From a dingy room in the train station to a cramped office at École Desrochers, Jasper’s chapter of l’Association canadienne-française de l’Alberta (ACFA) spent the last few years hopping from one temporary home to the next.
However, the association—which was created to boost French resources and protect Francophone culture—was finally able to move to its permanent home in June when the Jasper Library and Cultural Centre opened. And while a move just down the road might seem like an insignificant detail to some, Jasper’s ACFA regional director Geneviève Arcand said the new location has already opened up new opportunities for the association and its board.
“We have a big to-do list, but before this new office we weren’t ready. Now we can move forward,” Arcand said at the ACFA’s annual general meeting, Oct. 18. “Since the ACFA moved into the new office we have more families coming in looking for French resources.”
The move is also helping foster new community partnerships, said Arcand.
“All the partners of the building are really welcoming and inclusive and different organizations want more French programing and more resources,” she said. “Since moving we feel so a part of the community—for us, that’s amazing.”
As the association moves forward, Arcand is hoping it will continue to expand, moving into Edson and Hinton.
“Before we start developing in Hinton we want to understand the wants and needs of that community. And eventually we want to do the same thing in Edson,” Arcand said. “This was the idea from the beginning, but now we’re ready to move forward. “It’s not something that is going to happen in a year—it’s going to be a lot of work, but we’re ready.”
At the provincial level, Alberta’s Culture and Tourism Minister Ricardo Miranda announced the provincial government would start holding consultations with the Francophone community to help develop a French-language services policy.
He made the announcement at the ACFA’s 90th anniversary celebration in Edmonton, Oct. 15.
Alberta’s francophone population has increased by more than 40 per cent since 1996, according to the 2011 census. Additionally, enrollment in francophone schools has increased by almost 200 per cent in Alberta.
Kayla Byrne [email protected]
