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INUVIK
It was a surprise to Gabriel Regimbald when he disembarked the plane last January, and was face to face with a poster about the Association des francophones du delta du Mackenzie. He had just moved to Inuvik from Quebec and had no idea there was a French community in his new home.

Gabriel Regimbald is the development agent for the Association des francophones du delta du Mackenzie. - Katherine Hudson/NNSL photo

There are French communities among the towns and hamlets of the NWT and during the last half of March, French associations are getting the word out about their presence and the importance of the French language and culture in the North and across the country.

The Rendez-vous de la Francophonie, or French Weeks, kicked off last week, with this past Monday being International Day of the Francophone. The federal government also announced it is contributing $250,000 to the Conseil de developpement economique des Territoires due Nord-Ouest (CDETNO) to attract francophone workers and visitors, organize a trade mission to France and Belgium and participate in trade shows in Quebec.

"Every little bit helps," said Regimbald. "Hopefully the funding will be used to create an influx of more people from down south. I think that would be great for the NWT. We need to open up to the world."

It only took Regimbald two months before he got involved with the Francophone Association of the Beaufort-Delta, becoming its development agent. Regimbald said the town has a French population of about 100 – "a solid core population."

"I was surprised but also became aware of the francophones in the NWT and the Yukon. There were so many people talking French (in Whitehorse), I was surprised," he said about his journey north.

He said the francophone association's goal is to ensure a link between the association and francophone culture in the community. The association brings up French artists a few times a year. The next scheduled musician is Florent Vollant, an Innu from Quebec who will perform at the Igloo Church on April 16.

Regimbald said a misconception of the association is that it only caters to French people. He said a lot of its activities involves the entire community, such as the annual lobster dinner on Mother's Day and organized activities for students at both the high school and the elementary school.

Regimbald is a substitute teacher at both schools, a French tutor and teaches conversational French at Aurora College.

There is a program the association is planning a for youth who want to learn how to cook with local foods in April and May titled Apprentis-cuistots (apprentice cooks). At the end of March, the association will put on a big treasure hunt with participants on skis and snowshoes.

"We're quite busy for the next little bit," said Regimbald.

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