Franco-Albertans () are francophone residents of the Canadian province of Alberta. Franco-Albertans is a term primarily used to denote the province's francophone residents. According to the 2016 Canadian Census, the number of people that reported French as a mother tongue in Alberta was 86,705 (or 2.1 per cent of the population), making it the most common mother tongue in the province after English and Tagalog. French is the sixth most commonly reported ethnic group in Alberta after Canadian, English, German, Scottish, and Irish. The four communities, in addition to Morinville, St. Albert, St. Paul, Bonnyville, and Smoky River also form a part of the Alberta Bilingual Municipalities Association (ABMA).

The early 19th century saw the introduction of French language education in the region, when French missionaries of the Oblates of Mary Immaculate were dispatched to evangelize the First Nations in the area.

In 1997, the province signed the first Canada-Alberta Agreement on French Language Services, which is a joint federal-provincial fund aimed at funding French language services in the province. In 1999, the government of Alberta created the position of Francophone Secretariat to act as a liaison between the Franco-Albertan community and the government, and joined the Ministerial Conference on the Canadian Francophonie.

The push for linguistic rights by minority French Canadian populations in the 1980s and 1990s saw a reaction from anglophones in the province, prompting the provincial government to curtail the French language in other areas. French language access to the latter was later expanded in 1995, when a francophone service system was created for criminal proceedings. However, no legislation exists that mandates provincial services provide accessibility in French, outside the rights afforded in the Languages Act; or the Education Act, the latter act only establishing the province's francophone public school system. There are four municipalities in Alberta that provide municipal services in both English and French, The secretariat forms a part of Alberta Culture, a ministry of the provincial government.

Education

Elementary and secondary

French language education rights for minority francophone populations in Canada is guaranteed under section 23 of the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms, and is further reinforced under section 14 of the province's Education Act. In 2018, there were 842 students registered at the Saint-Jean campus. L'Unithéâtre in Edmonton and the Société de Théâtre perform French-language theatrical works, and the Chorale Saint-Jean performs French choral works. A number of French Canadian folk dancing troupes tour the province. The Centre d’arts visuels de l’Alberta provides a venue for francophone artists and craftsmen, and the annual Franco-Alberta Festival showcases French language and culture. The Regroupement artistique francophone de l'Alberta organizes events and offers professional development for francophone artists. The Carnaval de St. Isidore is another festival of franco-albertain culture held annually in St. Isidore, Alberta.

Media

Francophones in Alberta receive broadcast media service primarily from the television and radio services of the Société Radio-Canada, the French-language division of the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation, including Ici Radio-Canada Télé's station CBXFT-DT, Ici Radio-Canada Première's CHFA-FM and Ici Musique's CBCX-FM. Francophone community radio stations exist in Edmonton (CFED-FM) and Plamondon (CHPL-FM); a third community radio station, CKRP-FM in Falher, was shut down in 2017, although it has since been relaunched as Nord-Ouest FM.

In print, the province is served by the French-language weekly newspaper Le Franco.

Notable Franco-Albertans

Religion

  • Father Albert Lacombe - Was a Roman Catholic missionary and one of the first notable Franco-Albertans. The cities of Lacombe, Alberta and St. Albert, Alberta are also named in his honour.

Law

  • Mary Moreau - First Franco-Albertan appointed to the Supreme Court of Canada on November 6, 2023. She won the right for Albertans to choose a criminal trial in French with a French-speaking jury.

Politics

  • Prosper-Edmond Lessard - Alberta’s first French-speaking cabinet minister. Liberal MLA for Pakan (1909-1913) and St. Paul (1913-1921), Senator for Alberta (1925-1931).
  • Wilfrid Gariépy - founding Franco-Albertan/Canadian politician, Liberal MLA for Beaver River (1913-1921), Alberta Minister of Municipal Affairs (1917-1918), Provincial Secretary (1918).
  • Jean Léon Côté - Liberal MLA for Athabasca (1909-1913) and Grouard (1913-1923)
  • Ernest Côté -soldier, diplomat and civil servant.
  • Joseph Miville Dechêne - Liberal MLA for Beaver River (1921-1926) and St. Paul (1930-1935), Liberal MP for Athabaska (1940-1958).
  • Laudas Joly - United Farmers MLA for St. Paul (1921-1930) and Social Credit MLA for Bonnyville (1952-1955).
  • Joseph Beaudry - Social Credit MLA for St. Paul (1935-1952).
  • Léo Piquette - NDP MLA for Athabasca-Lac La Biche (1986-1989), francophone minority rights advocate.
  • Paul André Joseph Langevin - Liberal, then PC MLA for Lac La Biche-St. Paul (1993-2001).
  • Denis Ducharme - PC MLA for Bonnyville-Cold Lake (1997-2008).
  • Hector Goudreau - PC MLA for Dunvegan-Central Peace-Notley (2004-2015), Alberta Minister of Tourism, Parks, Recreation and Culture (2006–2008), Alberta Minister of Municipal Affairs (2008-2011).
  • Claudette Tardif - Liberal, then independent Senator for Alberta (2005–2018). Francophone of Russian descent.
  • Colin Piquette - son of Léo Piquette, NDP MLA for Athabasca-Sturgeon-Redwater (2015–2019).
  • Marie Renaud - NDP MLA for St. Albert (2015–present).
  • Randy Boissonnault - first Franco-Albertan federal minister representing an Alberta riding. Liberal MP for Edmonton Centre (2015–2019; 2021–present), Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Canadian Heritage (2015-2017), Minister of Tourism and Associate Minister of Finance (October 26, 2021 to present).
  • Pierre Poilievre - first Franco-Albertan federal minister. Conservative MP for Nepean—Carleton (2004-2025), Battle River—Crowfoot (2025–present), leader of the Conservative Party of Canada (2022–present).

Sports

  • Chris Benoît - Professional wrestler. Born to a French-Canadian family in Montréal, but raised in Edmonton, and wrestled out of Calgary.
  • Arthur Boileau - Former professional runner of French-Canadian descent. Represented Canada in the 1984 and 1988 Olympics in the Marathon. Born in Edmonton.

Art

  • Crystal Plamondon - singer and songwriter from Plamondon, Alberta.
  • Marguerite-A. Primeau - French-language writer from St. Paul, Alberta who spent most of her writing career in Vancouver
  • Les Bûcherons, a duo which presents French-Canadian music and dance to audiences throughout the province.
  • Robert Goulet - American entertainer of French-Canadian parentage and Franco-Albertan residency. Migrated with his French-Canadian family from Massachusetts to northern Alberta when he was three months old. Was rumoured to be seeking Canadian citizenship, but died in 2007 before any action could be taken.
  • Magali Michelet - journalist and author who wrote about women's lives in Alberta in the Courrier de l'Ouest from 1906 to 1916.

See also

  • French Canadians
  • Acadians, French-speaking Quebecer, Franco-Columbian, Franco-Manitoban, Franco-Newfoundlander, Franco-Ontarian, Fransaskois, Franco-Ténois, Franco-Yukonnais

Notes

References

  • Association canadienne-française de l’Alberta
  • French Secretariat of Alberta