On March 11, 2026, during the Florida State Legislature session, a historic milestone was reached between Quebec and Florida with the adoption by the Florida House of Representatives of a resolution recognizing the importance of cooperation in trade, business, tourism, and culture between the State of Florida and the Province of Quebec.
For Catherine Cano, Quebec’s delegate in Miami, “this is proof that the relationship between Quebec and Florida is extremely deep and meaningful, and that it is capable of adapting and evolving, and of overcoming challenges,” she told Le Soleil de la Floride. “For Florida’s elected officials, who represent their communities, this is a message indicating that they care about Quebec and this relationship, which brings so much.”
The resolution acknowledges that Quebec residents represent a significant portion of Florida’s international visitors, contributing to the tourism industry and local economies throughout the state, and it is based on facts: “tourism spending by visitors from Québec has historically exceeded $2.5 billion annually, excluding capital investments, supporting employment and economic activity in Florida’s hospitality, retail, real estate, and service sectors.”
The resolution also notes that communities have “a substantial Québec seasonal residents, including areas such as Deerfield Beach, Pompano Beach, Hollywood, and Hallandale Beach, host French-language businesses, media outlets, and cultural activities reflecting Francophone heritage,” and… that’s not all! “[…] Florida and Québec institutions participate in educational and cultural exchanges, […] governmental entities in Florida and Québec have engaged in cooperative efforts related to environmental issues, […] these cooperative efforts include exchanges related to resilience technology as well as energy, clean technologies, and environmental management, […] Québec-based companies operate in Florida and Florida-based companies maintain investments and partnerships in Québec, with bilateral trade between Québec and Florida totaling approximately $2.6 billion in 2024 and increasing by approximately 33 percent over the past 5 years”
It is for all these reasons that the Florida House of Representatives “recognizes the importance of business, trade, tourism, and cultural cooperation between the State of Florida and Québec and acknowledges the ongoing economic, educational, and institutional relationships between the two jurisdictions.”
Drafting Process
Ms. Cano explains that other states have adopted resolutions of friendship with Quebec, and when Quebec’s Minister of International Relations and La Francophonie, Christopher Skeete, visited in January, he and the Delegation discussed the relationship with Florida elected officials, “and the reception and response were extremely positive,” according to the delegate.
She adds that following the discussions, Republican Representative Chip LaMarca of Broward County offered to take the lead on this proposal because he loves Quebec and fully understands the importance of Quebec’s contribution to Florida and the importance of Florida’s contribution in terms of exports and presence in Quebec.
Regarding the resolution drafting process, Representative LaMarca first submitted the draft resolution to the Rules and Ethics Committee, which then provided comments that were reviewed by the Office of the Government of Québec. Subsequently, the amendments were reviewed jointly by the Rules Committee and the Office of the Government of Québec. After the Office of the Government of Quebec in Miami collected and compiled the supporting documentation requested to substantiate the statements contained in the resolution, the final text of the resolution was drafted and approved by the Chair of the Rules and Ethics Committee on February 27, then published in the House Journal on March 9. On March 11, the Quebec delegate was invited to attend the presentation of the resolution to the Florida House of Representatives by Representative Chip LaMarca, who took the time to acknowledge Quebec’s presence in the gallery. “A beautiful moment of pride,” says the delegate. “It was a very beautiful and touching moment, handled with such elegance by the legislators, especially knowing that they were all in favor of the resolution.”
Quebec is not only welcome but also well-established in Florida, and the resolution bears witness to this. It is also important to note that given the current geopolitical context—and the fact that we are in a state with a supermajority of Republicans—this resolution becomes even more significant. Ms. Cano stated: “This proves that we are capable of navigating regardless of the shifts, transformations, and uncertainties we are facing. And it is the Delegation’s job to help our businesses and governments navigate through this. One thing is certain: through this navigation, we have succeeded in securing a declaration that highlights the strength of the commercial and cultural ties between the two, and indicates that we must continue.”
Symbolic and Concrete
The resolution is both highly symbolic and highly concrete because it is not only expressed in words and legislation but is also grounded in facts that are reflected in concrete actions. Whether through trade missions, cultural exchanges, economic initiatives, climate resilience efforts, or in the aerospace and other technology sectors, the activities of the Quebec Delegation in Miami are a daily occurrence in Florida. Every week, it meets with Quebec companies looking to establish themselves in Florida or offer solutions to American businesses using their respective expertise.
Ms. Cano concludes: “My job is to position Quebec and promote its reputation. And the more we promote it, the more in demand we are.” She notes that on the ground, businesspeople want to maintain the relationship between Quebec and Florida as well as trade exchanges, highlighting that there are 90 Quebec companies in the Sunshine State and numerous Quebec suppliers, hence the importance of ensuring these opportunities remain and continue to grow.
Florida House of Representatives
