Friday, March 30, 2007

Hall of Fame inducts two Franco-Americans

Portland Press Herald - Maine Sunday Edition
Thursday, March 29, 2007
By Juliana L'Heureux


Maine's Franco-American Hall of Fame inducted Norman Beaupre of Biddeford at ceremonies held at the State House in Augusta during last week's La Semaine de la Francophonie, or "The Week of the Francophone."

Cleo Ouellette of Frenchville also received the Hall of Fame award, presented to her and Beaupre by the 123rd Legislature in the Maine House of Representatives. Ceremonies were also conducted in the Maine Senate.

Rep. Paulette Beaudoin of Biddeford read the official recognition for Beaupre, which was entered into the legislative journal. Judy Paradis and her husband Ross Paradis of Frenchville are organizers of the award. Beaupre is a professor at the University of New England in Biddeford Pool. He and his wife, Lucille, live in Biddeford.

"I'm honored by this recognition because the award is officially marked by the stamp of the Maine state Legislature," says Beaupre. "All my efforts to promote French culture over the years have borne fruit since people recognize how they help the Franco community. My deep sentiment about this award is linked to my identity as a Franco-American."

Beaupre hopes the recognition he received will encourage others to take pride in their Franco-American heritage. "I know who I am, and I'm proud of it." he says. "I thrive in the Franco-American culture. I'm grounded in my identity. I cannot change my roots and cannot change who I truly am."

Furthermore, he wants young people to understand their heritage and value their Franco identify, "because having an identity is important to young people as they grow up," he says.

Although the Franco-American culture was celebrated in Augusta, there was less French language than usual spoken in the legislative halls, says Ross Paradis. "It's wonderful to see the state of Maine celebrate the Franco-Americans, but we hear much less French spoken these days," he says.

Opening legislative ceremonies were conducted in both French and English. Although La Semaine de la Francophonie was under-reported in the news media, it was widely celebrated throughout Maine last week.

In addition to the State House event, festivities were held at Lewiston's Franco-American Heritage Center and in Merrill Auditorium in Portland, where Le Vent du Nord appeared in concert with the Portland Symphony Orchestra.

Wednesday evening's reception and concert at Lewiston's Franco American Heritage Center attracted 400 people. The audience ranged in age from about 7 to beyond retirement. Although the event was held on the first day of spring, the weather was wintry, and people braved sidewalks coated with black ice to meet Franco-American community leaders at a wine and cheese reception. Entertainment by the high energy Le Grand Derangement, a music and dance ensemble from Nova Scotia, was lively, and the tickets were free.

Franco-American pride was evident throughout last week's events. Although the French language was somewhat scarce at Wednesday's ceremonies in Augusta, it was widely spoken at the Franco-American Heritage revelry the same evening in Lewiston. As a matter of fact, Neil J. Leblanc, the Canadian Consul General from Nova Scotia, spoke to the Heritage Center audience about a recent Canadian public opinion poll about language.

It was reported that 81 percent of Canadians approve of Canada's bilingual French and English education programs in the school, said Leblanc. "We're having a wonderful time celebrating our French culture," added Francois Gauthier, consul general of France.
Juliana L'Heureux can be contacted at
Juliana@MaineWriter.com

Thursday, March 29, 2007

Le Rendez-vous de Franco-Amérique - April 1-3 - Lewiston-Auburn, Maine

Please find below information on a special event taking place in Maine from April 1-4, 2007, "Le Rendez-vous de Franco-Amérique," or in English, "Rendez-vous of Franco-America." The three day event is from April 1 to April 3, and takes place largely in the Lewiston-Auburn area of Maine, under the auspices of the University of Southern Maine.

The first event is called Poesie de Franco-Amerique (Poetry of French America), and will be held at the Gulf of Maine Books bookstore, 134 Maine St., Brunswick, Maine, from 3 p.m. to 5, on Monday, April 2. Philip Marchand, the featured writer, will be reading from his book, Ghost Empire: How the French Almost Conquered North America. Other participants in the event will be Quebec poet Jean Morriset and Saskatchewan poet Michel Marchildon.

The second event is called Franco-Amerique dans les temps et l'espace, (Franco-America Through Time and Space) and will be held on Tuesday, April 3, at 314 Forest Avenue in the Portland Campus of the University of Southern Maine, from 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. Morisset and Marchildon will also appear.

The third event is called, again, Poesie de Franco-Amerique, and will be held at the Auburn Public Library, 49 Spring Street in Auburn, from 3 p.m. to 5 p.m. on April 3, again in company with Morriset and Marchildon.

Finally, there will a reading at the McArthur Library , 270 Main St. in Biddeford at 7 p.m. on Wednesday, April 4. The number of the library is 207-284-4181

I hope some of you may be able to attend these readings as we continue to celebrate la francophonie en Nouvelle-Angleterre
Marc A. Jacques
Attaché aux Affaires académiques et culturelles / Academic and Cultural
Affairs Officer Consulat Général du Canada / Canadian Consulate General
Three Copley Place, Suite 400 Boston MA 02116
Tel: 617-262-3760 x3254
marc.jacques@international.gc.ca

Friday, March 23, 2007

Le Vent du Nord to appear at Merrill - Portland, ME - Mar 24-25, 2007

By Juliana L'Heureux
Portland Press Herald, Maine Sunday Telegram
Thursday, March 22, 2007

Maine's celebration of "la semaine de la Francophone" culminates with a special concert at Merrill Auditorium featuring Montreal's lively music and dance ensemble, "Le Vent du Nord," performing with the Portland Symphony Orchestra.

"We're excited about this rare chance to play and perform with a symphony orchestra in Portland," says Olivier Demers, 30, violinist and guitar player with the Quebecois group. Demers, trained in classical music, is one of four accomplished performers who formed the Celtic-inspired "Le Vent du Nord" four and a half years ago.

"Our Portland concert is the first time we've performed with a symphony," he says.

"Le Vent du Nord" (or "North Wind") will connect their Quebec traditions and music to the classical symphony with performances Saturday night and a matinee Sunday at Merrill Auditorium. Daniel Meyer is guest conductor for the performances.

Canada's government is a principal sponsor of the program, in celebration of Maine's Francophone week, which recognizes the state's French-Canadian population.

"We've been touring like crazy lately," says Demers.

Performing with him is Nicolas Boulerice, 31, lead singer and fiddler who also plays a hurdy-gurdy. Demers said the hurdy-gurdy is actually a wheel fiddle, or a stringed musical instrument using a circular shaped bow.

Boulerice first learned music and singing with his grandmother, who often hosted kitchen soirees in Quebec. Simon Beaudry, 28, from Quebec's LanaudiËre area, is the group's guitar player and lead singer.

"Simon lives our Quebecois traditions," says Demers.

Benoit Bourque, 49, is the accordion player who also performs with bones ("Like barbecue ribs," says Demers) and does step dancing. Beaudry has danced since he was 13, having grown up in a musical family.

All four performers take pride in their French-Canadian heritage. French is their first language, because they grew up in Quebec Province and Montreal. Demers recognizes the good work being done by people of French-Canadian descent in Maine to help preserve the culture and the language for future generations.

"Le Vent du Nord is proud and pleased to be part of the celebration of the French language in Maine during the week of the Francophone," he says. Although Demers was surprised to learn how common his family's surname is among Mainers, he was, nevertheless, knowledgeable about the migration of French-Canadians who left Quebec to help settle the state.

"Maine is into 100 years of receiving French-Canadian immigrants," he says. French- speaking Canadians recognize how hard it is to carry on the Quebecois traditions and culture in an English-speaking society.

"We work hard to preserve our language and traditions because they're important to us," he says. "Francophone people in Maine are like our extended Quebecois family."

Performing with Le Vent du Nord is essentially a cultural tribute to the 400-year history of French-Canadian heritage, beginning with the 1608 founding of Quebec by explorer Samuel de Champlain.

"Quebecois music is not only a product of making recordings, it's actually a reflection of our lifetime of work," says Demers. "It's like researching our heritage and creating a collection of pictures or photographs of our culture."

The performers want to create a window for audiences to see through, as they peer into the lively nature of the French-Canadian and Quebecois culture. "We're totally dedicated to our Quebecois traditions," he says.

Ticket-holders for the Portland Symphony's performance with Le Vent du Nord are eligible for a drawing to win a three-day trip to Quebec in 2008.
Juliana L'Heureux can be contacted at:

Le Vent du Nord to appear at Merrill - Portland, ME - Mar 24-25, 2007

By Juliana L'Heureux
Portland Press Herald, Maine Sunday Telegram
Thursday, March 22, 2007


Maine's celebration of "la semaine de la Francophone" culminates with a special concert at Merrill Auditorium featuring Montreal's lively music and dance ensemble, "Le Vent du Nord," performing with the Portland Symphony Orchestra.

"We're excited about this rare chance to play and perform with a symphony orchestra in Portland," says Olivier Demers, 30, violinist and guitar player with the Quebecois group. Demers, trained in classical music, is one of four accomplished performers who formed the Celtic-inspired "Le Vent du Nord" four and a half years ago.

"Our Portland concert is the first time we've performed with a symphony," he says.

"Le Vent du Nord" (or "North Wind") will connect their Quebec traditions and music to the classical symphony with performances Saturday night and a matinee Sunday at Merrill Auditorium. Daniel Meyer is guest conductor for the performances.

Canada's government is a principal sponsor of the program, in celebration of Maine's Francophone week, which recognizes the state's French-Canadian population.

"We've been touring like crazy lately," says Demers.

Performing with him is Nicolas Boulerice, 31, lead singer and fiddler who also plays a hurdy-gurdy. Demers said the hurdy-gurdy is actually a wheel fiddle, or a stringed musical instrument using a circular shaped bow.

Boulerice first learned music and singing with his grandmother, who often hosted kitchen soirees in Quebec. Simon Beaudry, 28, from Quebec's LanaudiËre area, is the group's guitar player and lead singer.

"Simon lives our Quebecois traditions," says Demers.

Benoit Bourque, 49, is the accordion player who also performs with bones ("Like barbecue ribs," says Demers) and does step dancing. Beaudry has danced since he was 13, having grown up in a musical family.

All four performers take pride in their French-Canadian heritage. French is their first language, because they grew up in Quebec Province and Montreal. Demers recognizes the good work being done by people of French-Canadian descent in Maine to help preserve the culture and the language for future generations.

"Le Vent du Nord is proud and pleased to be part of the celebration of the French language in Maine during the week of the Francophone," he says. Although Demers was surprised to learn how common his family's surname is among Mainers, he was, nevertheless, knowledgeable about the migration of French-Canadians who left Quebec to help settle the state.

"Maine is into 100 years of receiving French-Canadian immigrants," he says. French- speaking Canadians recognize how hard it is to carry on the Quebecois traditions and culture in an English-speaking society.

"We work hard to preserve our language and traditions because they're important to us," he says. "Francophone people in Maine are like our extended Quebecois family."

Performing with Le Vent du Nord is essentially a cultural tribute to the 400-year history of French-Canadian heritage, beginning with the 1608 founding of Quebec by explorer Samuel de Champlain.

"Quebecois music is not only a product of making recordings, it's actually a reflection of our lifetime of work," says Demers. "It's like researching our heritage and creating a collection of pictures or photographs of our culture."

The performers want to create a window for audiences to see through, as they peer into the lively nature of the French-Canadian and Quebecois culture. "We're totally dedicated to our Quebecois traditions," he says.

Ticket-holders for the Portland Symphony's performance with Le Vent du Nord are eligible for a drawing to win a three-day trip to Quebec in 2008.
Juliana L'Heureux can be contacted at: