Bill C-272

2nd Session, 40th Parliament,

57 Elizabeth II, 2009

house of commons of canada

BILL C-272

An Act to establish Mathieu Da Costa Day

Whereas Mathieu Da Costa was a navigator and interpreter of African descent who, history tells us, travelled extensively throughout Canada's 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 them to trade with the 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, to recognize this most intriguing figure in Canadian history, the Department of Canadian Heritage launched the Mathieu Da Costa Challenge in 1996;

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.