian Heritage, National Acadian Day has seen remarkable growth, with more than 250 activities from coast to coast to coast. Some are even taking place in communities that have been historically excluded or that are English speaking. Despite this success, National Acadian Day is not included in the Celebrate Canada program, which provides stable funding for other major national celebrations.

In 2024, three years of temporary support was granted on a long-term basis, but it is only guaranteed until 2026. Given that August 15 clearly meets the criteria for this program, why is the government still hesitating to officially include National Acadian Day and grant it the stable funding and recognition it deserves, on par with other national holidays?

Radio-Canada’s national broadcast of the August 15 concert since 2009 has played a key role in promoting Acadian culture. However, in 2024, the broadcast was cancelled, then later reinstated as a result of pressure and a one-time injection of funding.

In 2025, the Société nationale de l’Acadie will be solely responsible for producing the event, but it has a limited budget. Does the government intend to guarantee stable, ongoing funding to ensure the quality and survival of this iconic Acadian broadcast?