3. Best practices
Page 5 of 9
This section describes what are perceived as best practices in the Francophone community in the region encompassing St. Isidore-de-Bellevue, Duck Lake, Domremy, St. Louis and Hoey. These practices were identified during discussions among the task force participants and then between the task force and the research team.
3.1 Multilingual community newsletter
To facilitate intercultural dialogue, the Francophone community of Domremy publishes a community newsletter in three languages: French, English and Métis. According to the comments received, this initiative has helped to bring these communities closer together.
3.2 Multicultural gatherings
The Saskatchewan Archeological Society organizes an annual event at the South Branch archeological site, a former fur trading post for the Hudson’s Bay Company. At this event, participants move to the lively beat of fiddlers and carry out archeological digs. On the menu: bannock (flatbread) and grilled bear meat. The goal of the event is to bring together the Métis, Aboriginal People, Anglophones and Francophones in a celebration of their shared regional heritage. In 2008, the event drew together close to 200 people.
Every year, the Saskatchewan Historical Society holds Heritage Days. In September 2009, the event was organized jointly with the Town of Duck Lake, and its theme was the arrival of the pioneers. The activity, which took place in English and French, included 20 or so interactive and historical sketches. Visitors learned about the history of the Association Catholique Franco-Canadienne (now the Assemblée communautaire fransaskoise) and about the Patriote de l’Ouest newspaper, and were introduced to local historical figures.
3.3 Regional tourism
Over the past few years, the St. Louis Historical Society has been designing maps that show all of the historical sites of interest along the Saskatchewan River. Thirty sites have been identified, encouraging tourists to explore the region by canoe or a guided boat tour.
3.4 Terroir conference
In February 2009, the Institut français of the University of Regina and the ACF organized a conference entitled Terroir, Identity & Seduction, which encouraged participants to reflect on the source of food products. Government representatives, researchers, entrepreneurs, farmers and consumers got together and discussed the many advantages of redirecting rural development. They attended workshops presented by experts from all across Canada, as well as from France and Louisiana, on topics such as organic gardening, food supply and culture, rural development in Saskatchewan, organic meat, farm tourism and economuseums. The event also provided the organizers with an opportunity to reaffirm their ties to other communities that have launched similar initiatives, such as Charlevoix, Quebec.
3.5 Mobilization of communities around projects of common interest
Until recently, the communities of St. Isidore-de-Bellevue, St. Louis and Domremy managed their communities’ cultural spaces separately. Cultural activities in these three communities were recently combined, thanks to the creation of a new organization. The Centre francophone Bellevue, Domremy et St. Louis (BDS) now manages the Centre culturel de Bellevue and the Centre fransaskois de Domremy.
It is expected that the new organization will be able to address common issues, such as improvement of road infrastructures. It is also expected that combined management of cultural activities will reduce duplication of effort and competition between the activities, and will give more weight to the community in its search for partners and sources of funding. This emerging community collaboration will no doubt benefit the Projet du terroir.
Each year, the town of Domremy organizes summer camps for the local youth. These day camps offer activities in French, such as crafts, reading and swimming.
Communities in the region are also working together on a daycare project. According to the project’s sponsors, lack of access to daycare services could discourage new families from moving to the region.
3.6 Study on the Projet du terroir
In the summer of 2008, an intern working with the Institut français of the University of Regina led a broad study on the Projet du terroir. She focused on the following questions: How are the current culinary practices of the three cultural groups (Francophones, Anglophones, Métis) a reflection of the region’s history? Why and how are culinary practices passed on from one group to another? To what degree do these practices reflect the respective identities of these groups? What specific practices are associated with each of these groups?
The study therefore sought to clarify the link between food and culture and the different connections that these three groups have with their food. The study also attempted to define strategies for accentuating these cultures through the products identified in their terroir.
