Ontario Minister of Francophone Affairs Madeleine Meilleur released the following statement regarding the death of former Senator and Member of Parliament Jean-Robert Gauthier:

"I was saddened to hear of the passing of Jean-Robert Gauthier. As Minister of Francophone Affairs, and on behalf of Ontario's Francophone community, I want to express my deep gratitude for his hard work that has benefited and will continue to benefit all our community.

During the great rally of SOS Montfort on March 22 1997, my good friend Gisèle Lalonde had those simple words about Jean-Robert Gauthier: 'Jean-Robert, you have always been and will always be our Franco-Ontarian hero.' This statement is a perfect representation of the reality. As such, he is not only my friend, but the friend of all Francophones in Ontario.

By his overall actions and great commitment to our community, Jean-Robert will forever occupy a special place in the heart of each Franco-Ontarian.

We shall miss Jean-Robert dearly and our thoughts and prayers go out to his loved ones."