CPF BC & Yukon Fall 2022 Edition

EXTRA EDITION
MAGAZINE
FALL/WINTER 2022
Families from Kitimat gather to celebrate French Immersion Week in 2022
Meet CPF BCYK’s
New Executive Director
Read the full story on page 2
Reflecting on My French
Immersion Journey
Find out more on page 4

Return to My Roots
BY JASON HOWE, EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR, CPF BCYK
photo by jerald walliser
My grandmother liked to tell the story of
the time, as a toddler, I saw a fly buzz by
and yelled, “The mouche! The mouche!” In
recounting that quick anecdote, I can almost
see my young mind working its way towards
becoming bilingual.
C’est avec grand plaisir que je me
présente à vous en tant que le nouveau
Directeur général de Canadian Parents for
French BC & Yukon. Après une carrière de
25 ans en journalisme et avec des organismes
de bienfaisance dans le domaine de
la santé, et avec une jeune enfant qui est
une élève dans un programme d’immersion
française, cette nouvelle étape représente
un retour à mes racines en français.
I am honoured to introduce myself as
Canadian Parents for French BC & Yukon’s
new executive director. After a 25-year
career in journalism and the healthcare
charitable sector, and with a young daughter
now enrolled in French Immersion, this for
me represents a return to my roots in my
mother tongue.
I grew up in Moncton, New Brunswick,
a proudly bilingual city in the country’s only
officially bilingual province. And I was the
bilingual bridge between my mother’s
Acadian French family and my father’s
English-speaking family. I navigated
comfortably from one language to the
other throughout my youth.
I was fortunate to spend lots of time
with both sets of relatives. Most summers, I
visited my grandparents in Ontario for weeks
at a time. And I travelled regularly up the
highway in New Brunswick to stay with my
other grandparents in their small Acadian
community. Both sides of my family included
a number of aunts, uncles, and cousins, with
whom I formed close relationships.
French to English
I always considered myself as being
bilingual, but if I had to pick, I would say I
was francophone first. I completed my entire
K-12 schooling in the French-language
system. Amid the students with largely
Acadian family names, my decisively
English surname at times made me
slightly self-conscious. But I was strong in
both official languages and took advanced
high school courses in French and English.
After graduating high school and
feeling the urge to venture off into the
world beyond my hometown, I did my
Continued . . .
2 | CANADIAN PARENTS FOR FRENCH BC & YUKON FALL 2022

post-secondary education in English, never
doubting in my ability to transition from
one language to the other.
Looking back now on that decision,
I think about how fortunate I was to have
received an education with that level of
fluency. One of the great advantages of
learning a second language is the expansion
of opportunity it provides. It can open
doors to numerous possibilities. My
bilingualism allowed me to move freely
from a francophone learning environment
to an English one. For your child in French
Immersion, it could lead to any number
of educational, cultural, social, and
career experiences.
Welcome to BC
Initially, I had plans for a long career in
broadcast journalism. That’s what brought
me to British Columbia. I set off in search of
my first job, finding it at a radio station in
Trail, never having previously visited BC but
now driving thousands of kilometres in
my 1985 Chrysler LeBaron with all my
belongings to get there.
That first winter in British Columbia is
when I fell in love with the province. Where
I grew up, winters include blizzards. But in
the Kootenays, it was a gentle but constant
flurry that felt like I was in a snow globe.
From Trail, I moved nearby to beautiful
Nelson, followed by Prince George, where
I met my wife, and finally to the Lower
Mainland, as my career progressed from
small to medium to large market radio.
But at just the right time in my life, I
was introduced to the world of hospital
fundraising. I soon discovered there was a
way to use my skills in a new and rewarding
environment. I have since been fortunate to
work at two of the province’s finest hospitals
with beloved fundraising colleagues who
are dedicated to supporting brilliant and
incredibly skilled healthcare workers.
Knock off the rust
As with any skill, the more you practice, the
better you get. And it’s true what they say:
“Use it or lose it.” That’s something I have
unfortunately learned the hard way and
am now determined to correct, inspired
One of the great advantages of learning
a second language is the expansion of
opportunity it provides. It can open doors
to numerous possibilities. My bilingualism
allowed me to move freely from a francophone
learning environment to an English one.
predominantly by my daughter’s entry into
French Immersion.
As I concentrated on my career, my
French slowly faltered. Only during phone
calls with my mother would I speak in my
first language. As the years eroded my
bilingualism, I lost my linguistic confidence.
But my daughter has motivated me over the
last couple of years to correct this.
Even before she was born, I really hoped
my daughter would enrol in French Immersion.
My wife and I walked over to the local
school district office as soon as we received
her birth certificate, registering just before
the district switched from a ‘first-come,
first-served’ model to a lottery system but
still having to wait nervously for years before
receiving confirmation that a spot would
be available.
Once she entered kindergarten, I started
to really reflect on my own relationship with
French. How did I let it slip? What would
it take to rediscover my ability? I decided
I would neglect it no more. And I vowed
if I ever came across a career opportunity
that somehow supported the promotion of
French in British Columbia, I would seriously
consider it.
Over the past couple of years, I have
pushed myself to read French books, listen
to Radio-Canada daily on my way to work,
and take online classes. Through this, I have
thankfully found that while I am rusty, my
French is not lost. The more work I put in,
the more it awakens from its long sleep.
Two years in, I feel much more comfortable
than I did before, and I know with work
I can continue to get even better.
Un nouveau commencement
If you are still reading this (and not just
because you are related to me), thank you
for letting me share a bit about myself. I
hope you will take a moment now to contact
me at ed@cpf.bc.ca. I would love to hear
about your own experiences and find out
how we can work together.
Many of you will have come across this
article because you too have children in
French-language education classes. I hope
my story offers a window into your own
child’s potential, about the opportunities
that bilingualism creates, and about the
need to practice this skill regularly to keep
it sharp.
Finding ways to support families in their
children’s journey is one of the reasons I
am excited about joining Canadian Parents
for French. I look forward to working with
dedicated parents like you and giving our
children opportunities to learn, grow, and
be inspired by the world around them.
J’espère que nous pourrons travailler
ensemble pour offrir des expériences
merveilleuses à nos enfants. Sachez que
vous pouvez me rejoindre par courriel à
ed@cpf.bc.ca pour partager votre histoire
ou simplement pour faire connaissance !
CANADIAN PARENTS FOR FRENCH BC & YUKON FALL 2022
| 3

Reflecting on My French
Immersion Journey
BY LYDIA ANGEL-FOX, SUMMER STUDENT 2022, CPF BCYK
As I write this article from Québec, where
I am entering my fourth year at McGill
University in Montréal, I am thinking back on
my experience as a young French Immersion
student in BC’s Interior, and I know that little
girl would be so proud of where her Dual
Dogwood degree has taken her. At the age
of nine, I moved to Kelowna, BC from the US,
and I immediately entered a francophone
school. In grade seven, I transferred to French
Immersion, and I continued my studies in
immersion until I graduated in 2018. The
following year, I began my studies at McGill.
I reflect on my middle school years in
French Immersion with fondness as we often
frequented francophone festivals and participated
in cultural exchanges with Québécois
students. However, upon entering high school,
many of my peers left French Immersion, for
varying reasons, but predominantly because
they felt they lacked support (from parents or
teachers), because they worried their future
academic opportunities would suffer from
poor grades obtained in Français Langue
classes, or because they did not believe that
knowledge of the French language would
serve a purpose once they graduated. I stayed
in French Immersion, partly because my
mother was adamant that I become bilingual,
but also because I did well academically.
However, I cannot say that I stayed because
I was particularly passionate about the
language or that I understood at the time
what bilingualism could offer me. It was once
I left school that I understood why my French
education was so important.
Fast forward four years and I finally understand
what my teachers and my parents meant
when they said that learning French would be
useful. Let’s start with my current university
studies in Russian Language. My success in my
ability to learn the grammar of a language with
an entirely different alphabet is due, in large
part, to the emphasis on grammar studies in
French Immersion. I have been able to use
my understanding of French grammar and
translate it into my Russian studies in a way that
I cannot do in English.
In 2018, I worked as a Service Valet at
a car dealership, and in 2021 I worked as a
Winery Concierge. These two jobs had me
on the front line of customer service, and in
both cases I was one of the very few people
available that could fully communicate in
French. Tourism is obviously big in BC, and my
ability to communicate in French has vastly
improved customer experience for those who
come from francophone communities. For
those who might feel shy about their French
language skills, I’ll let you in on a little secret:
because spoken French is not common in BC,
those visiting from Québec and other French
language areas are often delighted and
relieved to be able to communicate in their
native language while visiting the province.
The takeaway I would like to highlight
is that while French Immersion may feel
difficult or useless while you are in school,
you will be surprised by the number of times
in which having a second language becomes
useful not only for you but also for those
around you. A low grade in a Français Langue
class will not ruin your university application,
and you are not incompetent because you do
not understand French grammar. It is hard
and it takes dedication, but the benefits you
will reap from speaking and understanding a
second language will become apparent once
you enter the real world. So, persevere
and good luck to the future generations
of FSL students.
4 | CANADIAN PARENTS FOR FRENCH BC & YUKON FALL 2022

A Bursary to Pursue
Postsecondary Studies
in French?
If your child is still undecided or hesitates to pursue their
postsecondary studies in French, the Bursaries for Postsecondary
Studies in French as a Second Language (FSL) might be for them.
Mahleia Fabian, a 2021 recipient of the bursary, chose to pursue her
postsecondary education in French because it made the most sense,
as she has been in French immersion since kindergarten. “I was aware
that the advantages of being bilingual in Canada, and even worldwide,
would bring many more opportunities in life,” she said.
The bursary program encourages young Canadians whose first
official spoken language is English to study in French. It is designed
to help students entering their first year of college or university to
perfect their bilingualism while studying in their field of interest.
These non-renewable $3,000 bursaries are available in many
colleges and universities across Canada.
How does it work?
Students need to be registered in a program in which at least 50% of
courses and program-related activities are offered in French. Considering
the increase in the cost of living and postsecondary education, this
financial support is more than welcome for students like Jasmine Ferreira:
“I used the bursary to pay my tuition. It allowed me to focus entirely
on my studies, therefore it relieved an unnecessary source of stress.”
According to Jasmine, “the decision to pursue your studies in a
second language takes courage. Sometimes you must step out of your
comfort zone to achieve success.” Mahleia added that she “never felt
out of place” whenever she met new people who also spoke French.
Studies show that being bilingual offers many benefits:
better employment opportunities, higher wages, and expanding
knowledge about another culture, among others.
“A large part of the student body is made up of native French
speakers, including people born in my province, as well as many
international students. It was incredible to hear everyone’s
different accents and see all the different cultures and still be
able to communicate together,” shared Jordan White, another
2021 FLS bursary recipient.
The Bursaries for Postsecondary Studies in French as a Second
Language Program is funded by the Government of Canada and
administered by the Association des collèges et universités de
la francophonie canadienne (ACUFC).
To find out more about eligibility criteria and the colleges
and universities across Canada offering the FSL bursary,
visit ACUFC.ca/FSLbursaries.
CANADIAN PARENTS FOR FRENCH BC & YUKON FALL 2022
| 5

Provincial Concours
occurs on the first
Saturday in May.
Stay tuned for 2023!
Canadian Parents for French’s Concours d’art oratoire
is Canada’s largest, annual French-language publicspeaking
competition, involving thousands of students
every year, and thousands of dollars worth of prizes.
The aim of this public speaking contest is to
stimulate the interest of students learning French,
to improve their speaking skills, and to give them
experience presenting in public.
This event is organized by Canadian Parents for
French (CPF), who has worked together with parents
and school staff since 1983 to organize school, district,
and provincial-level competitions. Concours is open
to French Second Language (FSL) and Francophone
students from grades 6 through 12 who are studying
Core (Basic) or Intensive French, French immersion
(Early or Late), or studying in a BC Francophone school
(Conseil scolaire francophone).
After a three year pandemic break, the Concours
d’art oratoire 2022 provincials were held live online.
A total of 82 students had the opportunity to practice
their French language and public speaking skills. Here
are the experiences of Henda and Anja Du Preez, a
mother and daughter’s perspective of this year’s
Concours d’art oratoire.
Anja – Grade 6 student
Late Immersion
When I first heard about the Concours d’art
oratoire, I was admittedly not very enthusiastic.
I didn’t like the idea of having to give
a speech in front of my class while having a
judge evaluate it. I was particularly reluctant
because I had never written a speech, nor had
I ever had to present it to multiple people.
I presented my speech to the class,
and it went better than I expected! I was
chosen to represent my school district in
the provincial competition. When I found
out the date I would be presenting my
speech, I was doubtful whether I would be
able to present it at all, as I would be going
to a camp. The camp leaders and the
people at the CPF helped make it work.
Perhaps one of the best things
Covid has done for me was to make the
competition online so that I could do it at
the camp. Although at first I was nervous
about participating in Concours, it was an
excellent experience that improved both
my French and public speaking skills.
Merci à tout le monde qui m’a aidée
pendant le Concours !
Henda – Anja’s Mom
When I first heard about the Concours
d’art oratoire at Anja’s school, Anja told me
she would write it at school, so I was not
involved. A few months later, when Anja
was selected to be part of the provincial
competition, I still did not know much about
it – this changed rapidly! The date of the
provincial competition coincided with a
camp Anja was entered to attend that
weekend. She would be somewhere
remote and far from home!
I had a few days to enter her into the
competition and make the decision if it
would be possible for her to participate
while at the camp. The camp staff and the
Concours volunteers were terrific. They
made it possible for Anja to participate
while far away. All my emails and questions
were answered with patience and a willingness
to make it work.
I believe the competition helped Anja
gain confidence in both her oral French
language skills and public speaking ability.
Winning the Grade 6 Late French group
was a well-deserved award for her hard
work. It showed us how far she has come in
her French skills in just a few months. I will
encourage her to do it again next year!
6 | CANADIAN PARENTS FOR FRENCH BC & YUKON FALL 2022

BCFFC was founded in 1983 and we’ll be
celebrating our 40th anniversary next year.
We are a non-profit society and for
39 years now we’ve been bringing counselors
(moniteurs or Momos as they’re affectionately
known at camp) from Québec to run weeklong
programs for French immersion and/or
francophone children in BC.
The program had small and humble
beginnings with one camp and 40 children.
We’ve grown quite a bit since then and we’re
now offering camps at 3 locations around the
province for 5 weeks every summer with
opportunities for almost 800 children and
over 400 families per year.
Although our organization has been
around a very long time, we’ve managed to
run a very consistent program, with the same
high standard for quality and experience.
We do this by living and breathing our core
guiding philosophies:
• Learn, practice, and use French in a
fun-filled outdoor setting.
• Experience camaraderie and fellowship.
• Interact with each other through
site-specific recreational and
ecological activities.
• Foster understanding between
Anglophones and Francophones, through
an exchange of language and culture.
• Promote a safe and secure venue, and
an environment free from harassment
and discrimination.
• Provide leadership and role models based
on gender equality.
• Provide equal pay for work of equal value.
Each of our camps is run by a local
committee of dedicated parents and family
members. We also have a central committee
that takes care of the organization and makes
sure all our local committees are supported
and have what they need to have an amazing
camp every year. The committees all exist to
provide structure, leadership, and support of
the Momos so they can all focus on creating
the best possible environment for our children
attending camp.
The program offerings are the same at
all our camps although each location has
their own unique experiences and feeling.
Our programs are full day programs that run
from Saturday to Saturday with a day off on
Wednesday. There are programs for almost
every age, and we try and offer bigger and
bolder activities (including leadership building)
as the children grow with the camp.
The programs we offer are as follows:
(more details on our website
www.bcffc.com)
• Pre-K – Children about to enter
kindergarten (French immersion)
• Regular program – Children who have
completed kindergarten through grade 6
(French immersion)
• Les Aventuriers (AV) – Children that
have completed either grade 7 or 8
(French immersion)
• Les Créatifs – Children that have completed
grades 7 and up (French immersion)
• Les Coureurs de bois (CB) – Children that
have completed grade 9 and up (French
immersion)
• Formation des Leaders Adolescent (FLA)
– Children that have completed grade 10
(French immersion)
My personal journey with BCFFC began
in 2007 with my two stepchildren. We had
all just moved in together to make our new
family and we were talking about plans for
Summer at the dinner table. Immediately
there were enthusiastic chants of “French
Camp! French Camp!”. Now being a new
father, I may have missed a few things
but when kids are that enthusiastic you
take notice.
We came to BCFFC that summer and
I was truly blown away. The Momos were
amazing and had the kids wanting more at
the end of every day. Our kids both cried
the day camp ended and I knew we were
really onto something here that reached
them, touched them and they would
remember for the rest of their lives (and
I was right). Our older kids aged out
eventually, but we had another baby and
as soon as he was old enough, we were
back at BCFFC, and I eventually became
(and continue to be) the Central
Coordinator and President.
If any of this has piqued your interest,
I’d encourage you to check out our website
(www.bcffc.com) and make plans to join
us next summer! We’re always looking for
new campers and will welcome you with
open arms.
BILL OMAND, CENTRAL COORDINATOR,
PRESIDENT, BCFFC
CANADIAN PARENTS FOR FRENCH BC & YUKON FALL 2022
| 7

photo by alicia rooney