A school at Lac Sainte-Anne was the first to open in 1859, soon to be followed in 1862 by another at the Lac La Biche mission and a third at Fort Edmonton. These first schools marked the beginnings of Catholic and French education in Alberta. Even if the Northwest Territories were officially created in 1870, it was not until 1875 that a law enshrined the right to establish separate Catholic schools. However, in 1892 an ordinance made English the compulsory language of instruction in the Territories. Only in 1925 was French once again allowed as a language of instruction for one hour per day from grade three to eight. Teaching in private institutions such as le Juniorat Saint-Jean (established in 1908), the Collège des Jésuites (founded in 1913) and the Académie Assomption (founded in 1926) can be provided in French. The Association canadienne-française de l’Alberta (French-Canadian Association of Alberta) begins to shape community life and, in aiming to provide educational support, creates the Alberta Association of Bilingual Teachers (AIBA) in 1926 which became the Association of Bilingual Educators of Alberta (AEBA) in 1946. L’Association canadienne-française de l’Alberta voluntarily developed the programs of study, the assessment criteria, the training of teachers while coordinating a wide range of cultural activities. The organization also an annual French composition competition for francophone students from grades 3 to 12. The students’ results were widely announced in the Franco-Albertan provincial newspaper, La Survivance.
