Tom Henihan
Express Staff
The tenth Franco-Albertan flag-raising ceremony, marking the beginning of the Rendez-Vous de la Francophonie (RVF) took place at École Héritage in Falher on March 8.
The flag raising ceremony usually takes place on the first Friday of the month to coincide with the beginning the RVF, but due to heavy snow on March 2 the ceremony was postponed until the 8th.
The RVF is a Canada wide, Francophone celebration that takes place annually throughout March and usually begins with the flag raising ceremony.
Supported by the French Canadian Association of Alberta (ACFA), communities across Alberta are encouraged to organize activities and celebrate their local Francophone culture during the RVF.
French immersion students from Routhier School also attended the École Héritage 10th annual ceremony and participate in the RVF as do numerous other French and French immersion schools in approximately 25 regions across the province.
École Héritage began its ceremony singing O Canada and along with speakers during the event, a number of other songs were also sung by the students, accompanied by Joel Lavoie.
One rousing song, sung collectively with a karaoke style prompter was about the heart being at home in this big land, with the names of Franco-Albertan communities across the province being represented through the song.
École Héritage schedules many activities, games and contests for the RVF, taking place through March, until spring break.
The flag raising ceremony is an important event that celebrates the Franco-Albertan identity, its enduring sense of community and strong cultural affiliation with this province.
The Franco Albertan flag, designed by Jean-Pierre Grenier, was adopted by the ACFA in 1982.
The flag is blue, white and red, with a white fleur-de-lys in the upper left corner signifying the Francophone community and a wild, red rose in the lower right corner signifying the province of Alberta.
Founded in 1926, the ACFA is the official voice of the Alberta’s French-speaking society and is an organization of increasing cultural significance as the Francophone communities in the province grow.
The mission of the French Canadian Association of Alberta is to ensure the success of Alberta’s Francophone communities.