Erin Fletcher
Northern News Services

Inuvik (Apr 16/04) - A group of French-speaking people are trying to keep their language alive in Inuvik.

Members of Inuvik's Association de Francophone meet nearly every month to speak French with anyone interested in practising the language.

"The big thing is to get together and keep the language alive," said Anne Church, association president and a founding member.

There are more than 50 French-speaking residents between Inuvik, Tuktoyaktuk, Fort McPherson and Holman. Most of them are members of the association, said Church.

"I enjoy speaking the language and organizing all kinds of events," said Claude Gervais, a member since 2002.

Church said being a French-speaking Canadian can sometimes be challenging in a community like Inuvik, where few speak the language.

"Getting services in our language is not an easy one," said Church, who speaks both English and French fluently.

Church insists the association is inclusive.

"Surprisingly, there are quite a lot of anglophones who speak French quite well," Church said.

The association hosts many activities and fundraisers, such as the Mother's Day Lobster Dinner, which helps pay for initiatives like buying French books for the library and hosting French-language concerts.

The most recent event was a luncheon was in honour of Les Celebrations de La Francophonie, a national event usually held on March 21.

The association's next big event is the sugar shack, which will visit Fort McPherson for the Peel River Jamboree, April 16-18.

Meanwhile, the luncheon is held the last Friday of every month from 1-2 p.m. at the Eskimo Inn.