SENATORS’ STATEMENTS — Tributes
The Late Honourable Viola Léger, O.C., O.N.B.
February 14, 2023
Honourable senators, at the end of January, former senator Viola Léger passed away peacefully at the age of 92 in Dieppe, New Brunswick.
She is survived by her three sisters, Doris, Sister Agnes and Lilianne, as well as many nieces, nephews, grandnieces and grandnephews. Viola Léger really loved her family, and I want to offer them my deepest condolences.
Viola Léger was mainly known for her work with author Antonine Maillet and for playing the role of La Sagouine on stage over 3,000 times in French and English, both in Canada and abroad.
Viola Léger was an excellent actress, an ambassador of Acadia and an important symbol of pride for all Acadians. Her art paid tribute to the Acadian culture, including its language. Of course, Viola Léger spoke French, but she did more than just speak it. She gave meaning to the everyday language of Acadians and its charming and unique turns of phrase.
Few things are more precious than one’s mother tongue. Language helps to carry on a culture’s origins and traditions. It reflects the culture’s heart and soul. On stage, Viola Léger was able to embody the Acadian language and culture and breathe new life into them.
Ms. Léger was an Acadian icon known in French Canada as La Sagouine. However, to members of the Senate, she was above all an esteemed colleague. She was appointed to the Senate of Canada by former prime minister Jean Chrétien and served from 2001 to 2005. It was only natural for her, as part of her work in the Senate, to represent the arts community and draw attention to the important contributions that artists make to Canadian society. She also embodied an important part of the Senate’s mission by defending the interests of marginalized and minority communities.
During her maiden speech in the Senate, in November 2001, Senator Léger said the following about her beloved Acadia:
Whether in Newfoundland, Louisiana, Caraquet, Montreal or Belle-Île-en-Mer, the Acadian soul is constantly reborn. We are intrigued, seduced and moved by it. It also makes us laugh, and sometimes cry.
Although we mourn her passing, it also gives us the opportunity to remember the joy and laughter that Viola Léger brought to our hearts. May her soul rest in peace.
Honourable senators, it is with a heavy heart that I rise today to pay tribute to Viola Léger, who passed away on January 28 at the age of 92.
This great woman from Acadia brought Acadian culture to the rest of the country and the world by bringing to life the character of La Sagouine created by Antonine Maillet.
Viola Léger is beyond a shadow of a doubt one of the greatest Acadian actors. From 1971 to 2016, she performed the role of La Sagouine more than 3,000 times, in French and in English, in Acadia, Quebec, Canada and around the world. A true symbol of Acadian resilience, she embodied Acadian values, both on and off the stage: She was warm with people, generous with her time, staunchly proud of her Acadia, not to mention determined.
Viola Léger’s legacy goes beyond the stage. She opened doors for several future actors from Acadia by demonstrating that it was possible to make a living from their art. She always gave back to the community in many ways: She founded her own theatre company in 1985 and, in 1999, she created the Fondation Viola Léger, which has been awarding the Viola Léger award to support young artists with their projects since 2011.
On June 13, 2001, Viola Léger was appointed to the Senate, where she would serve until June 29, 2005. During this period, she seized every opportunity afforded by this forum to promote Acadia. In her maiden speech on November 20, 2001, Viola Léger spoke on a motion calling on the federal government to recognize August 15 as National Acadian Day. I would like to quote her speech, as my colleague did earlier:
Whether in Newfoundland, Louisiana, Caraquet, Montreal or Belle-Île-en-Mer, the Acadian soul is constantly reborn. We are intrigued, seduced and moved by it. It also makes us laugh, and sometimes cry. It makes us travel through time and space. The arts are a people’s soul. Without arts, there can be no identity. And without identity, a people cannot exist. The Acadian culture has been one of the most effective tools to ensure the future of the Acadian people.
Honourable senators, on behalf of the Conservative caucus, I offer our most sincere condolences to Viola Léger’s loved ones and to everyone in Acadia mourning the loss of its greatest ambassador, our Sagouine, who now shines in the sky like our most beautiful star. Thank you.
Honourable senators, since the passing of the Honourable Viola Léger on January 28, numerous tributes from Acadia, Quebec, the Canadian francophonie, France and other parts of the world have shown us how very much she meant to the Acadian people, francophones and all Canadians.
Our former Senate colleague was also a teacher, an actor and a friend. Her presence was unique and incomparable. In life and on stage, she had a remarkable talent for being in the here and now, as though nothing mattered more than the exact moment of her interaction with you as she looked you right in the eye with that bright, piercing gaze as deep as the Atlantic Ocean and as vast as the skies of Bouctouche or Abram-Village, Chéticamp or Cape St. George.
As my colleagues said, Viola Léger performed La Sagouine over 3,000 times. In a way, the character, created by the extraordinary Antonine Maillet, enabled her to tell her own story and express her feelings and reflections on life.
Society’s most vulnerable were always top of mind for Viola Léger, and she put her own stamp on the character, a daughter of cod fishers who became a cleaning woman aware of the many ways in which her kind were exploited and whose insights about life were at once clear-eyed, compassionate and poetic.
Demanding of herself and those around her, Viola played multiple roles in both of our official languages throughout her career. During her four years in the Senate, Senator Viola Léger worked tirelessly to raise awareness about Acadia and to promote the arts and culture.
She had a remarkable sense of public service. She was aware that words can bring hope and, whether on stage or in the Senate, words have a power that must be put to good use. She bit into every word as if she was taking hold of the strength and resonance of the French language, an Acadian language like a treasure to be cherished, tinged with the fear that it might disappear.
Colleagues, one of the outstanding voices of the Acadian people, of the francophone community and of the entire country has passed away. Viola Léger, a great Canadian, a wonderful Acadian, gave of herself and her life in the service of the theatre, the Acadian people and our country.
Some have said that when she passed, her voice took with it a piece of the Acadian soul. That said, I truly believe that her voice will continue to resonate for generations to come, nurturing the identity and pride of the first francophone people to set foot on this continent.
I will conclude not by quoting the same text as my colleagues, but by saying that if it is true that “the Acadian soul is constantly reborn,” that is what Viola Léger has been for us and will continue to be for the people of Acadia.
Thank you, dear Viola. Rest in peace.
Honourable senators, on behalf of Senator Richards who could not be here today, these are his words of tribute to Viola Léger:
I saw her perform only one time — a number of years ago now — when I was artist-in-residence at St. Thomas University, and she came to the small, intimate stage, sitting on a chair under one light, dressed as La Sagouine, speaking — this time — in English. We surrounded her on three sides, mostly students but professors as well, and she spoke Antonine Maillet’s great monologues in a voice that was not only hers, not only Antonine’s and not just Acadian — though, of course, it was Acadian — but a voice that became, over the hour, ours as well. That is, I knew her as I knew my grandmother from Matapédia or my Acadian great-grandmother. Slowly, it became our voice too and, as the hour progressed, mesmerizing.
She was an old lady, a fisherwoman born of the bay, a scrubwoman far away in New Brunswick, a part of some rustic backwoods region — what could she ever have to offer sophisticated people? Well, you see, everything, everything in the world — whatever God intended us to know, understand or cherish.
She slowly filled that small stage — and that group that surrounded her on three sides — with charm, wit, laughter and, in the end, a deep understanding of both the great joy and great sorrow of our world. The audience of young boys and girls — boys and girls from another age — listened with reverence. She had the spirit of a woman who celebrated the spirit of all mankind — a joyful celebration that we, in fact, share far more in our common humanity than we could ever imagine.
Monologues were delivered with such impeccable understanding of “how” — that is how stories are related, and why they must be told the way they are; that is how human beings relate to one another and the world around them. Yes, this was the great Antonine Maillet’s writing, of course, but it was Ms. Léger’s delivery that brought it to life. In that moment, I suppose the two women were as one — the wonderful friendship between them that had started half of a century before were transformed by those words on that bare stage.
Though I had known Antonine Maillet for some time, and though Peg and I were invited to l’Université de Moncton for a celebration on the fortieth anniversary of La Sagouine, I never got to speak to or meet Ms. Léger. I wish I had. I always thought I would have a chance. Of course, as life would have it, I never did. Still, I will never forget that little washerwoman on stage for that one hour, surrounded by us all — with one light shining on a hunched and noble soul as she confided in us a gracious and eloquent wisdom. It was the wisdom that Tolstoy himself understood: There is no greatness without goodness, kindness and simplicity.
What might I have said if I had met her? I would have told her that her little washerwoman is universal, and like “The Song of Joy,” “Amazing Grace” or “Oh Danny Boy,” her monologues can be understood by anyone from any language — flying any flag over any country — and all one needs in order to understand such a grand old woman is love.
Honourable senators, it is fitting that, on February 14, a day for showing our loved ones that we love them and appreciate them, we should pay our deepest respects to a wonderful woman, the late senator Viola Léger, who recently passed away at the age of 92.
Viola was a senator for New Brunswick from 2001 to 2006, during which time she served on both the Committee on Official Languages and the Committee on Aboriginal Peoples. That is no coincidence since she was a staunch advocate for minorities throughout her life.
During her years in the Senate, she regularly charmed us with her insightful poems that showed us the fundamental role of culture as a reflection of Canadian diversity, united by our common values. I don’t have time, in these three short minutes, to list all of the titles and honours that she was awarded, but they were all very well deserved.
For francophones from New Brunswick, she was our ambassador, both nationally and internationally, bringing our history to life on stage in her role as La Sagouine. Off stage, it was her smile, her intelligence and life experience that shone through.
Like the star on the Acadian flag, she was for many of us a guiding star whose wisdom and dignity served to light the way for future generations of Acadian artists, like our own Senator René Cormier and many others. I would like to take this opportunity to thank Senator Cormier, who gave an eloquent eulogy at Viola’s funeral last week. Thank you, René.
It goes without saying that, of all the roles Viola undertook during her lifetime, her performance on stage in the role of La Sagouine, from the novel of the same name written by her friend Antonine Maillet, was particularly exceptional. Every time I attended a performance, I was moved by her monologue, and the fact that she could enthrall the audience for hours, all on her own. That was just one of her many feats.
In the Senate on May 19, 2005, during her statement on the influence of culture, she said the following:
The arts play an indispensable role in our mutual understanding.
Artistic creation awakens our consciousness. It is a source of meditation, inspiration, reflection and comfort. The arts help balance us, elevate our souls, and allow us to breathe, to live. . . .
The arts define us and, above all, help us understand who we are as Canadians and what our society is all about.
Honourable senators, Viola’s statement was one of love — appropriate for us on Valentine’s Day. It shows her love for Acadia, for culture, for the arts, for Canada and for all of us who have been blessed to have known her at some point in her life.
Dear Viola, thank you so much for dedicating your life to the love of culture, and love for one another. Know that your memory will live on in our hearts.
You accomplished your life and your mission brilliantly. Rest in peace.
I rise today to pay tribute to Senator Viola Léger.
In September 2001, four people were appointed senators — Laurier LaPierre, Viola Léger, Jean Lapointe and I — one week after the September 11 tragedy.
As I was the first Muslim senator, I was worried about the situation because I was hearing negative comments about Muslims in the house.
Viola comforted me and told me that it was not true that all Muslims were like that. She said, “Don’t worry, be patient, take your time and tell your story slowly.” She promised me that one day things would change in the Senate.
Viola was very generous with me.
Senator Léger was first and foremost an accomplished artist. We remember her mainly for her role as La Sagouine, the character created by Antonine Maillet. La Sagouine, a humble cleaning woman and daughter of a fisherman, tells her story and that of Acadia and its people. This role showcases the Acadian culture and language and presents the reality of this group of francophones from the Maritimes to Canadians in the rest of the country.
Between 1971 and 2016, Viola Léger performed this role more than 3,000 times in French and English, and brought her to life right across Canada, the United States and Europe.
Viola, I want to send you an update on your advice to me. For being patient, I get a C on my report card; taking my time does not come naturally to me; in telling my history about being Muslim, with the help of many other senators — we are now five in the Senate — we have made great progress.
Viola, you were an amazing friend and colleague and I will always remember you fondly. Rest in peace, my friend.
Honourable senators, the impact of the arts on our lives should never be understated. People feel seen and understood when they see their lived experience reflected back to them. It can also foster understanding from those who are coming from a different perspective.
On behalf of the Progressive Senate Group, I rise today to recognize a former colleague and a friend who did just that. Former senator Viola Léger passed away on January 28 of this year at the age of 92. Before her appointment to the Senate by the Right Honourable Jean Chrétien in 2001, Viola dedicated her life to the arts as an actress and as a teacher, particularly known for her portrayal of La Sagouine, a role created in 1971 by her friend and author Antonine Maillet. It was a role she would play more than 3,000 times over her lifetime. Her humble, straight-talking washerwoman inspired pride among the Acadian people, but also reached far beyond the people who recognized themselves in her.
She has been described as an icon, and indeed, as the author responsible for her signature role said, if Viola Léger:
. . . hadn’t played Sagouine, Sagouine wouldn’t have had the success that it had, and therefore (I would not have) received the recognition I received as a writer.
Many Acadian artists regard Viola Léger as an inspiration and have endeavoured to pursue a life in the arts because of the path she carved. Without her influence, we cannot know the stories or the beauty we may have missed. What a marvellous legacy.
When she eventually came to this place in 2001, she was certainly someone who did not shy away from hard work. While she herself was tiny and quiet, her dedication was not. I recall that she was driven to get things done in the chamber and was not very fond of the partisan debate to which we are often prone.
She spent time as a member of the Aboriginal Peoples Committee, the Official Languages Committee and the Social Affairs Committee, and she certainly championed the arts throughout her time as a senator.
Senator Léger was named an Officer of the Order of Canada in 1989. She was the recipient of the 1995 New Brunswick government’s Arts Excellence Award, the Order of New Brunswick in 2007 and four honorary degrees. She was named Knight of the Order of Arts and Letters of France in 1991, member of the Ordre des francophones d’Amérique in 1998 and Knight of the Ordre de la Pléiade in 2004.
Honourable senators, while Canadians, and particularly the people of New Brunswick, have lost a cherished icon, La Sagouine will sit forever in our hearts. I send my deepest condolences to her friends and to her family. Thank you.
Honourable senators, I would ask you to rise and join me in observing one minute of silence in memory of our deceased colleague.
Thank you very much, honourable senators.
