Heritage Community Foundation Presents
Alberta Online Encyclopedia

Themes


Group of Frenchmen

Their ancestors came primarily from Québec and France-homesteaders, adventurers and financiers attracted to opportunities in the developing West. Today, modern Franco-Albertans face a different set of challenges from those of the first French settlers. Their struggle is not with the elements and the unknown wilderness, but with the dangers of cultural and linguistic assimilation. Over the past century, the two mainstays of French life, the Roman Catholic Church and French language education, have supported Alberta's Francophones. However changes in the social and economic structure of the Franco-Albertan community have led to important adaptations. Many community organizations now act as cultural custodians, ensuring that a declining French population has a voice in the midst of an Anglophone majority.

 
English / Français
The Heritage Community Foundation created the content of this site


Albertasource.ca | Contact Us | Partnerships
            For more on the towns of St. Vincent and St. Paul, visit Peel’s Prairie Provinces.
Copyright © Heritage Community Foundation All Rights Reserved