Senator Rose-May Poirier

Christian “Kit” Goguen

Hon. Rose-May Poirier: Honourable senators, I am pleased to once again speak to you about Christian “Kit” Goguen of Saint-Charles, an exceptional artist from my neck of the woods. The last time I spoke to you about Kit was five years ago. At the time, I shared Kit’s inspiring story as an artist, but now a new chapter has begun for him.

For those colleagues who were not here the last time I spoke about Kit, he made a name for himself as an artist by winning honours at the thirty-fifth Gala de la chanson de Caraquet in 2003, which launched his national and international music career with the musical revue Ode à l’Acadie. From 2010 to 2013, he sang with two Cirque du Soleil productions, Corteo and Zarkana, which took him all over Europe and to Russia, Las Vegas and New York, where he played Radio City Music Hall.

At some point in the past five years, Kit returned to New Brunswick, where he performs and leverages his fame to raise awareness of Tourette syndrome, which affects him personally. In his case, the syndrome manifests as tics that, thankfully, have subsided over time. However, as a young child, he was bullied because of this problem, which he could not control. Music provided solace during that painful time, and that is what inspired him to create a show that he performs in schools across New Brunswick. He also supports the cause through speaking engagements.

Eventually, wanderlust and the lure of the limelight became so strong that he was drawn back to Cirque du Soleil, this time to sing in Totem. In 2019, he will feature in 370 performances, singing six days a week, sometimes twice a day.

His reunion with the Cirque du Soleil is scheduled for December 16 in Paris, and his European tour will start with London’s Royal Albert Hall in January. Just think, honourable senators: An ordinary guy from Saint-Charles, a community of about 2,000 people, performing on the same stage that has hosted legendary artists like The Beatles and Elton John. The time has come for Christian “Kit” Goguen to join their ranks and leave his mark on the Royal Albert Hall. This is an incredible career milestone. He is such an inspiration.

For all the dreamers who have been or are still being bullied, Kit’s story proves that you should never give up on your dream.

The cherry on top is that Kit will become a father for the first time in 2019. Honourable senators, I invite you to join me in congratulating him for his accomplishments and encouraging him to keep showing the whole world what makes Acadia so great.