Legal raises the Franco-Albertan Flag

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A French celebration
École Citadelle teacher Amelie Blouin had students and audience in laughter playing the part of Franco Fun at the Franco-Albertan Flag raising ceremony in Legal Wednesday morning. Barrhead-Morinville-Westlock MLA Maureen Kubinec and Ecole Citadelle Principal Michelle Baril are in the background. – Lucie Roy Photos

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Joel Hennessy was one of 140 École Citadelle students at the Franco-Albertan Flag raising ceremony in Legal Wednesday morning. The students sang a theme song for the raising of the flag and a Franco Fun song. Speaking at the event was ACFA Regional Centralta President David Frechette, Barrhead-Morinville-Westlock MLA Maureen Kubinec, Town of Legal Mayor Lisa Magera and École Citadelle Principal Michelle Baril.

In her presentation Kubinec said, “This event is a special occasion as we join more than nine million French-speaking Canadians to celebrate French language and culture across the country. Each year, Alberta’s Francophone community proudly comes together around a common language- a language that is rooted in both tradition and history. In fact, French was the first European language spoken in Alberta.”

Kubinec mentioned that French settlers ventured west in search of new opportunities and ended up founding many communities, among them St Albert, Falher, Beaumont, Brosseau Lacombe and Legal. “The face of Franco-Albertans has changed over the past two decades as we have welcomed more French-speaking families from across Canada and around the world and the one thing that remains the same is our community’s commitment to keeping Canada’s other official language alive in our homes, workplaces and at gatherings like today’s,” she said. “With more than 225,000 French-speaking individuals in our province we proudly raise Alberta’s Francophone flag today and fly the fleur-de-lis alongside the wild rose, as a symbol to all Albertans that we support the ongoing preservation and promotion of French culture and language in our province and the vibrant Francophone community it represents.”

A similar event will be held in Morinville Friday morning at 10:30 a.m. at Town Hall.

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