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Fransaskois
Ethnicities, French relations, especially Saskatchewan
DCHP-3 (Oct 2024)
Alternative forms, such as Franco-Saskatchewanais or Franco-Saskatchewanian not only exist but tend, in the Anglophone context, to be more widely used than Fransaskois.
n.
a francophone from Saskatchewan.
Type: 1. Origin — The term Fransaskois was popularized by the Conseil culturel fransaskois in 1974 to replace the outdated "French Canadian" as the name for their community of long standing in Saskatchewan (since the 1750s) (see The Canadian Encyclopedia reference). The community went on to create a Fransaskois flag to represent themselves in 1979, and it is now widely recognized as a proud display of the Fransaskois community (see 2020 quotation and Image 1). The Fransaskois community is a crucial part of Saskatchewan's culture, and they continue to be celebrated through their annual festivals (see Encyclopedia of French Cultural Heritage in North America reference).
The is a Canadianism by virtue of origin; it is also very rare beyond Canada (see Chart 1).
The is a Canadianism by virtue of origin; it is also very rare beyond Canada (see Chart 1).
See: French Canadian
Quotations
1974
Mr. Faulkner made this statement while addressing an audience of approximately 900 predominantly French-speaking Saskatchewanians attending a banquet for La Fete des Fransaskois, a three-day provincial festival of French cultural groups.
1977
Spokesmen for francophone groups in Saskatchewan told the task force that their numbers had fallen from 43,700 in 1941 to about 26,000 in 1976.
"If this declining demographic curve is maintained, 'le Fransaskois' as a group will be extinct by the year 2000," l'Association Culturelle Franco-Canadienne de la Saskatchewan said in a brief.
"The Fransaskois will then be as rare as the buffalo or the whooping crane, species subject to the most energetic and touching attention of the authorities, who take all the measures needed to prevent their extinction."
1987
More and more French-Canadians are blending into Saskatchewan's English-speaking majority, largely because francophones have little control over their children's education, a sociologist says.
Wilfrid Denis of Saskatoon told a Court of Queen's Bench judge that, at one time in the region's history, the French actually outnumbered anglophones.
But if assimilation continues unabated, only a few isolated French-speaking "fransaskois" will be left in the year 2000, said Denis, an associate professor at the University of Saskatchewan.
1996
Unlike Quebec francophone theatres, the Theatre Francais has an ethnically diverse following. Although an estimated 61,000 people within the greater Toronto area claim French as a first language, they range from Fransaskois to Acadians to Vietnamese. And chances are high that their partners are anglophone.
2005
"In Saskatchewan, we're very proud of our natural resources. The Saskatoon berry is already a provincial emblem and it is known worldwide so we want to make that official," Beatty told reporters.
"And our fish, we have some of the greatest places for fishing ... It's a way to show off our province to the rest of the world."
The amendments would also adopt the Fransaskois flag as a provincial emblem.
"The French people are a big part of our province. They contribute a lot to our community so this is a way to recognize their heritage and the many contributions they provide us," said Beatty.
2015
CCF is the official Fransaskois representative in cultural matters and maintains links with its local, regional and provincial members, as well as other cultural and multicultural organizations.
2020
The flag of the Fransaskois uses the colours of Saskatchewan and has represented the Francophone community since 1979. Yellow symbolizes the wheat fields, green the pine forests, and red – the colour of the heart – represents the province's Francophones.
References
- The Canadian Encyclopedia • Francophones of Saskatchewan (Fransaskois)
- Encyclopedia of French Cultural Heritage in North America • Fête Fransaskoise: Saskatchewan’s French Cultural Festival
Images
Image 1: Fransaskois flag, established in 1979 (Source: Office of the Commissioner of Official Langauges website)
