Poutine-toting Champlain offends French-language group
Last Updated: Wednesday, July 2, 2008 | 5:43 PM ET
CBC News
Champlain and poutine A French-language rights group is demanding an apology from Prime Minister Stephen Harper for a controversial poster hanging at the Canadian Embassy in Washington, D.C.
The poster — used to advertise the embassy's Canada Day party — featured a picture of French explorer Samuel de Champlain holding a plate of poutine, Quebec's famous delicacy made with fries, cheese curds and gravy.
The image, which played on Quebec City's 400th anniversary, was also featured on a website advertising the party.
The image of the city's founder holding a huge plate of poutine is in bad taste and disrespectful, said Impératif Français spokesman Jean-Paul Perreault.
"If they wanted to make a joke it's a really bad joke and if it wasn't a joke, well, it's worse then," said Perreault, whose organization is dedicated to protecting the French language in Canada.
Perreault compared the poutine image to using a hotdog to promote English Canada.
The embassy removed the poutine from the poster as soon as Impératif Français complained, but Perreault said further steps are warranted.
He said Foreign Minister David Emerson should apologize, and Michael Wilson, Canada's ambassador to the U.S., should resign.
Embassy officials could not be reached for comment.
