Alberta

The Franco-Albertan flag (1982) is blue, white and red. The fleur de lys represents France, the stylized wild rose and the blue, Alberta, the white, the Francophonie, and the blue and white stripes, the waters and roads travelled by explorers and colonists.

Population The French language The population of Alberta is quite homogeneous with regard to language. Of the province’s 2,669,195 inhabitants, fewer than 500,000 have a mother tongue other than English. Francophones account for 2.1 percent of the total population, and the province has just over 438,000 people with a mother tongue other than English or French. A drop in population... The number of people with French as their mother tongue fell from 56,730 in 1991 to 55,290 in 1996, a further decline from 1986 when the franco-phone population was 60,605. This decline followed a period of rapid growth in the franco-Albertan population, as a result of the province’s strong economy. In the 1970s, large numbers of francophones from all across Canada moved into the province and helped consolidate a wide network of franco-Albertan institutions in urban areas and in small towns and villages. ... And a drop in the percentage of francophones Since 1951, the percentage of francophones in Alberta has fallen from 3.6 percent to 2.0 percent. Their percentage of the population has continued to fall since 1951, in spite of a notable increase over the last 25 years in the number of people having French as their mother tongue. Historically concentrated in the north of the province, franco-Albertans continue to represent a larger percentage of the population there than elsewhere. A female majority Females are a slight majority of the franco-Albertan population: 29,385 females to 28,920 males. The ratio is greater among those with both French and English as their mother tongue. A mostly adult population Most franco-Albertans are adults; under 15s make up only 8.4 percent of the franco-Albertan population. Under 15s are 23 percent of the total population of the province. Francophones in Alberta are not growing at the same rate as other population groups in the province. Nevertheless, a larger percentage of them are of working age, and able to participate actively in the social and economic life of the province. Diverse Roots Four out of ten franco-Albertans were born in Alberta. People born elsewhere in Canada make up the majority of the francophone population. Consequently, franco-Albertans have roots across the country and have developed close links with francophone communities in other provinces. The fact that more than 5 percent of franco-Albertans are immigrants adds to the diversity of the francophone population of the province. More than half of them came from western and northern Europe. A mobile population More than half of franco-Albertans lived at the same address in 1996 as they did in 1991. Another 25 percent of the population lived in the same municipality. These figures show that a large part of the population is stable. The franco-Albertan community has benefited from significant migration to the province. Several thousand franco-phones came from other provinces of Canada in the five years preceding the last census. Alberta is certainly a desirable destination for francophones from other provinces. French Mother Tongue Population: 65 995 English Mother Tongue Population: 2 412 190 Population with a knowledge of both official languages: 202 910 Other Mother Tongue Population: 497 205 Total Population: 2 941 150 Representative Organizations Major organizations The Association canadienne-française de l’Alberta (ACFA) is the principal representative organization of the francophone community. It brings together ten regional and two local associations. Among the association’s priorities are the signing of an agreement between Canada and the franco-Albertan community, the development of a network of services for franco-Albertans, and the promotion of French in the francophone, anglophone, and ethnic communities. Telephone: (780) 466-1680 Fax: (780) 471-7425 E-mail: acfaprov@francalta.ab.ca Web Site: http://www.francalta.ab.ca/acfa/ Other Organizations Other provincial organizations Administration du programme collégial d’administration des affaires de NAIT Telephone: (780) 471-7843 Fax: (780) 471-7425 E-mail: gioias@nait.ab.ca Alliance Chorale Telephone: (780) 482-1816 Fax: (780) 488-6954 E-mail: acamusiq@connect.ab.ca Association des juristes d’expression française de l’Alberta Telephone: (780) 463-1070 Fax: (780) 468-1599 E-mail: ajefa@web.net Association multiculturelle francophone de l’Alberta Telephone: (780) 440-0719 Fax: (780) 440-0744 E-mail: amfa@compusmart.ab.ca Centre français/University of Calgary Telephone: (403) 220-7266 Fax: centrefr@ucalgary.ca Chambre économique de l’Alberta Telephone: (780) 414-6125 Fax: (780) 414-2885 E-mail: cea@francalta.ab.ca Faculté Saint-Jean Telephone: (780) 465-8700 Fax: (780) 465-8760 E-mail: fsj@gpu.srv.ualberta.ca Fédération des aîné(e)s franco-albertain(e)s Telephone: (780) 465-8965 Fax: (780) 465-6773 E-mail: fafa@francalta.ab.ca Fédération des conseils scolaires francophones de l’Alberta Telephone: (780) 645-3888 Fax: (780) 645-2045 E-mail: dmichaud@cen3.ab.ca Fédération des parents francophones de l’Alberta Telephone: (780) 469-1344 Fax: (780) 469-4799 E-mail: fpfa@francalta.ab.ca Fête franco-albertaine Telephone: (780) 466-1680 Fax: (780) 465-6773 E-mail: acfaprov@francalta.ab.ca Fondation franco-albertaine Telephone: (780) 469-1541 Francophonie jeunesse de l’Alberta Telephone: (780) 469-1344 Fax: (780) 469-4799 E-mail: fja@francalta.ab.ca Institut Guy-Lacombe de la Famille Telephone: (780) 468-6934 Fax: (780) 469-4799 Société des Jeux francophones de l’Alberta Telephone: (780) 469-1367 Fax: (780) 469-4799 E-mail: jeux@francalta.ab.ca Société des scouts et guides francophones de l’Alberta Telephone: (403) 283-8348 Société du centre d’arts visuels de l’Alberta Telephone: (780) 461-3427 Fax: (780) 461-4053 Société du gala albertain de la chanson Telephone: (780) 466-4451 Fax: (780) 440-3382 E-mail: lezarts@planet.eon.net Société éducative de l’Alberta Telephone: (780) 468-6983 Fax: (780) 468-1599 E-mail: sea@infojob.com UniThéâtre Telephone: (780) 469-8400 Fax: (780) 440-6970 E-mail: d.cournoyer@francalta.ab.ca Community Life Community Vitality Cultural life is encouraged and supported by cultural associations, nine of which have buildings at their disposal (Calgary, Edmonton, Saint Paul, Bonnyville, Plamondon, Fort McMurray, Tangent, Saint Isidore, and Legal). The communities of Calgary, Saint Paul, Plamondon, and Fort McMurray have community education centres. The community of Legal has plans for a community education centre. Rivière la Paix has plans for a community development centre. Lethbridge has plans for a community centre. A professional theatre company (L’UniThéâtre), a semi-professional company (Société de théâtre de Calgary), and several community groups in Plamondon, Legal, Saint Paul, Bonnyville, and Rivière la Paix. Six folk dancing groups: La Girandole (Edmonton), Les Blés d’or (Saint Paul), Le Plein Soleil (Saint Isidore), Les Gigueurs de Calgary, Les Vols-au-Vent, etc. Cultural activities: Fête franco-albertaine, Festival de théâtre jeunesse, Jeux francophones de l’Alberta, Gala albertain de la chanson, folk-dancing programs, sugar bushes, Carnaval de Saint-Isidore. More than 235 people work in dramatic arts. A musical training centre. ACFA supports artistic and cultural life in the franco-Albertan community, and coordinates regional activities. Two franco-Albertan genealogy societies: la Société généalogique du Nord-Ouest, and la Société historique et généalogique de Smoky River. Museums: Musée Héritage in Saint Albert, and museums in Girouxville, Plamondon, Bonnyville, and Saint Paul. A tourist circuit including the legal village and its historic murals. Provincial francophone archives. Communications Communications Newspapers and magazines Le Franco, published weekly by ACFA, covers francophone news and matters of interest to the general population. Le Chinook, a privately-owned bilingual monthly in Calgary, serves the southern area of Alberta. L’annuaire des services en français, published by Le Franco, lists businesses and services available in French in Alberta. L’Expert 2000, annuaire francophone, is a privately-published francophone telephone directory. Radio Radio service in French by the Société Radio Canada (French CBC) out of Edmonton and Montreal; plans to establish student radio. Community radio (CKRP) in the Rivière la Paix region. Plans for community radio in Saint Paul and Plamondon. Television The program Ce Soir en Alberta and the youth program Clan Destin are produced locally by the Société Radio Canada. TV5 and RDI are available on cable. In some areas of the province, Musique Plus and TQS are available. Satellite service allows access to all French channels available on satellite. Economy The economy A significant number of francophone entrepreneurs; the cooperative movement aids economic development in certain areas. Business organizations in Edmonton, Calgary, and Fort McMurray. Creation of the Chambre économique de l’Alberta in 1998. Tripartite agreement, dealing with employment-training programs, signed by five federal and two provincial ministers, and the franco-Albertan community in 1999. An under educated population A large number of franco-Albertans did not finish high school. However, more than 10,000 of them have a university education, and their contribution to the development of Alberta is incalculable. Nevertheless, the percentage of franco-phones in Alberta who have gone to university is lower than in the total population: 20.8 percent versus 23.5 percent. In Alberta today, 5,675 francophones operate their own business. These franco-Albertan entrepreneurs make up 16.9 percent of the francophone workforce. Many of these small business owners hire employees, thus providing jobs for franco-Albertans and other residents of the province. Franco-Albertan employment sectors Franco-Albertans work in many different areas. They are particularly active in the primary industries, with more than 10 percent of the labor force employed in agriculture, mining, and oil and gas production. Many are also employed in the construction industry. Alberta’s francophones are well represented in the public service sector, with more than 25 percent of them employed in public administration, education, health and social services. However, their presence in other tertiary activities is more typical of franco-Albertan employment. This is particularly advantageous since this sector, unlike the manufacturing and public service sectors, is growing. It includes leading-edge activities and activities driving the growth of the new economy. Occupations The economic profile of francophone Alberta would be incomplete without a look at occupations. Three areas are clearly dominant: sales and service, which employs one in four franco-Albertans; trades, transport, and equipment operation, which employs 17.9 percent of the work force; and lastly, finance, business and administration, which employs 17 percent of the francophones in the province. Employment income... Franco-Albertans receive 78.3 percent of their income from employment. Government transfers – unemployment insurance payments, old-age pensions, etc. – make up 12.7 percent of their income. ... Unequally distributed Income is not equally distributed within the franco-Albertan population. There are twice as many francophones in the lower-income levels (less than $30,000) than in the higher-income levels (more than $30,000). This certainly has a large effect on the financial viability of the community. Only 21.3 percent of franco-Albertans have incomes of $40,000 or more. The average personal income of franco-phones in Alberta is $27,100, which is higher than the provincial average of $26,138. Income varies greatly from one region of the province to another. Education Education and Training Twenty-one French-language schools serving the franco-Albertan community. Four regional French school boards (Centre-Nord, Nord-Ouest, Nord-Est et Sud). The number of francophone parent councils rose from 16 in 1989 to about 50 in 2000. They are grouped under the Fédération des parents francophones de l’Alberta. A general Bachelor of Arts program in arts, sciences, or education is offered in French by the Faculté Saint-Jean, which is affiliated with the University of Alberta. The institution also offers a master’s program in education, and a bilingual under graduate program in business administration. The latter is offered in collaboration with the Faculty of Business. The Centre éducatif communautaire de l’Alberta has two offices: one in Saint Paul and another in Calgary. The centre offers literacy and other programs which address the needs of the francophone community. A bilingual college program in business administration is offered by NAIT (Northern Alberta Institute of Technologies) Health Health and social services There is no policy guaranteeing services in French in the province as a whole. However, there are more than 700 francophone and/or bilingual health-care professionals in the province. A federal-provincial agreement guarantees the availability of French health services in the Rivière la Paix region. Laws and Government services Federal government According to the report of the Commissioner of Official Languages in 1998, 4.2 percent of federal government posts in Alberta (438 positions) were designated bilingual. In 1998, there were 247 francophone civil servants, representing 2.3 percent of all federal employees in the province. Provincial government The Languages Act of 1988 reaffirmed unilingualism in the province. There is a language policy with respect to education, Language Policy in Education. Services in French are provided by the Direction de l’Éducation française. The Alberta government created the provincial Francophone Secretariat on March 16, 1999. The chair is Mr. Denis Ducharme, MLA for Bonnyville-Cold Lake. His goal is to facilitate communication between the Alberta government and the francophone community. The secretariat has a budget of just under $400,000, and employs two people: the director, Mr. Denis Tardif, and a secretary, Ms. Antonine Bergeron. Municipalities Beaumont and Falher are the only bilingual municipalities in Alberta. Certain municipalities (Edmonton and Calgary) publish some brochures in French. Several others have some bilingual signs. Legal services In criminal matters, the province has put in place a system of French services, in accordance with the provisions of the Criminal Code (interpreters, list of bilingual lawyers, etc.). In civil matters, there is no official policy, but the Languages Act of 1988 named four civil courts where it is possible to have a trial in French. Linguistic Vitality Less French spoken at home... In 1996, 17,822 people said they usually spoke French in the home, compared with 29,690 who did so in 1981. With French in increasingly close contact with English in nearly all parts of francophone Alberta, the decrease in French spoken at home is not surprising. However, this figure hides the fact that a good number of franco-Albertans who speak English at home also speak French and often use that language in other situations, outside the home. ... But more and more people know French In Alberta, the number of people who know French (both unilingual and bilingual) has quadrupled in less than fifty years. Today, more than 180,000 people, representing 6.7 percent of the population, can speak French. There is a certain prestige associated with French in the province, which benefits from a significant francophile population. Linguistic continuity: The challenge of maintaining French Existing in close contact with English, French faces the challenge of remaining viable. The index of French continuity, which was 0.49 in 1979 and 1981, dropped to 0.32 in 1996. This corresponds to the decline in the use of French at home among franco-Albertans. Nevertheless, a certain stabilization of the index points to an increased use of French among families of intermarriage. In 1996, 64 percent of franco-Albertan families were of intermarriage. History Grande Cache, Miette, Lac La Biche: at the time of the voyageurs, the vast spaces west of the Great Lakes were for the most part given French place names. French also predominated at Fort Edmonton, constructed in 1795 by the Hudson’s Bay Company. A century later, a great wave of migration brought settlers of many origins to Alberta, seeking fertile land and prosperity in the West. French then became a secondary language. In 1892, when the Legislative Assembly made English the only language of debate and instruction, local priests undertook a vast recruitment campaign in Quebec and New England. This helped to swell the ranks of the original francophone settlements in the province, and gave birth to new settlements in the northern regions. A network of French schools developed with the Church’s help. Nevertheless, at the same time, the government required that all compulsory school subjects be taught in English. The Association canadienne-française de l’Alberta (ACFA), created in 1925, and supported by La Survivance (1928), took on the dual task of providing bilingual teachers for the French schools and ensuring the effective teaching of their mother tongue. The cooperative movement in Alberta owes its growth to these two institutions. Protected by linguistic arrangements made when the provinces of Alberta and Saskatchewan were created in 1905, public Catholic education in French would continue up until the 1930s. It was 1964 before an amendment to the Schools Act permitted teaching in French for an hour per day. ACFA operates today through a network of ten regional and two local associations. As the centre of communication, information, and political action for francophones in the province, the association is very active in developing French arts and culture in Alberta, and in establishing health and social services in French. Franco-Albertans attained governance of their schools in 1993. Alberta’s Francophone Secretariat was created in 1999. Geography The franco-Albertan community comprised 55,290 people with French as their mother tongue in 1996. These francophones represent 2 percent of the total population of the province. Franco-Albertans are found in all areas of the province. They are most populous around Calgary and Edmonton, attracted by the job opportunities and the varied services of an urban setting. More than half of franco-Albertans live in these cities and their surrounding areas: south of Edmonton, in the town of Beaumont, and to the north, in the towns of Saint Albert, Morinville and Legal. In Edmonton itself, the Bonnie Doon neighbourhood, home to many francophone institutions, claims the title of the French Quarter. Significant concentrations of francophones are found in Rivière la Paix, Bonnyville, Saint Paul, Plamondon and Lac La Biche. These northeastern and northwestern regions of the province have the highest percentage of francophones: more than 5 percent in the census division, and more than 15 percent in several localities. Francophones are a majority in the Falher region, in the town of Falher itself, in the villages of Donnelly, Saint Isidore, and Girouxville, and in the municipal district of Smokey River. Sources The short community history notes were taken in large part from the Web site produced by the Comité national de développement des ressources humaines de la francophonie canadienne. A text by Philippe Falardeau, entitled Hier la francophonie, published by the FCFA in the context of Dessein 2000 was also a source of inspiration. Finally, several texts compiled by Joseph Yvon Thériault in Francophonies minoritaires au Canada - L’État des lieux, recently published by Éditions de l’Acadie, were used. All statistics used in producing the profiles come from Statistics Canada. Four sources were used: Data on mother tongue, French spoken in the home and knowledge of French, 1951 to 1996, were taken from Louise Marmen and Jean-Pierre Corbeil (1999), Languages in Canada. 1996 Census. Canadian Heritage and Statistics Canada. New Canadian Perspectives. Catalog no. C99-980110-4F. (Marmen and Corbeil, 1999.) Data on linguistic continuity (ratio of the number of persons speaking French in the home and the number of persons with French as their mother tongue) and francophone intermarriage rates were taken from the work by Michael O'Keefe (1998), Francophone Minorities: Assimilation and Community Vitality. Canadian Heritage. New Canadian perspectives. Catalog number C98-980021-0F. (O’Keefe, 1998.) Data on non-official mother tongues come from E-Stat 1998, an optical compact disk published under catalogue number 10F017XCB (WIN). All other data were taken from Portrait des communautés de langues officielles au Canada published by Statistics Canada in the form of an optical compact disk with catalogue number C94F0010XCB. This disk provided data on ethnic origin and on the francophone population by sex, age, birthplace,mobility, education, occupation and income (Statistics Canada, 1998). Depending on the source used, the population under consideration varies slightly. The method used to distribute the bilingual population is the main reason for these discrepancies. Both Marmen and Corbeil and O’Keefe distribute multiple responses among declared languages. For example, for persons declaring English and French as mother tongues, half of the responses are added to the « French » category and half to the « English » category. For those who declared French and a non-official language as their mother tongues, half of the responses are classed as « French » and the other half as « Non-official language ». The E-Stat diskette does not distribute multiple responses and presents all categories of responses in detail. In Portrait des communautés de langues officielles au Canada, only multiple responses relating to English-French bilingualism are broken out. Persons declaring French and a non-official language as mother tongues were all counted as having French as their mother tongue. Those declaring French, English and a third language as mother tongues were all classed as bilingual English-French. The populations considered here - whether French mother tongue or French and English mother tongues - are thus slightly larger. The figures on the francophone population will vary depending on whether or not they include francophones who also declared English as their mother tongue. Most of the tables and graphs presented in this profile concern only persons whose only mother tongue is French, who make up the great majority of francophones in all areas. The French mother tongue map, 1996, covers all francophones, including half of bilingual francophones. This map, produced by André Langlois, is based on data contained on the diskette Portrait des communautés de langues officielles au Canada. It is taken from the Atlas du développement des communautés francophones et acadiennes du Canada, which may be found on the Internet at: http://aix1.uottawa.ca/~andrelan/atlas/. Information on community life was supplied by the Association canadienne-française de l’Alberta which was invited to supplement two existing portraits: one of the francophone community in Alberta, produced by Heritage Canada and presently available on its Web site, and an older one prepared in 1990 by the Fédération des francophones hors Québec (as the FCFA was called at the time) and published in a document entitled État des communautés francophones et acadiennes du Canada. Modification: {ts '2005-05-26 00:00:00'}

| Franco.ca | Édimage

 Courrier du MaîtreWeb - © Tous droits réservés 1998, Edimage.ca.