La Francoforce and Vancouver 2010

Canada's Francophonie is vibrant and culturally diverse. In every province and territory, francophones are integral to Canadian heritage and present day identity — La Francoforce celebrates the Canadian Francophonie.

La Francoforce is a travelling road show of franco-Canadian culture that will visit every province and territory, making stops in 14 cities from May 29 to September 1, 2008. It’s an initiative of the Fédération culturelle canadienne-française (FCCF) and the Fédération des communautés francophones et acadiennes du Canada (FCFA), and the result of a unique collaboration between the Government of Canada and the Canadian Francophonie.

The Vancouver Organizing Committee for the 2010 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games (VANOC) is proud to promote programs such as La Francoforce, which spread awareness and excitement for Canadian cultural groups.

“Francodome not only promotes the Francophonie of Canada in all of its many facets, but we see it as another great way of bringing together people of all cultures and ethnic backgrounds,” said Francine Bolduc, Director of Human Resources and Official Languages for VANOC.

Step inside the culture

The tour can’t be missed. Francophone boutiques, cinema, dance, live interviews, music, multimedia performances, poetry and more are packed into a large mobile geodesic dome called the Francodome. In addition to commemorating 400 years of French presence in Québec City, La Francoforce aims to showcase and celebrate the history and diversity of the Canadian Francophonie.

Tour programming was developed to reach both francophones and anglophones, blending local and national flavours. Anglophones are encouraged to step inside the dome and become a francophile — an admirer of the French language, the people or the culture — for a day .

Meet inspirational athletes  

Part of the program features the talk show Le Franco-tarium which exhibits the vitality and spirit of each host community through interviews of well-known local personalities and the unearthing of a few surprising local francophone talents.

In some cities, Le Franco-tarium will also profile local athletes, some of whom are Olympians or Paralympians, plus Olympic or Paralympic hopefuls with inspiring stories to share. VANOC supports the mission of La Francoforce to connect with Canadians, share history and inspire new stories.   

“VANOC is glad that this tour will allow some francophone athletes to share their stories in their communities,” added Bolduc. “We wish La Francoforce the best success in their journey across Canada.” 

La Francoforce 2008 schedule

May 29 to June 1 — St. Boniface, MB

June 6 to 8 — Saskatoon, SK

June 12 to 15 — Vancouver, BC

June 20 to 22 — Whitehorse, YT

June 27 to 29 — Calgary, AB

June 30 — Yellowknife, NT

July 2 — Iqualuit, NU

July 4 to 6 — Toronto, ON

July 18 to 20 — Ottawa, ON

July 25 to 27 — Summerside, PEI

July 29 — St. John’s, NF

July 31 to August 19 — Québec City, QC

August 22 to 24 — Cheticamp, NS

August 29 to September 1 — Dieppe, NB

For more information about La Francoforce, visit francoforce.com.