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Franco-Columbian

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Not to be confused withColombians in France.
Franco-Columbians
Franco-Colombiens

Franco-Columbian flag
Total population
Frenchethnicity: 388,815 (2016)[1]
Francophones:71,705 (2016)[2]
Regions with significant populations
British Columbia(Lower Mainland)[3]
Languages
Canadian French·Canadian English·Franglais
Religion
PredominantlyChristian(Roman Catholicism,other denominations)
Related ethnic groups
French Canadians(Acadians·Franco-Albertan·Franco-Manitoban·Franco-Ontarian·Franco-Newfoundlander·Franco-Ténois·Franco-Yukonnais·Fransaskois·Québécois)·French·French Americans·Métis

Franco-Columbians(French:Franco-Colombiens) areFrench CanadiansorCanadian francophonesliving in theprovinceofBritish Columbia.According to the2016 Canadian Census,71,705 residents of the province stated that French is theirmother tongue.In the same census, 388,815 British Columbians claimed full or partial French ancestry.

The first francophones to enter the region were French Canadianvoyageursemployed with theNorth West Companyduring the late 18th and early 19th centuries. French fur traders continued to visit the region in the early 19th century, with the French language serving as alingua francafor the regionalfur trade.Franco-Columbians formed the majority of Europeans in the region until theFraser Canyon Gold Rushin 1858, which saw anglophone settlers become the predominant group in the area. Franco-Columbians began to lobby for French language rights within the province in the mid 20th century, which led to the public funding of francophone classes in 1978, and an independent public school board in 1995.

There are several Franco-Columbian communities throughout British Columbia; although most are based in theLower Mainland,with the largest francophone community in that region beingMaillardville,a community settled by forty French Canadian families in 1909. The province's francophone community has become diversified since the mid-20th century, with migrants from Africa, Asia, and Europe settling in the province.Radio-Canada,the country's French-language public broadcaster, serves as the main French-language media outlet in the province.

Demographics

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In the2016 Canadian Census,the number of British Columbians with French as amother tonguewas at 71,705, or 1.6 per cent of the province's population.[2]French is the most common mother tongue in the province following English, Punjabi, Cantonese, Mandarin, and Tagalog.[2]The majority of Franco-Columbians are bilingual in English and French, with only 1,805 respondents in the 2016 census reporting to have proficiency in only the French-language.[2]In the same census, 314,925 British Columbians, or approximately 6.8 per cent of the population, reported to be bilingual in both English and French.[2]However, the following figure includes Frenchsecond languagespeakers, in addition to Franco-Columbians.

Approximately 12 per cent of Franco-Columbians were born in the province;[4]with a large portion of the province's francophone population is made up of migrants that moved from other parts of Canada and theFrancosphere.Approximately 59 per cent of Franco-Columbians were born in another province or territory of Canada, while 28 per cent of Franco-Columbians were born outside the country.[4]Among the francophones that were born abroad, half originated from Europe, 22 per cent from Asia, 18 per cent from Africa, and the rest from the Americas.[4]The number of francophones from outside Canada has led to a diversification of the Franco-Columbian community in recent decades.

There are 388,815 British Columbians who claim partial or full French ancestry during the 2016 census.[1]French is the seventh most commonly reported ethnic group in British Columbia after English, Canadian, Scottish, Irish, German, and Chinese.[1]

Communities

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As of 2016, approximately 58 per cent of Franco-Columbians resided in communities within the southwestcoast of British Columbia(including theLower Mainland).[3]Approximately 22 per cent of Franco-Columbians resided inVancouver Islandand thecentral coast of British Columbia,12 per cent of Franco-Columbians resided in theOkanagan-Thompsonregion, and the remaining 10 per cent of Franco-Columbians are spread throughout the other regions of British Columbia.[3]

The largest community for Franco-Columbians within the Lower Mainland isMaillardville,a neighbourhood within the city ofCoquitlam.The community originated from French Canadian lumber workers hired by the Canadian Western Lumber Company from Eastern Ontario, and Quebec in 1909.[5][6]Today Maillardville describes itself as "a community with a francophone heart" and is home to several francophone community organizations,[7]schools, churches,[8][9]a retirement home,[10]and an organization of francophoneLEVII and guides.[11]Community organizations place the francophone population of the Coquitlam area at 13,000.[5]The community also hostsFestival du Bois,an annual event celebrating francophone culture.[12]Additional francophone community centres and resources in the Lower Mainland are situated inVancouver.[13][14]In addition to the Lower Mainland, francophone community centres and resources can also be found inKamloops,[15]Nanaimo[16]Nelson,[17]Kelowna,[18]Penticton,[19]Powell River,[20]Prince George,[21]andVictoria.[22]

History

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Early settlers

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Depiction ofVoyageursalong theFraser Riverin 1808 byCharles William Jefferys

The firstFrench Canadiansthat was documented in the region was in 1793, working as guides, interpreters, andvoyageursfor theNorth West Company's expedition through theRocky Mountains.Francophones made up six of the ten members of the initial 1793 expedition led by Scottish-born explorer,Alexander Mackenzie.[4]The majority of the francophones hired for the expedition originated fromMontreal,and includedFrench Canadiansas well as theMetis.[4]French Canadians made up of the majority of the crews for subsequent North West Company expeditions undertaken byDavid ThompsonandSimon Fraser.[4]Thompson establishedKootanae Houseduring his 1807 expedition, along with four French Canadians.[4]By 1812, there were approximately 300 French Canadian fur traders in the region engaged in either fur trading or farming.[3]

The French-speaking voyageurs and traders continued to make up the majority of the Europeans that settled near the fur trading posts of theFraser Valley,andVancouver Island.[4]Because the majority of the early European settlers in the region were French traders, the French language was used as thelingua francaof the fur trade until the 1850s.[4]

French-speakingRoman Catholicmissionaries fromthe Canadas,and France were among the first residents in the region.[4]The most prominent Catholic orders working in the region in the early 19th century included theSisters of Saint Annebased in Montreal, andMissionary Oblates of Mary Immaculatebased in France.[4]The former typically set out to educate the children of the region, whereas latter order set out to impose a European lifestyle upon the First Nations communities in the region, leading to the foundation of communities based inMission,and Kelowna.[4]French remained the language of instruction for these missionaries until the 1850s, when English became more prominent, and recruits were increasingly drawn from the anglophone population.[4]

In addition to fur trading and missionary work, francophones were also employed with the first law enforcement and military unit raised within theColony of Vancouver Island.Formed by the colonial governor in 1851, the VictoriaVoltigeurswas a volunteer unit made up of French-speakingMétisand French Canadian voyageurs. The unit served alongside theRoyal Navy'sPacific Stationuntil March 1858, when the colony disbanded the voltigeurs.[23]

Prospectors on the way to theFraser Canyonduring the1858 gold rush.The influx of settlers displaced the French as the major European group in the area.

Although the influx in migrants from theFraser Canyon Gold Rushin 1858 occurred for only a brief period, it caused a significant shift in the demographics of the newly establishedColony of British Columbia,with French being displaced as the dominant European language in the region.[4]

20th century

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After the Canadian Western Lumber Company adopted a racial policy of not employing people of Chinese or South Asian descent, the company sent out a francophone employee toEastern OntarioandQuebecin an effort to recruit French Canadian lumber workers to work for the company.[4]Approximately 40 families took up the offer to work in British Columbia, settling in present-day Maillardville. The community saw another influx of francophone settlers during the 1930s from theCanadian Prairiesfollowing a series ofservere droughtsthat afflicted that region.[4]

In 1945, theFédération canadienne-française de la Colombie-Britannique(FFCB) was formed by francophones in British Columbia, providing a collective voice for various local Franco-Columbian organizations, and as an attempt to advance French-language accessibility rights within the province.[4]The organization had initially lobbied the government for public funding of its three French-language parish schools, although by the 1960s, the organization had adjusted its platform, instead lobbying for a publicsecularizedFrench language schools.[4]FFCB lobbying efforts eventually led to the creation ofProgramme cadre de françaisin 1978, where Frenchfirst languageclasses would be held in English-language schools.[4]

The passage of theCanadian Charter of Rights and Freedomsin 1982 saw the FFCB to continue to push for a separately managed school board for the province's French language classes, leading to a lengthy court battle between the provincial government, and theFédération des parents francophones de la Colombie-Britannique.[4]The resulting case saw the province establish theConseil scolaire francophone de la Colombie-Britanniquein 1995, a school board that manages all public French-language elementary and secondary schools in the province.[4]

Politics

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Franco-Columbians have historically been represented by theFédération canadienne-française de la Colombie-Britannique.[4]Conversely, governmental relations with the francophone community is handled through the Francophone Affairs Program, a division of the Intergovernmental Relations Secretariat, which forms a part of the office of thePremier of British Columbia.[24]In addition to facilitating relations between the government and Franco-Columbians, the program also provides funding for francophone programs and services.[24]However, no legislative framework exists for French language services outside of the province's public education system.

Judicial access

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The judicial system of the province formally does not have an official language in place, although in practice the judiciary functions as an English-language institution.[25][26]Practically speaking, access to francophone court proceedings in British Columbia was only provided for criminal cases, as mandated by section 530 of theCriminal Code,a federal statute.[27][28]

In 2019, theSupreme Court of Canadaruled inBessette v British Columbiathat individuals charged with a provincial offence in British Columbia have a right to a trial in either English or French.[27]The ruling was not based on the Constitution of Canada, but interpretation of provincial law governing trials for provincial offences.[27]The Supreme Court found that the relevant provincial statutes had no explicit provisions on the language of trials for provincial offences. However, the Supreme Court found that the person accused of an offence under BC provincial law would have the right to a trial in either official language as provided under theCriminal Code;as section 133 of British Columbia'sOffence Actdefers to theCriminal Codefor procedural and trial governance issues not addressed by provincial law – such as language.[27][29]

Education

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Elementary and secondary

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See also:Conseil scolaire francophone de la Colombie-Britannique
École L'Anse-au-sableis one of 40 French-language public schools in the province

French language schools were first established by Roman Catholic missionaries in the mid-19th century, although they were later displaced by English-language schools in the 1850s.[4]Elementary and secondary French language schooling was not publicly funded in British Columbia until 1978, when the provincial government established theProgramme cadre de français,which provided for French first language classes within an English school board.[4]The province's public French language school system was split from the English school boards in 1995, and amalgamated into a single independent school board, the Conseil scolaire francophone de la Colombie-Britannique.[4]French-language rights for resident elementary and secondary school students in Canada, including British Columbia, is afforded throughSection 23of theCanadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms.

Conseil scolaire francophone de la Colombie-Britannique presently operates 40 schools throughout the province.[30][note 1]Most schools operated by the school board are housed in their own facilities, although several schools share facilities with their English-language counterparts.[31]During the 2016–17 academic year, there were nearly 6,000 students enrolled in British Columbia's public francophone elementary and secondary school system.[3]In addition to public elementary and secondary school, a number ofprivate schoolsalso operate with French as the primary instructional language. The province hosts an active chapter of Canadian Parents for French (BC-Yukon Branch).[32]

Post-secondary

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British Columbia has one French-language post-secondarycollege,Educacentre College.Theprivate collegeoperates campuses inPrince George,Victoria, and Vancouver.[33]

There is no francophone or bilingual (in English and French) university in British Columbia.Simon Fraser Universitydoes offer five degree programmes that can be completed entirely in the French language,[33]although the university as a whole is considered an anglophone institution.

Culture

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The francophone community and culture in British Columbia has historically been associated with French Canadians and Catholicism, although secularization of society, and francophone migrants from Africa, and Asia in the latter half of the 20th century led to a diversification of the community.[4]As a result of the diversification, the termFranco-Columbianbecame less prevalent by the end of the 20th century, with the provincial government opting to use the more inclusive termfrancophone community.[4]

In addition to Coquitlam's annual Festival du Bois,[34]Canadian Parents for French host an annual French Celebration Week, Francapalooza, a French film festival and French-language youth camps targeting both Francophone and French immersion students.[35]L'Association des Ecrivains de la Colombie Britanniquepublishes a monthly youth magazine calledLa Moustique.[32]A French-language theatre group calledThéâtre la Seizièmeis also active in the province[36]as well as the dance troupesDanseurs du Pacifique[37]andLes Cornouillers,[38]and the annual BC Francophone Games.[13]TheConseil Culturel et Artistique de la Colombie Britanniqueserves as a community organization in the area of arts and culture.[39]TheCalendrier francophone de la Colombie-Britanniqueis the province's online french-language event calendar, which was founded in 2016 by Ashton Ramsay.

Media

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Broadcast

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CBC Regional Broadcast Centre Vancouverhouses the studios forRadio-Canada,a federal French language public broadcaster

Vancouver-based television stationCBUFT-DTbroadcasts throughout the province viacable,satelliteandIPTV,as do French-language radio stationsCBUF-FM(Première Chaîne) and, to a lesser extent,CBUX-FM(Espace musique).[40]Other French-language media such as CBC'sIci RDI,TV5andMusiquePlusare also available but not locally based.TVA'sowned-and-operated stationinMontreal(CFTM-DT) is also available on basic cable.

The Société radio communautaire Victoria, started in 1999 as an offshoot of the Société francophone de Victoria, was incorporated in 2004 and started on-air FM radio programming on 7 November 2007 non-stop as CILS-FM at 107.9 MHz and 250 watts.

Print

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Between 1968 and 1998, the province had a newspaper calledLe Soleil de la Colombie-Britannique.[41]A digitized version of the complete run of the newspaper is available online.[42]There is now a newspaper published out of Vancouver calledL'Express du Pacifique.[43]

Notable Franco-Columbians

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See also

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Notes

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  1. ^The school board maintains 40 schools that either provides elementary education, secondary education, orboth.

References

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  1. ^abc"Census Profile, 2016 Census: British Columbia and Canada".www12.statcan.gc.ca.Statistics Canada. 9 August 2019.Retrieved24 April2020.
  2. ^abcde"Census 2016, focus on geography series - British Columbia - Official language minority community".8 February 2017.Retrieved17 October2018.
  3. ^abcde"Infographic: The French Presence in British Columbia".Office of the Commissioner of Official Languages.Government of Canada. 13 September 2019. Archived fromthe originalon 25 April 2020.Retrieved29 April2020.
  4. ^abcdefghijklmnopqrstuvwxyzaaKenny, Nicolas; Cooper, Celine (14 June 2019)."Francophones of British Columbia".The Canadian Encyclopedia.Historica Canada.Retrieved23 April2020.
  5. ^abSociete francophone de Maillardville - À propos de nous / About us
  6. ^"Historical Photographs".Archived fromthe originalon 2008-02-15.Retrieved2008-02-24.
  7. ^Societe francophone de Maillardville - Bienvenue/Welcome
  8. ^Notre Dame de Fatima – Our Lady of Fatima Catholic Church
  9. ^Our Lady of Lourdes Notre Dame de LourdesArchived2008-07-25 at theWayback Machine
  10. ^Foyer Maillard Welcomes You!Archived2008-03-21 at theWayback Machine
  11. ^"Scouts francophones de la C.-B. – Agissons ensemble maintenant, pour le futur!".
  12. ^Festival du Bois - Société francophone de Maillardville
  13. ^ab"La Maison History".Archived fromthe originalon 2007-11-21.Retrieved2008-02-24.
  14. ^Bienvenue
  15. ^Association francophone de Kamloops – Accueil
  16. ^L'Association des francophones de Nanaimo
  17. ^AFKOhttp:// afko.ca/
  18. ^Centre francophone de services à l'emploi de l'Okanagan, Okanagan French Cultural Centre / Employment Services
  19. ^Centre francophone de services à l'emploi de l'Okanagan, Okanagan French Cultural Centre / Employment Services
  20. ^Le Club Bon Accueil de Powell River
  21. ^"The Community Arts Council of Prince George & District - Cultural Arts Member Groups".Archived fromthe originalon 2007-11-27.Retrieved2008-02-24.
  22. ^"La Société francophone de Victoria".Archived fromthe originalon 2008-03-06.Retrieved2008-02-24.
  23. ^"The Volunteer Corps".Canadian Military Heritage, vol. 2.Government of Canada. 1 May 2017.Retrieved23 May2020.
  24. ^ab"Francophone Affairs Program".www2.gov.bc.ca.Government of British Columbia.Retrieved23 April2020.
  25. ^"FAQ".provincialcourt.bc.ca.Office of the Chief Judge, Provincial Court of British Columbia. 2019.Retrieved30 April2020.
  26. ^Bronskill, Jim (16 May 2019)."B.C. man has a right to trial in French, Supreme Court says".CTV News.Bell Media.Retrieved30 April2020.
  27. ^abcd"Case in Brief:Bessette v. British Columbia (Attorney General)"(PDF).scc-csc.ca.Supreme Court of Canada. 2019.Retrieved30 April2020.
  28. ^"Your Trial in French".www2.gov.bc.ca.Government of British Columbia.Retrieved30 April2020.
  29. ^"Application ofCriminal Code".bclaws.ca.Queen's Printer, Victoria, British Columbia.Retrieved30 April2020.
  30. ^"liste_ecoles_08.cdr"(PDF).Archived fromthe original(PDF)on 2011-02-18.Retrieved2008-02-24.
  31. ^"Catchment Areas".csf.bc.ca.Conseil scolaire francophone de la Columbie-Britannique.Retrieved25 April2020.
  32. ^abCanadian Parents for French - British Columbia & Yukon BranchArchived2007-12-19 at theWayback Machine
  33. ^abpdf tab.indd[permanent dead link]
  34. ^Festival du Bois - Société Maillardville-Uni
  35. ^Canadian Parents for French – CPFArchived2007-06-17 atarchive.today
  36. ^Théâtre la Seizième
  37. ^"Societe des Danseurs du Pacifique is a Charitable Organization located in Canada, in British Columbia, Vancouver, Vancouver".
  38. ^"Répertoire des arts et de la culture - Arts de la scène - Danse - la troupe de danse traditionnelle les cornouillers".Archived fromthe originalon 2014-03-13.Retrieved2013-06-29.
  39. ^Conseil Culturel et Artistique de la Colombie-Britannique (CCAFCB)
  40. ^CBC/Radio-Canada - Stations de bases et affiliées - Colombie-BritanniqueArchived2008-03-04 at theWayback Machine
  41. ^Le Soleil de la Colombie-Britannique ne paraît plus - Radio-Canada nouvellesArchived2011-06-05 at theWayback Machine
  42. ^"Le Soleil de Colombie | SFU Digitized Newspapers".
  43. ^L'Express du PacifiqueArchived2008-05-01 at theWayback Machine
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