‘Banquet de la Francophonie’ of Welland

Last Saturday, I had the privilege to speak at the Banquet de la Francophonie of Welland. It is hard to believe that Francophones live in this area since the Welland canal opening in 1829. After the two world wars, this region benefited from such an important wave of French-Canadian immigrants that the downtown district was known as “French Town”. Thus, on March 24th, the Ontario Heritage Trust recognized the rich patrimonial contribution of the Francophones by unveiling a provincial commemorative  plaque at the Sacré-Cœur Roman Catholic Church.

I received one of the warmest welcoming, as usual. People of Welland are great, dynamic, and they have at heart the French language. Of course, local artists, all Francophones, have lots of talent. The main performance during the evening was Café Piaf with Sudbury artist Pandora Topp. You have to see her show if you have not had the chance yet. Absolutely brilliant.