Heritage Community Foundation PresentsAlberta Online Encyclopedia
History
;)
Traders, adventurers, missionaries and settlers: the first Europeans to explore Canada's western frontier shared a common bond. They spoke French.
Over the last three centuries, Franco-Albertans have moved in status from a dominant cultural influence to an endangered minority and most recently to a celebrated and distinct community. At all times, however, they played a critical part in sculpting the political, social, cultural and economic landscapes of the Prairies. Pockets of French-speaking peoples remain in the province in four major geographical areas: Edmonton, Peace River, Calgary and the Northeast. Today, over 60,000 Francophones call Alberta home.
English / Français
For more on the towns of St. Vincent and St. Paul, visit Peel’s Prairie Provinces.