http://ameriquefrancaise.org/en/ Articles récents Wed, 28 Sep 2011 04:00:00 GMT en-ca Saint-Roch began its life as a working class quarter, the first outside Quebec City’s walls. For many years the most prosperous and populous part of the city, it was also home to much of the francophone community. From the mid 19th century to the late 1950s, Saint-Roch was Quebec City’s commercial, industrial and manufacturing centre. Today, with its rich architectural heritage and creative, resourceful population, Saint-Roch is the living legacy of four centuries of urban history, a testimony to the massive effort to save, restore, and bring new life to the city’s urban core.     ]]> Mon, 24 Oct 2011 04:00:00 GMT Place-Royale in Quebec City is a historical and archaeological site unique in North America. Considered the birthplace of French America, it played a major role in the social and economic development of the French, and later English, St. Lawrence River colony between the 17th and 19th centuries. Beginning in the 1860s, competition from the Port of Montreal led to the decline of Quebec City’s port and, by extension, the Place-Royale district. In the 1940s, its state of dilapidation prompted plans for an ambitious reconstruction project that was completed in the 1970s and 1980s to restore its French colonial character. Archaeological excavations and historical research conducted during this period revealed the extraordinary heritage value of America’s first French city centre.  ]]> Mon, 17 Oct 2011 04:00:00 GMT Jack Kerouac, high priest of the Beat Generation and author of the celebrated novel On the Road, is a legendary figure of American literature for several generations of readers. While Kerouac’s work was first published in English, it drew inspiration from and is connected to the cultural heritage of French North America. The path of Kerouac’s life was determined in part by a childhood spent in a Petit Canada community in Massachusetts, where Kerouac was a Franco-American who used French frequently and fluently as he was growing up. While he eventually opted to write in English, being a writer based in New York, he did clearly consider writing in French, as revealed by two recently-discovered manuscripts. His fame reached far and wide in French-speaking North America, particularly in Quebec, where some have perceived influences reminiscent of the French-Canadian condition in his life and work.    ]]> Sun, 16 Oct 2011 04:00:00 GMT Located in downtown Trois-Rivières, the Old Prison opened in 1822 and was one of only a handful of historic buildings to survive the great fire of 1908. The prison’s age, architectural and historical significance, renowned architect, and long service in its original function all influenced the Quebec government’s 1978 decision to name the building a historic monument. The Old Prison is at once the architectural embodiment of a period of innovation in prison design that swept over Quebec in the early 19th century and a monument to the hardships of prison life experienced by generations of inmates between 1822 and 1986. Today visitors to the prison, now part of Musée québécois de culture populaire, can enjoy a one-of-a-kind experience known as “Go to jail!” which puts them in contact with former prisoners willing to share their experiences.    ]]> Sat, 15 Oct 2011 04:00:00 GMT The year 1979 was a significant one in Acadia: not only did the nation celebrate the 375th anniversary of its founding, but the famous Tintamarre – held on August 15th – was born and permanently established. In addition to that, two important social networks were created: the Conseil économique acadien – which will later become the Conseil économique du Nouveau-Brunswick – and the Jeux de l'Acadie. As Daniel O’Carroll wrote in 1993, these represent “the most popular annual event and one of the greatest achievements of modern Acadia.” Indeed, the Jeux represent a wonderful opportunity for Acadians of all ages to learn and excel. The Jeux were a major factor in the development of a modern Acadia full of talents and achievements.]]> Sat, 15 Oct 2011 04:00:00 GMT In Acadian regions of New Brunswick, historic landmarks and monuments are dedicated to workers and tradesmen. Such places enable visitors to discover the significance these occupations hold in a community’s popular culture. These worker’s monuments are the result of the dedication of the various groups active in the community: labour councils, unions, families, municipal officials, and even employers and the State. Some monuments were set up in remembrance of tragic work-related events. Others focus on the contributions of various groups or individuals who have distinguished themselves in their work or within their community. In all cases, the landmarks and monuments highlight the workers’ contribution to the community.    ]]> Sat, 15 Oct 2011 04:00:00 GMT Forestry has played a key role in Madawaska’s economic, social and cultural development since the first half of the 19th century. Over the years, the forest has become an important symbol of the identity of this region in New Brunswick. Throughout the area, everything celebrates the successes and failures of the forestry workers: monuments, plaques, public art installations, as well as architectural sites and events. Nobody is forgotten: log drivers, loggers, logging equipment operators, tree planters, sawmill workers, cooks, and others. Many aspects of Madawaska’s cultural heritage reflect the impact of this vital sector in the economy.      ]]> Tue, 11 Oct 2011 04:00:00 GMT Quebec City’s Place-Royale was entirely rebuilt between the late 1960s and the 1980s. Work undertaken on the site’s buildings was intended to bestow them with a heritage character evocative of the French Regime. The primary goal of this ambitious renovation project, funded by the governments of Quebec and Canada, was to make Place-Royale a major tourist attraction in Quebec City. In the process, it restored one of the site’s earliest functions as a symbolic city centre.        ]]> Tue, 11 Oct 2011 04:00:00 GMT Saint Sulpice Seminary is one of Montreal’s oldest buildings. Erected in 1684 on Rue Notre-Dame near the old Notre-Dame church, it is also one of the oldest in America still used for its original purpose, that is, as a residence for members of the Society of Priests of Saint Sulpice. It has been part of the Historic District of Old Montreal since 1964, was designated a historic monument by the government of Quebec in 1985, and was recognized in 2007 as a national historic site by the Historic Sites and Monuments Board of Canada. It is a true jewel of French heritage in America.  ]]> Wed, 28 Sep 2011 04:00:00 GMT Félix Leclerc, already a highly-acclaimed author in the early 1940s, and well-known in particular for his trilogy, Adagio, Allegro and Andante, did not initially see himself as a singer-songwriter or chansonnier. The reason was simple: the French Canadian literary establishment saw no inherent value in the poetic character of Leclerc’s few early musical texts. For the literary pundits of the time, such songs could at best be considered in the same category as French music hall ditties, a genre they considered frivolous, or else folk music, which they looked down on. It was the response in France to Félix Leclerc’s songwriting and performing style that transformed perceptions of his “poetry given voice”. Leclerc was a pioneer who opened the way for the concept of “songs with content”, and in fact gave legitimacy to this way of singing which would become so popular in France, in Québec and all across French Canada.     ]]> Wed, 28 Sep 2011 04:00:00 GMT