There was no wrapping or ribbons that came with it but the Centralta Tourism Society knew it was a gift, and a handsome one at that.
It was almost two weeks ago when Brent Rathgeber, member of Parliament for Edmonton-St. Albert, announced on behalf of James Moore, Minister of Canadian Heritage and Official Languages, that the local cultural organization would receive $30,000. This federal funding will be used to sustain its research into the history of St. Albert and its strong connections with the surrounding communities in what is commonly known as the francophone corridor.
This historical area also includes Morinville, Legal and Sturgeon County, but if you ask Ernie Chauvet, Centralta’s representative, the reach might go much farther. When the Catholic Church established the St. Albert Mission in 1861, it became a kind of gateway for many other communities, as it helped spur development and population growth in the northern areas of the entire province, he said.
“Our premise is that St. Albert had a huge influence on the development of all of northern Alberta,” he said, talking about how the church struck new missions while using St. Albert as the launching pad. “Go to the French communities in northern Alberta and right away, the headquarters of all those communities, the starting point of all those communities … all comes out of St. Albert. So we want to research that [and find out] is that true?”
The funding for this research came straight from the Development of Official-Language Communities program. According to the federal website for the program, it is designed to “foster the vitality of Canada’s French and English-speaking minority communities and enable them to participate fully in all aspects of Canadian life” by enhancing elements of community living and minority language education.
Chauvet said the research would be conducted through studying books on local history like The Black Robe’s Vision and by consulting the archives of the Oblates among other sources.
“The Centralta Tourism Society has access to the expertise to present local history in a manner that all will enjoy,” said Remi Thibault, president of the Association Canadienne Française of the Centralta Region.
In a prepared statement, Rathgeber said this research would have a lasting significance to the city’s local culture, especially in advance of St. Albert’s 150th anniversary celebrations next year.
“The vitality of francophone communities and neighbourhoods is an important goal to focus on. I believe a strong local francophone community is integral to a strong bilingual Canada.”
