) By: Joélle Rabu

Every month, our administrative board meets
to plan events, discuss details and budget the finances
of the Association des francophones de Nanaimo. At
these monthly meetings our director, Nicole Langlois,
also reads out the names of any new members of the
association. As a board member for more than 2 years
now, I have seen this list grow to an impressive
number of names, most of them from French decent.
Last month however, I had to get Nicole to re-read the
list a second time for I thought, perhaps, I had heard
wrong. Most of the new-member’s list was comprised
of English names.

I asked Nicole why these people had joined a
French organisation. The answer was that some had
signed-up to have French library or video rental
privileges, some had signed-up in order to register their
children in summer day camps, some had signed-up for
the French classes, others were simply wanting to be
part of this multi-dimensional community. I was
impressed. In fact I was so impressed, I felt compelled
to write them a thank you of sorts. From one Canadian
to another.

You see, | am married to an “Anglophone”...
that’s someone who, in a French speaking family,
speaks English as a first language. It is not derogatory.
It’s just a word. An English person who learns French
is called a Francophile. My husband’s last name is
verrry Brrrritish, his first name is as Scottish as
Haggis. My parents immigrated to Canada from France
and I was born in Winnipeg ‘linguistically central’ as
far as politics go (nobody would ever see Manitoba
wanting to separate, the two ends of the country keep
that province warm. N’est-ce pas?). So I have always
considered myself purely Canadian. A bit of west, a
bit of east. I speak French with my parents; English
with my husband and, in all honesty, after a couple of
glasses of Merlot, manage to mix the two into a lovely
blend of Fran-Glais when a word escapes me. Chérie,
mix me a metaphor.

But I digress. That’s typically French too ....
the love of the gab. In fact, French people love to talk

This page is dedicated to our satellite members.

Bienvenus... Welcome!

Board Member of l’Association des francophones de Nanaimo

so much that most feel compelled to use their hands
and raise the volume simultaneously. Next time
you’re at a French restaurant, check out the cacophony
coming from the kitchen. It’s actually quite harmless,
simply an idiosyncrasy of the culture and language.

Ah yes, the language. I am back on track. This
list of English membership names doesn’t baffle me, it
actually makes me proud. Proud that someone would
make an effort to enrich their life or that of others. But
who are these insightful people?

They are English-speaking parents who have
put their children into French Immersion schools and
want to have a network of information to offer their
children. Folks, who have just moved to Nanaimo and
want to sink their teeth into every facet of this
wonderful community mosaic. People who wish to
learn a few sentences, and sometimes frustrating
grammatical rules, in order to make their next trip to
eastern Canada or Europe more fun. Anglophones?
Nah...I say Canadians. They are true Canucks with a
mind and character which should be celebrated. They
are members (with perhaps an English name) of
Nanaimo’s Francophone Association.

So, back to my aforementioned thoughts. I
would like to thank all those Canadians who have
become members of the Nanaimo Francophone
Association. Our office welcomes you, our resource
centre and French instructors await you, our French
community greets you with a warm and sincere
Bonjour - Hello.

Oh, and by the way...if you happen to drop
into our office and run into a dazzling Greek woman
who is babbling away in both French and English to
our community sponsors for our upcoming Maple
Sugar Festival...that would be Stella.
A Greekophone-Francophone-Anglophone?! No,
she’s just another Canadian, who joins the board of
directors in saying merci for embellishing our diverse
and richly woven fabric.