Category: 1926-1959

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.

After several unsuccessful attempts to model French-Canadian community organizations after similar organizations in Quebec, the francophone community begins to structure itself. On December 13, 1925, 400 delegates summoned by the Cercle Jeanne-d’Arc and the Knights of Columbus launch the idea of ​​an association aimed at protecting the French language and francophone culture in Alberta. The Association canadienne-française of Alberta was founded in 1926 and soon has members in up to 42 different francophone parishes throughout Alberta. In 1925, “Les Bonnes Amies” was created by five young girls, soon followed by Les Jeunes Canadiens, a similar organization for boys. These social organizations entertained francophone youth for the next 25 years.

In regards to newspapers, several were published as early as 1898, but it is La Survivance which holds a special in local francophone history.  occupies a special place. Indeed, this provincial newspaper was launched by l’Association canadienne-française de l’Alberta in 1928; it has since gone through several makeovers and three name changes. In its first incarnation, the weekly was known as La Survivance from 1928 to 1967. It then acquired a new name, Le Franco-Albertain, from 1967 to 1979, and eventually became Le Franco we know today. (France Levasseur-Ouimet, D’année en année, 2001)

During the 1940s, the possibility of a French radio station in Alberta galvanized the imagination to such an extent that 45,000 Franco-Albertans easily raised $ 140,000 to help set up their own radio station. In spite of a rallying campaign opposed to French on the airwaves, CHFA was inaugurated in Edmonton at the Garneau Theatre on June 20, 1949. The station continued to broadcast as a private station until 1973. As the operating costs became excessively high, CBC/Radio-Canada bought CHFA and is still operating it today. (France Levasseur-Ouimet, D’année en année, 2001)