by Morinville News Staff
Blue, white and pink flags will soon be flying over municipalities in Alberta as communities raise the Franco-Albertan flag in honour of Rendez-vous de la Francophonie (RVF), running Mar. 2 to 22. Morinville is set to hoist their flag Mar. 2 at noon to kick off a day of activities.
Jean-Pierre Grenier created the Franco-Albertan flag as an entry in a Francophone Youth of Alberta contest. In March of 1982, the French-Canadian Association of Alberta adopted the design.
The flag has a fleur-de-lys in the upper left corner and a wild rose, the provincial flower of Alberta, in the lower right. The field of blue represents the province, while the white represents the Francophone. The blue and white stripes represent the waters and roads travelled throughout the province by Francophone explorers, settlers, and colonists.
Similar flag raising ceremonies will be held across Alberta, and throughout the country, a number of events will take place to better appreciate the French language and its culture. The RVF is part of the Journee Internationale de la Francophonie, which is held around the world to promote the French language.
The Town of Morinville, ACFA, Morinville Historical & Cultural Society, Alberta Foundation for the Arts, and Vol 4 History Committee have partnered for the day’s events.
The contribution of French Canadians to the province and local community will start with the raising of the Franco-Albertan flag in St. Jean Baptiste Park at noon.
The festivities then move to the Morinville Community Cultural Centre for a children and youth performance by Madame Diva at 1 p.m.
Jocelyne Baribeau, 2016 Western Canadian Music Awards Francophone Artist of the Year, will provide the entertainment for the evening’s French heritage event.
“Attending the French Heritage Festival is a great way to celebrate the rich French culture in Morinville whether you are francophone or not,” said Kathleen Ducharme, Culture & Events Programmer, in a media release. “Enjoying food and great music is culturally universal.”
The evening French heritage event is a free event; however, there are limited wristbands for the dinner and concert.
Wristbands can be picked up at the Morinville Community Cultural Centre up to February 27.
