Yellowknife (Mar 17/06) - Yellowknife Francophones gathered at city hall to celebrate their heritage this week.

Francophones have a rich history in Canada, said Fernand Denault, president of the NWT French Federation.

NWT French Federation president Fernand Denault, left, and Mayor Gord Van Tighem at the city hall flag raising ceremony on March 14.

"This is the national celebration of French communities and the French contribution to the North," said Denault.

To commemorate the 14th National Canadian Francophone Celebrations held March 10-26, the NWT French Federation flag was placed on the roof of Yellowknife City Hall.

"This is a symbol of how (the French community) and the city will continue to work together," said Mayor Gord Van Tighem. The flag depicts a polar bear on snowy tundra looking up at a fleur-de-lys combined with a snowflake.

The Northwest Territories is home to more than 3,700 French-speaking Canadians, according to the NWT French Federation. That's approximately nine per cent of the territory's population. About 2,500 francophones live in Yellowknife.

Denault thinks the future of French as a language will grow in this city.

"The resistance to learning to French is no longer there. Canadians are very open-minded and that bodes well for French."

He said there used to be resistance from English-speaking Canadians refusing to learn French. "That attitude has changed."

Denault feels that francophones are welcomed in the North and it shows in the prevalence of French immersion programming in Yellowknife and NWT schools.

The NWT French Federation has more than 80 volunteers. It has been around for 27 years and has associations in Hay River, Fort Smith, Inuvik and Yellowknife.