The Festival franco-ontarien

Over the years, the Festival franco-ontarien has become not only a must-see event in the Ottawa region, but also a gateway for artists, groups and singers from French Ontario who dream of a career in the performing arts. Each spring, spectators in the tens of thousands crowd into Major’s Hill Park in Ottawa to listen to their favourite singers and discover new performing arts talents on stage there.

The first “Semaine française”, held in Ottawa from May 24 to 30, 1976, is modest. With a meagre budget, the Association canadienne-française de l’Ontario (ACFO) regional council succeeds in organizing some activities to mark the 150^th anniversary of Bytown. Highlights include a picnic, an evening at the Astrolabe with Sudbury singer-songwriter Robert Paquette, and a recital by the Chansonniers of Blackburn Hamlet. The objective is to organize a community celebration that reflects the pride of Francophones living in the capital region.

The event is repeated the following year, billed as the “Festival franco-ontarien”. The budget triples, activities are more varied, and the festival stretches over two weeks. The intention is clear: to proclaim loud and clear Franco-Ontarians’ determination to flourish and assert themselves. The Festival quickly gains in popularity over the years. The fourth edition, held at Confederation Park, attracts some 70,000 people to 54 shows. Saint-Jean festivities are celebrated there on the evening of June 23. A day program is introduced in 1981, with activities for youth.

1982 is a pivotal year for the Festival. It marks an opening toward the rest of French Canada, as well as autonomy when the Festival ceases collaboration with the ACFO. Attendance records are surpassed in 1983, when 150,000 people take part in the festivities. The Allée des artisans, Trinquette and Sentier de la bonne fourchette are once again part of the program. Beginning in 1986, the Festival hosts the final of the Ontario Pop competition, sponsored by Radio-Canada.

The reputation of the Festival franco-ontarien is well established, even acquiring an international dimension. The Super Franco-Fête, held during the 2001 edition when Ottawa hosts the fourth Jeux de la Francophonie, is engraved in memory. “It was really something! Every day for 15 days, we had festivities. There were no less than 100,000 people at the site, and artists from all over the world were there. It was breathtaking,”1 says Daniel Simoncic, who has collaborated in many editions of the Festival, before taking on management of the event.

The organization subsequently experiences some difficult years, which compel a makeover. The Franco, as it is now called, has to fit into various calendars and take place at less prestigious sites. In 2012, it re-establishes itself at Major’s Hill Park, a stone’s throw from Parliament, where it experienced its best years. The school matinee attracts thousands of students from across the region. A new tradition is established in 2013 with the Pique-nique franco-africain, which becomes Le grand pique-nique de la Francophonie in 2015.

1 Philippe Orfali, “Un événement qui grandit toujours,” Le Droit, June 15, 2009 (translated from the original).

42nd edition of the Festival franco-ontarien at Major's Hill Park (Ottawa) from June 15 to 17, 2017. Photo: Sylvain Marier.

Festival franco-ontarien, Franco047.

Colour photograph of a young woman, in three-quarter view, holding a wreath of flowers and a large Franco-Ontarian flag. She is dressed all in white and wears carnival attire. In the background, the Chateau Laurier, Ottawa's iconic hotel.

La Semaine française

Program of La Semaine française (French Week), part of the 150th anniversary celebration of the arrival of Colonel By in Ottawa, Ottawa, 1976. Highlights include a picnic, golf tournament, and theatre evenings at the Astrolabe. The objective is to organize a community celebration that reflects the pride of Francophones living in the capital region. The event is repeated the following year, under the name “Festival franco-ontarien.”

University of Ottawa, CRCCF, Fonds Festival franco-ontarien (C90), C90-6-11.

Four-page program, typewritten in French, with corrections in black ink. Each page of the document is divided into two parts. Dates are underlined. Some of the text is inserted into boxes.

Flags at the Festival franco-ontarien

Festival franco-ontarien, June 1983. Attendance records are surpassed in 1983, when 150,000 people take part in the festivities. The Allée des artisans, Trinquette, and Sentier de la bonne fourchette are once again part of the program. Photo: Michel Lafleur, Le Droit

University of Ottawa, CRCCF, Fonds Les Éditions L’Interligne (C86), Ph167-1.

Black and white photograph of a large crowd, mostly seated. In the centre, two young women stand out from the throng, waving flags. Other people also wave flags, including two Franco-Ontarian flags and one Acadian flag.

Robert Paquette

Robert Paquette performing at the Festival franco-ontarien, Ottawa, June 19, 1984. The Festival franco-ontarien quickly emerges as an essential venue for the great names of Franco-Ontarian song. Paul Demers, Robert Paquette, Garolou, CANO and other Franco-Ontarian artists have often performed there. Photo: Michel Lafleur, Le Droit.

University of Ottawa, CRCCF, Fonds Le Droit (C71), Ph92-7-rob190684-31.

Colour photograph of a middle-aged man with a mustache on a stage. He wears a hat, a scarf around his neck, and a white suit. He plays the electric guitar and sings in front of a microphone. In the background, geometric patterns on colourful background and the words “CBOF-FM.”

10ᵗʰ anniversary program

Cover of the 10^th Festival franco-ontarien program, 1985. The 10^th edition of the Festival brings together Ginette Reno, Édith Butler and Zachary Richard, who perform on the big stage. The 10^th anniversary show on the evening of the 21^st unites all major Franco-Ontarian music figures: Paul Demers, Robert Paquette, Marcel Aymar, and CANO, along with members of the former Garolou band, and the duo of the hour, Allan Walsh and Denis Farmer.

University of Ottawa, CRCCF, Fonds Festival franco-ontarien (C90), C90-6-1-1pc.

Program printed in colour, with dark blue French text. Green, red and blue ribbons weave through a large number ten. The name and dates of the festival are included at the bottom, along with the words “LE DROIT” in red. In the background, a pattern of lilies and trilliums on a green background.

Damien Robitaille

Damien Robitaille on stage in the 2013 Franco edition, June 2013. Among the regular guests of the Festival, Damien Robitaille is one of the biggest crowd-pleasers. Photo: Martin Roy, Le Droit.

Le Droit, Franco.

Colour photograph of a mature man on stage. He has a short, black beard, and he wears a hat, royal blue jacket, and white pants. He plays the acoustic guitar and sings in front of a microphone. The photograph is taken at a low angle, and the image is reflected on a surface to his left.

“Fermer la rue Laurier”

Georges Bédard, representative of Rideau-Vanier ward of the City of Ottawa, July 22, 2009. Georges Bédard is among the founding members of the Festival franco-ontarien. First elected in 1974, he serve on the municipal council until 1980, during which time he becomes the Festival’s principal ambassador to the City. He returns to the council from 2003 to 2010. Photo: Étienne Ranger, Le Droit, 22 juillet 2009.

“Fermer la rue Laurier” (“We closed Laurier Avenue”). Excerpt from the “major witness” interview granted by Georges Bédard to the Chantier Ottawa (“Construction dʼune mémoire française à Ottawa : savoirs communautaires et réseaux sociaux” project), 2012.

University of Ottawa, CRCCF, Projet Chantier Ottawa, GEORGEs Bédard - On a fermé la rue Laurier.

Colour photograph of a middle-aged man dressed in a red polo shirt, arms crossed, with a busy downtown street in the background. He displays an air of determination.

Transcription

G. Bédard: “We closed Laurier Avenue”

You have to have a party. You have to celebrate the Francophone community. You have to unite Francophones. You need to make noise. People need to know that we’re there, that we’re in the community, that we’re important.

And the impact on the community was huge because we went from the Byward Market to downtown, to Confederation Park. We had to close Laurier Avenue. It was the first time Laurier Avenue was closed. At City Hall, the officials said no, that's ridiculous. ‘You can’t close Laurier Avenue. It’s a busy street, you know, and firefighters have to get through.’

We said, ‘Listen, we can get organized. It’s not a problem.’ And we developed a good plan, and we showed it to City Council. They said, ‘Yes, go ahead, Georges.’ I was on City Council at that time.

So, they closed the street. I remember the first night they closed the street, the firefighters left, and they went through the barriers. We always said, ‘I wonder if this is a test’. Everyone moved closer together, and they went by, and it was over.

We showed that, yes, you could close Laurier Avenue and, later, Laurier Avenue was closed several times, not just for the festival, but several other times.

So when you see all these Francophones downtown, you say, ‘Wow! There’s a whole French community!’ (Translated from the original).

“C'était une affirmation!”

Pierre de Blois is one of the co-founders of the Festival franco-ontarien. For him, simply bringing together thousands of Francophones in downtown Ottawa, and holding seven consecutive days of activities in his own language – that is in itself a political gesture as strong as any advocacy in high places. Photo: Caroline Ramirez.

“C'était une affirmation!” (“That was a statement!”). Excerpt from the “major witness” interview granted by Pierre de Blois to the Chantier Ottawa (“Construction dʼune mémoire française à Ottawa : savoirs communautaires et réseaux sociaux” project), 2012.

University of Ottawa, CRCCF, Projet Chantier Ottawa, PIERRE DE BLOIS - Ça, c’est une affirmation.

Colour photograph of a bearded, middle-aged man sitting at a table in front of a bookshelf. He is dressed in a chequered shirt and smiles at the camera.

Transcription

P. De Blois: “It was a statement!”

Well, the first year the Festival franco-ontarien was born because Ottawa was going to celebrate its 125th birthday in 1975. Georges Bédard, who we managed to elect to City Hall, was one of the municipal councillors in charge of organizing festivities to celebrate the 125th anniversary.

He approached me and said, ‘We should do something to highlight the presence of Francophones in Ottawa’. That’s why, the first time, it was called La Semaine française. That's because it was French Week within the 125th celebrations. We had fun, you know. We did it in the Byward Market, and we had a show at the Astrolabe on Nepean Point with Robert Paquette. But the rest of the artists were all artists from the region, except Robert.

And we said to ourselves: ‘Listen, that wasn’t so bad. Maybe we should do something’. That’s when three, four of us decided to do the Festival franco-ontarien.

The Festival franco-ontarien, to my mind, played ... it had an obvious cultural mission, but also a social and political mission of bringing together, of showing the public and political strength of the Francophone community in the heart of Ottawa.

That’s why, in all the years I was there, we always said, ‘The Festival should disturb. We should close streets, should close.... Everyone should realize that the Festival is in town.’ Because it had to ... that was a statement (Translated from the original).