Bill C-501

2nd Session, 39th Parliament,

56-57 Elizabeth II, 2007-2008

house of commons of canada

BILL C-501

An Act to establish Mathieu Da Costa Day

WHEREAS Mathieu Da Costa was a navigator and interpreter of African descent who, according to history, travelled extensively throughout the Atlantic region in the late 1500s and early 1600s;

WHEREAS, as an interpreter, he was sought after by both the French and the Dutch to help in their trading with Aboriginal peoples;

WHEREAS Mathieu Da Costa’s interpreting skills were instrumental in bridging the cultural and linguistic gap between the early French explorers and the Mi’kmaq people;

WHEREAS Mathieu Da Costa’s work in Canada is commemorated at the Port-Royal Habitation National Historic Site of Canada in Annapolis Royal, Nova Scotia;

WHEREAS, in recognition of this most intriguing figure in Canadian history, the Mathieu Da Costa Challenge was launched in 1996 by the Department of Canadian Heritage;

WHEREAS the Mathieu Da Costa Challenge, held annually, gives students across the country an opportunity to research, discover and celebrate the contribution of Aboriginal peoples and Canadians of all ethnic and racial backgrounds to the building of Canada;

AND WHEREAS the people of Canada wish to honour and recognize the valuable contribution of Mathieu Da Costa to Canada and its citizens;

NOW, THEREFORE, Her Majesty, by and with the advice and consent of the Senate and House of Commons of Canada, enacts as follows:

SHORT TITLE

1. This Act may be cited as the Mathieu Da Costa Day Act.

MATHIEU DA COSTA DAY

2. Throughout Canada, in each and every year, the first Monday in February shall be known as “Mathieu Da Costa Day”.

3. For greater certainty, Mathieu Da Costa Day is not a legal holiday or a non-juridical day.