Honourable senators, the Association de la presse francophone, the APF, held its awards of excellence ceremony on May 27 in Edmonton, Alberta. The APF is Canada's only network of newspapers serving francophone minority communities.

I am very happy to highlight the important contribution that all the members of the APF make to developing and promoting francophone and Acadian communities in Canada.

This year, weekly newspaper La Liberté, from Manitoba, received the award for newspaper of the year at the awards of excellence ceremony.

L'Acadie Nouvelle, from New Brunswick, and Le Voyageur, from Sudbury, Ontario, were also celebrated and received a special mention in the newspaper of the year category.

I want to recognize the success of the following newspapers, which also won awards:

L'Aquilon, from the Northwest Territories
Le Courrier, from Nova Scotia
L'Aurore boréale, from Yukon
La Voix acadienne, from Prince Edward Island
Agricom, from Clarence Creek, Ontario
Le Gaboteur, from Newfoundland and Labrador
Le Franco, from Alberta
and
L'Eau vive, from Saskatchewan

I want to congratulate all of the print media artists working in francophone minority communities on the excellent work they do.

Thank you.