http://ameriquefrancaise.org/en/ Articles récents Fri, 02 Nov 2012 04:00:00 GMT en-ca Salem, Massachusetts is a cultural palimpsest, a geographical space that bears traces of communities of people who have called this city their own. French-Canadians, who immigrated to Salem in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, made their mark in a neighborhood called “The Point.” A devastating fire razed the neighborhood in 1914, forcing its French-Canadian and Franco-American inhabitants to reimagine and rebuild it. One hundred years later, the Point was named to the National Register of Historic Places in the United States due to the uniformity of its architectural style and its cultural importance to Salem’s Franco-American community.  ]]> Tue, 13 Mar 2018 04:00:00 GMT Traditional French songs remain the most dynamic and best-documented aspect of the traditional folklore of Ontario francophones. Not only is the number of songs collected and catalogued by folklorists impressive, but these songs also continue to be a part of family and community gatherings across French-speaking areas of the province. From the choruses sung by the early voyageurs, and then later the lumber jacks, to those heard at contemporary festivals today, traditional songs have always been a reflection of the historical factors that influenced how various areas of the province were settled. These songs, more than any other aspect of the oral tradition, have played a key role in expressing the cultural identity of Franco-Ontarians and form a key part of their collective memory.   ]]> Thu, 18 Apr 2013 04:00:00 GMT Fort William, the operations base of the North West Company from 1803 to 1821, marks a milestone in the history of Canada. Starting in 1971, the fort was faithfully reconstructed as a historical site some 15 km from its original location at the mouth of the Kaministiquia River, on the north shore of Lake Superior. Fort William is a significant location in many respects. During the 18th and 19th centuries, it played a crucial role in the fur trade west of the Great Lakes, a major industry at that time, by serving as a meeting place linking the eastern and western parts of the continent. Today, it is still a meeting place, but now it connects the tens of thousands of visitors who flock to the site every year with the experience of the First Nations, French-Canadian, and Scottish people who were the key players in the story of this important turning point in Canadian history. ]]> Thu, 11 Apr 2013 04:00:00 GMT In front of the old Guigues elementary school in Ottawa, two historic plaques, one erected by the City of Ottawa and the other by the Ontario Heritage Trust, bear witness to the epic battle Ontario francophones fought to save their schools and conserve French as a language of instruction in their province. The plaques serve as a reminder that the Guigues elementary school was at the heart of a movement to protect minority rights in Ontario at a time when, in 1912, a provincial directive commonly known as Regulation 17 ordered that French-language education be limited to the first two years of elementary school. An outcry of protests, notably at the Guigues elementary school in 1915-1916, forced the government to soften its policy and, in 1927, bilingual schools were officially recognized in Ontario.    ]]> Thu, 11 Apr 2013 04:00:00 GMT The Centre franco-ontarien de folklore, founded in 1972, celebrated its 40th anniversary in 2012. It houses the work of its creator, Germain Lemieux S.J., which constitutes an incomparable founding work in Franco-Ontarian heritage. Recognized in 1991 as a provincial organization, the CFOF is also for the province's Francophone communities an important cultural space where the heritage of French Ontario, and in particular the repertoire of oral tradition, is gathered, preserved, disseminated, developed and enhanced.]]> Thu, 11 Apr 2013 04:00:00 GMT The Centre de recherche en civilisation canadienne-française (CRCCF) (Centre for Research on French Canadian Culture) is the oldest research centre on the literature, culture and history of French Canada. In this respect, the CRCCF stands out and plays a leading role through its research, publication, dissemination, acquisition and preservation of a rich collection of archives. The Centre, a scholarly and cultural organization, is the main body preserving the collective memory of French Ontario, which it enhances through interuniversity initiatives, colloquia, exhibits, lectures and publications, to encourage the advancement and development of this culture.  ]]> Thu, 11 Apr 2013 04:00:00 GMT Valuable traces of French-speaking America are found in the Chaudière district, situated a kilometre from the Canadian Parliament Buildings. The Voyageur Trail, the timber slides, the Chaudière Bridge, and the industrial buildings all recall a French-speaking past and the intermingling of the French-speaking and other communities. In addition to these concrete reminders, there are also figures of national historic significance associated with the site, including Philomen Wright, founder of the small settlement that would become the City of Gatineau. Also of note, the history of the Chaudière district has been portrayed in a series of landscape paintings and drawings. These works of art add imagination to the memory of the site and play an important role in ensuring that its spirit lives on. ]]> Thu, 04 Apr 2013 04:00:00 GMT Vanier began as a small village east of the Rideau River. Its real period of growth started in the mid-nineteenth century when the lumber trade led to the development of the Ottawa area. Working-class French Canadians settled there, making it one of the largest French-speaking areas in what would become the capital of Canada. Vanier developed quickly in the 20th century and, increasingly, it identified itself as the city’s main French-speaking bastion. While it did experience a difficult period after the Second World War, Vanier developed a cultural reputation and became a powerful symbol of Franco-Ontarian culture. Today, thanks to its many efforts to protect and showcase its heritage, Vanier is an important historical centre for the French-speaking population of the capital, as well as the province of Ontario.]]> Thu, 04 Apr 2013 04:00:00 GMT Within a generation or two, the representation of Toronto in Franco-Ontarian literature was transformed, as the Ontario capital changed from a boring Anglo-Saxon city into a major multicultural one. In the contemporary novel in particular, the Queen City revealed an array of surprising and attractive aspects. It was in turn the city that Canadians love to hate, the rival of Montreal, the personification of government, the Canadian gay mecca, and the city with the longest street in the world.]]> Thu, 04 Apr 2013 04:00:00 GMT Winters in Quebec are long and harsh. When the first French immigrants settled on the banks of the Saint Lawrence, adapting to Quebec’s winter was a major challenge. Every aspect of day-to-day living was affected—agriculture and food supply, transportation, lodging, clothing, human relations, and culture. Amerindians were instrumental in helping the settlers to adapt. Then, as one generation gave way to the next, the ingenuity of the inhabitants and their determination to alleviate the hardships of winter led to the invention of ever more effective tools and equipment and the development of new ways of dealing with the harsh conditions. Today, Quebeckers can take part in most of the same activities year round—a situation that was still inconceivable not so long ago. Our gradual adaptation to winter marks our history and our heritage and provides the artifacts that fill our museums and our memories.  ]]> Fri, 02 Nov 2012 04:00:00 GMT