Episode 3: Manitoba’s French Linguistic Crisis
In our previous episode we highlighted the decisive role Louis Riel and the Métis played in enshrining French and English rights in Manitoba’s constitution. Today we explore the French linguistic crisis of the 1980s and how this tumultuous period has shaped French rights in Manitoba today.
Manitoba’s French history dates back to at least 1738 and we have Louis Riel and the Métis to thank for ensuring French and English rights were enshrined in Manitoba’s constitution. While these French rights were not always respected, they are today. French schools in Manitoba are operated by a French school division and there are also immersion schools, allowing non-Francophones to also get a French education.
For more information on Beyond Riel please visit: https://umfm.com/series/beyond…
Executive producers for the podcast are Ian T.D. Thomson and André Marchildon.
Our technical producer is Frédérick Demers, and our consulting producer is Gabriel Tougas.
Music for the series is provided by Rayannah.
Guests
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Jacqueline Blay
Jacqueline Blay, who previously lived in Algeria, France and Spain, immigrated to Canada in the mid-sixties and studied Canadian and Manitoban history. As a reporter for Radio-Canada, she covered these important files and wrote several books on the history of Francophones in Manitoba.
Jacqueline previously served as president of the Société de la francophonie manitobaine, the SFM, which has represented French speaking Manitobans since 1968.
Jacqueline has received numerous awards including the Order of Manitoba, the province’s highest honour for her commitment to Francophone heritage.
You can find the books Jacqueline has written on the history of French in Manitoba here.