Last month, I had the privilege of attending an inaugural newspaper conference for Canadian papers that are at least 100 years old. The gathering in Winnipeg attracted editors from big dailies (ie. Globe and Mail, Winnipeg Free Press, La Presse, Montreal Gazette, The Province etc), smaller dailies (ie. Sherbrooke Record, Prince Albert Daily Herald), and weekly or twice-weekly papers (the Courier, Manitoba's La Liberté, The Equity from Quebec's Pontiac County and numerous others from coast to coast.) Not every centenary newspaper was able to send a representative, but about 40 attended, which made for an intimate conference. The newly formed
Centenary Newspapers of Canada/Journaux Centenaires du Canada is said to be the first association of its kind in the world. I felt honoured to represent the Courier, which is 104 years old this year.
Newspaper conferences never fail to rejuvenate my journalistic spirit and this one came in the nick of time. It also instilled in me more pride of country. It's hard not to rethink your chosen career when stories of newspaper layoffs, closures and dwindling profit margins ricochet around the globe. But in Winnipeg not only did I meet individuals still passionate about their craft, who re-inspired me, I got to experience it in both official languages. It was a beautiful thing. This was my first journalism conference where French and English speaking journalists gathered in a perfectly bilingual setting thanks to the organizers and the Université de St. Boniface, where the workshops were held and whose translation students volunteered their time to interpret for those who weren't bilingual. The conference was the brainchild of La Liberté editor Sophie Gaulin, who wanted to recognize and celebrate the 100-year survival of Manitoba's only French newspaper. Canada could use more people like the energetic and driven Gaulin, a native of Bordeaux, France, who loves living in Winnipeg. "I feel there are no limits to my dreams here," she told me when I asked her why she moved from France to Winnipeg. "If there was, I wouldn't stay."
Franco-Manitobans are proud of their heritage and it showed at a sold-out gala for La Liberté's 100 birthday in a beautifully refurbished theatre in Winnipeg.
My French has calcified living in Vancouver for the last two decades, but I found no greater joy kibitzing in both official languages in a non-judgmental environment where my incorrect use of verb tenses and definite articles didn't elicit any guffaws or groans. It's easy to dismiss the importance of bilingualism in Canada living on the West Coast, where Mandarin is suggested as the more useful second language to learn. But we shouldn't be so dismissive. French and English are part of our history. Knowing French improves my connection to and provides a better understanding of other regions of Canada, notably Quebec (where I grew up), the Maritimes (where I attended university) and now Manitoba where I met fiercely proud Franco-Manitobans, including one woman whose pet pooch can't understand a word of English.
I'm not alone in my beliefs, though I did find it surprising to hear a couple of Quebec journalists wonder about the practicality of learning French instead of Mandarin in B.C. I spoke to a 16-year-old from Richmond on Monday who will be one of 30 high school students attending the 10th annual French for the Future National Ambassador Youth Forum in Vancouver next month. Jason Mah is so dedicated to learning French, he commutes from Richmond to attend Sir Winston Churchill secondary's French International Baccalaureate program.
"Ever since I was little, my parents instilled in me a passion for the French language," Mah said in an interview over the phone. "I started French in Montessori [pre-school] so it's almost equivalent to English for me. Bilingualism is important because it represents my cultural identity as a Canadian. It's opened up so many opportunities in terms of travel, personal connections and also in terms of work possibilities."
On a trip to China last year, Mah acted as an impromptu interpreter for French-speaking Africans who were experiencing language challenges. Mah, who just finished Grade 11, relished the opportunity to use his French abroad.
As a sixth-generation Canadian, which he pointed out to me, Mah said his link to his Chinese heritage is "quite shallow" though he speaks Mandarin and can understand Cantonese. For him, French remains the priority.
"In Canada, French is very important. Chinese is useful but so is French," he said. "French is still the predominant language as it is one of our two national languages. For me, though, it's is just very appealing."
I predict Jason Mah will do well in life. [email protected] twitter.com/HughesFiona
