Bells, whistles, clappers, maracas, kazoos, spoons, a Shofar and other noise-making instruments echoed throughout downtown Moose Jaw as more than 300 students celebrated the community’s Francophone heritage.
Students, teachers and dignitaries gathered in Crescent Park on March 15 to kick off the seventh annual Tintamarre parade, which the Association communautaire fransaskoise de Moose Jaw (ACFMJ) hosted. Christian Poumeni, the ACFMJ’s community officer, pumped up the crowd, while many students waved mini yellow and green Francophone flags.
With the Moose Jaw Police Service escorting the parade and blocking streets, the joyous group walked west on Athabasca Street past the library, headed south on Main Street and then rumbled west on Ominica Street to finish at École Ducharme School.
Youths and dignitaries then spoke — mostly in French — to the students, who came from the five city schools that offer French-language instruction or French immersion. School officials then raised a Francophone flag and everyone sang O Canada in French.
Vincent Millette, a Grade 7 student at École Ducharme, carried a large Francophone flag at the head of the parade, which he said was a great experience.
“There’s a certain feeling when you’re not doing something, but when you’re carrying a flag, it just feels 100-per-cent different,” he said.
When his teacher brought out a flag on a hand-held pole, Millette asked if he could carry it because he has rarely had the opportunity to do so.
Millette was one ceremony speaker and said it is a gift to speak French and a “huge, huge privilege” to have that ability. He noted that most people in Canada don’t have that chance; he appreciated speaking the language because he has attended École Ducharme since pre-kindergarten and it’s important to him.
Rebecca Alao, a professor from the University of Regina’s La Cité French department, said it was important to attend with her students because they are proud to be part of the French community and excited to celebrate their language in March.
“We are not too far away from Moose Jaw, so we wanted to join ourselves to the community down here, to make noise and let people know we are here,” she said. “We enjoy living in French and working in French.”
Alao participated by wearing a costume with a dog-like head. With her students laughing, she exclaimed that they — along with another professor — “plotted” to have her put it on. Yet, she enjoyed wearing it and liked the attention the kids showed.
During the ceremony, Mayor Clive Tolley said the students were lucky to study French and become bilingual. He recalled sending his children to French immersion, with his daughter learning both languages and eventually landing a job in Montreal.
Tolley admitted that his French skills were rusty even though he studied it in high school and university, which meant he would never become prime minister. However, the students with their language skills would have that opportunity and could become members of Parliament or even work overseas.
City manager Maryse Carmichael — originally from Quebec City — then spoke, saying it was exciting to see the students’ passion and “joie de vivre” and their presence downtown while speaking French.
Paulin Apipila, vice-president of ACFMJ, said it was a great day to celebrate Francophone culture and language; the weather co-operated; there were many joyous and colourful students; and it was important to join similar traditions across Canada.
