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S a t u r d a y, M a r c h 1 4 , 2 0 2 0
regina Leader-PoSt
MARCH IS FRANCOPHONE MONTH ADVERTISEMENT
BY THE NUMBERS • 54,000 people in Saskatchewan know enough of the French language to hold a conversation in French.
BILINGUAL EVENT In honour of the Month of The Francophonie, the MacKenzie Art Gallery and the Fransaskoise community are proudly inviting you to our bilingual evening, showcasing the Francophone and Métis cultures. Held in conjunction with Rawlco Radio and the MacKenzie Art Gallery Free Admission evening. Program includes, reception, live music and a panel between six guests exploring the coexistence and expression of cultural identities through the arts. French guided conversation about Sitting Bull and the pioneer Jean-Louis Légaré to follow.
P T S O P
D E ON
Thursday, 19 March 5 – 9 PM MacKenzie Art Gallery Agra Torchinsky Salon Complimentary admission
GUESTS INCLUDE SUZANNE CAMPAGNE
• 14,435 people in Saskatchewan have French as their first language
LAURIER GAREAU
• 60 per cent of francophones in Saskatchewan live in a urban setting
JOE JACKSON
• 122,620 people in Saskatchewan have French heritage
Host, songwriter and singer Fransaskoise (SK)
Playwright, actor, novelist Fransaskois (SK)
Metis fiddler, from LaRonge (SK)
• 32 per cent of members of the Fransaskois community are over 65 years old
JÉRÔME MÉLANÇON
Assoc. professor, French and Francophone Intercultural Studies, U. of Regina (SK)
• 8.7 per cent of the French speakers in Saskatchewan are immigrants
MARIE-LOUISE PERRON
Franco-Métis visual artist, researcher and historian (SK, ON)
• 33 per cent of the French speakers in Saskatchewan were born outside of Saskatchewan.
ANDRINA TURENNE
Franco-Métis musician and singer from St-Boniface (MB)
• 15,000 kindergarten to 12 students are in immersion programs
For more information, please visit mackenzie.art
• There are 15 Fransaskois schools
The event is made possible through a unique partnership between the Mackenzie Art Gallery, the Fransaskois Cultural Council, the Saskatchewan French Historical Society and the FrenchCanadian Association of Regina.
• The number of people speaking French at home is on the rise
The Fransaskois flag became the first francophone flag in western Canada.
mackenzie.art
Learn to Speak French Summer Immersion Program Full-day French Language Training for Adults
To connect with people ... for sport... lacite.uregina.ca
VOUÉE AU DÉVELOPPEMENT DE LA COMMUNAUTE FRANSASKOISE DEPUIS 1912
www.fransaskois.sk.ca
... for art!
... for everyday life and work!
Total immersion in French language and culture
University of Regina - Main Campus : Week 1 : July 6 - 10 I Week 2 : July 13 - 17
Schedule, fees and more: centreFR.cite@uregina.ca | 306 337-2616
Au services des residents permanents francophones en Saskatchewan À votre arrivé, I’ACF vous accompagne dans l’accueil, l’orientation, l’établissement et le réseautage. Pour plus d’information: 1-800-991-1912
S a t u r d a y, M a r c h 1 4 , 2 0 2 0
regina Leader-PoSt
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MARCH IS FRANCOPHONE MONTH ADVERTISEMENT
Fransaskois artists find inspiration in Saskatchewan Inspiration is what it’s all about! Some artists are inspired by their history, by their identity, by Saskatchewan. When they paint, write a song or a book or capture a stunning moment by photo, our artists are inspired and in turn, they inspire us... Here are four fransaskois artists that do just that! M A R I O L E PAG E , F RO N T M A N F O R T H E GROUP P ONTEIX
Awarded Producer of the Year at both the Western Canadian Music Awards as well as the Saskatchewan Music awards, Lepage has come a long way since his humble beginnings with his loop station. He began experimenting with multiple instruments and learning how to record his psychedelic pop music in St. Denis, Saskatchewan where he grew up and built himself a recording studio 15 years later. “I like living outside the city,” he says “It’s a great place to recharge, reflect and be creative, especially after weeks of chaotic touring.” It’s in the Fransaskois Hamlet where he wrote most of his album “Bastion”. He’s also produced other Western Canadian artists such as Shawn Jobin, Éemi and Rayannah (with whom he won the WCMA for Producer of the year). He’s proud of the historical influence and contribution of francophones in Saskatchewan and recognizes that his heritage has helped to shape who he is. His roots are vividly apparent in his songwriting, and the music he creates is expansive, full of depth and space, not unlike the prairies which surround him. Ponteix’s most recent album Bastion serves as a symbol of resilience. The name represents authenticity and staying true to oneself, much like the name of the project. Bastion is deeply linked to Saskatchewan, it’s landscape and that “distance from ev-
Mario Lepage.
Martine Noél-Maw.
Laura St. Pierre.
Jacques Poulin-Denis.
P H O T O BY S T E P H A NI E KU S E
PH OTO BY TI M M AW
PH OTO BY M AN PRE E T SINGH
P HOT O BY P ET ER SCOULAR
erything that grounds me closer to nature”. The land which he came from and its history has made the multiinstrumentalist a defiant force, with the passion and desire to dive deeper. Ponteix performs an intimate solo set tonight at the 9 Mile Legacy Brewery during the JUNOFest in Saskatoon.
by the life of Will James, the famous true American cowboy, writer and artist who concealed his French-Canadian identity from the world. The play, which was first produced by La Troupe du Jour, focuses on the last months of James’ life. It is a touching story of pride, regret and redemption. Will & Ernest will soon be published, in French and English, by Éditions de la nouvelle plume of Regina. “I write in Saskatchewan, mainly about Saskatchewan, in French. I love WesternCanadian-based stories,” she says. She promotes her works as well as the fransaskois culture in Canada and abroad. For more, visit www. martinenoelmaw.wordpress. com.
the codes of beauty, feeding us images again that are at once immediate and/or disturbing...” Being francophone, while not always hanging around francophone people, she feels she’s always had a bit of a dual identity. It may not be surprising then, that as she works, she creates an imaginary character, inside herself that sees the world differently than she does. Recently, St.Pierre’s artwork was displayed in Winnipeg, at la Maison des artistes, in Baie-Saint-Paul during the Biennale de Québec, at the Art Gallery of Alberta in Edmonton, and at the Galerie d’art Stewart Hall in PointeClaire. Moreover, her series of photographs, “Les Semeuses”, was displayed at VivianeArt, in Calgary. Her installations, sculptures and photographs
have been exhibited throughout Canada and in Europe. Next September, she will be presenting a video work, at the 2020 Biennale of Contemporary Art, at the Remai Modern, in Saskatoon. Visit St.Pierre’s website at www.laurastpierre.com.
M A RT I N E N O Ë L - M AW
Novelist, playwright, translator and editor, Martine Noël-Maw considers herself to be an artisan of words and has succeeded by combining three things she loves in life: writing, research and travel. She met with Yann Martel in 2003 while he was Writer in Residence at the Saskatoon Public Library to get his take on her work and that gave her the push to become the writer she had always dreamt of being. In her award-winning novel Dans le pli des collines (In the Fold of the Hills, Ekstasis Editions), lives are shaken when a persistent rumour tarnishes the reputation of Dr. Andrew Murray who has dedicated his life to treating tuberculosis patients at Fort San, the Qu’Appelle Valley sanatorium in Saskatchewan. This captivating novel bears witness to a bygone era that should not be forgotten. Martine’s latest work, Will & Ernest, is a play inspired
L AU R A S T. PI E R R E
She describes herself as “a visual artist who’s a mom to a kid and three dogs”. Laura St. Pierre is so much more. St. Pierre explores her relationship with the natural environment through a multidisciplinary art practice that includes installations, sculptures, photography and public works. A very well-known curator, Serge Murphy, said of her work: “It is dedicated to us, it addresses our engaged consciousness, and to make its message more meaningful, penetrable, it borrows from
JAC Q U E S P O U L I N- D E N I S
Jacques Poulin-Denis identifies as a multidisciplinary artist and father who is interested in the human condition. He is a dancer, a choreographer and a composer, who created his company, Grand Poney, where he acts as artistic and managing director. He sees dance as a strong means of expression. “It allows me to have the most interdisciplinary voice that lives within me. It allows me to work with music, movement,
speech and sound. I love the dramaturgy that I can access with dance,” Poulin-Denis says. He remembers touring rural Saskatchewan with his band, Jean Capot Quartet to places like Gravelbourg and Zenon-Park. His parents instilled within him the notion that anything is possible, that being part of a minority group is unique and valuable, and the idea that his voice deserves to be heard. That sense of self is reflected in his works. The notion of resilience, stemming from his cultural identity and the challenges encountered to express it, is present in many of his works. In fact, last November, he delivered a moving piece on the subject, at the annual Rendez-vous Fransaskois for 200 leaders of the fransaskois community. He spoke of his overcoming a serious accident that might have felled most aspiring dancers. Instead, he has become an acclaimed national and international dancer and choreographer. For many of those who know him in our community, he is the embodiment of courage and resilience! His next project, “Poney Rides”, will take place in April, in Montreal. More information can be found at Poulin-Denis’ website, www.grandponey.com/ jacques-poulin-denis.
THIS ARTICLE WAS SUPPLIED BY THE FRANSASKOIS CULTURAL COUNCIL FOR AWARENESS PURPOSES.
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1er au 31 mars 2020