A taste of la Francofête on campus
Francofête is a week-long celebration of the French language, and Concordia is taking part by hosting events on campus, including a local food fair called La Foire du terroir québécois.
The French language is an integral part of Concordia’s fabric, says Maria Trigueiro, department administrator in Concordia’s Département d’études françaises. To reflect and promote this reality, Études françaises has partnered with the university’s Oui Can Help program to host a series of events titled La Francofête à Concordia: Laissez-vous tenter!
The events are being held during the week-long provincial Francofête celebration, which coincides with the Journée internationale de la francophonie on Wednesday, March 20.
“This celebration is a reflection of what Concordia is all about,” Trigueiro says. “There’s a lot of French being spoken at Concordia and I don’t think the community at large really realizes that it’s a multicultural, pluralist place to work and live, and we want to reflect that.”
The first Francofête event at Concordia, scheduled for March 18, is a panel discussion under the title, À Concordia, le français s’accorde au pluriel. The organizers have invited representatives from various government ministries to discuss French-language training programs available for students, staff and faculty. UPDATE: This event has been postponed. More information to come.
“If our students wish to pursue their careers in Quebec, French-language training will be a key component of their success,” says Chanel Bourdon, director of Concordia’s Oui Can Help! program, which is providing 150 French-language bursaries to international students this year.
For students:
SPACES ARE LIMITED. To reserve a seat, register on the Counselling and Development web page.
For staff and faculty:
SPACES ARE LIMITED. To reserve a seat, register by sending an email to ouicanhelpfas@concordia.ca
A taste of Quebec
The main event organized to mark La Francofête at Concordia this year is a fair featuring 25 local merchants, who will exhibit and sell their food, beverages and products. La Foire du terroir québécois, which is open to the public, will be held in the atrium of the Engineering, Computer Science and Visual Arts Integrated Complex (EV Building) on Wednesday, March 20.
“It’s a great opportunity for Concordia to collaborate with local merchants by allowing them to showcase their products in a muliticultural environment,” Bourdon says, adding that some faculty members have already told her they plan to take their classes for a tasting tour.
Two of the exhibitors at La Foire du terroir are alumni from Concordia’s John Molson School of Business: Danielle Russell, owner of Botania, a Montreal-based handmade soap company, and Lucie Massinon, who is in charge of commercial development for Le Fromentier, an organic bakery located on Laurier Avenue in Montreal.
The third event planned for La Francofête at Concordia is a city-wide scavenger hunt for teams of international students representing all faculties at the university. The hunt challenges the teams to find clues at five locations around the city. “Each venue has some link to one of Concordia’s faculties, so they represent not only Montreal, but Concordia’s place within the city,” Trigueiro says.
As in years past, the Département d’études françaises will also hold a series of events for its students to mark La Francofête, including translation games and a writing contest.
What: Panel Discussion: À Concordia, le français s’accorde au pluriel - POSTPONED
When: Monday, March 18, 2013, 3 to 5 p.m.
Where: Rooms H-763, H-765, Henry F. Hall Building (1455 De Maisonneuve Blvd. West), Sir George Williams Campus
What: Fair: La Foire du terroir québécois
When: Wednesday, March 20, 2013, 11 a.m to 4 p.m.
Where: Atrium of the Engineering, Computer Science and Visual Arts Integrated Complex (EV Building, 1515 Ste-Catherine St. W.), Sir George Williams Campus
Related links:
• Département d’études françaises
• Oui Can Help!
• La Francofête