Franco-Albertains | |
|---|---|
 Franco-Albertan flag | |
| Total population | |
| Francophones: 86,705 (2016)[1][note 1] | |
| Regions with significant populations | |
| Alberta (Greater Edmonton, Calgary Region)[3] | |
| Languages | |
| Canadian French · Canadian English · Franglais | |
| Religion | |
| Christian (Roman Catholicism, other denominations) | |
| Related ethnic groups | |
| Acadians · Franco-Columbian · Franco-Manitoban · Franco-Ontarian · Franco-Newfoundlander · Franco-Ténois · Franco-Yukonnais · Fransaskois · Québécois · Métis |
Franco-Albertans (French: Franco-Albertains) are francophone residents of the Canadian province of Alberta. Franco-Albertans is a term primarily used to denote the province's francophone residents.[2] In the 2016 Canadian Census, there were 86,705 Albertans that stated their mother tongue was French.
Francophones were the first Europeans to visit the province, with French Canadian voyageurs employed in the fur trade exploring the region in the late 18th century. French Canadians settled into a number of communities in the Northwest Territories during the 19th century, including communities in present day Alberta. Several French toponyms exist in Alberta, exemplifying the Francophone presence in the region. In 1928, the Association canadienne-française de l'Alberta was formed to promote francophone rights, and to lobby the interests of Franco-Albertans to the province. Following the enactment of the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms in 1982, Franco-Albertans pushed for further linguistic rights within the province, eventually resulting in the province establishing an independent public francophone school system in 1994.
Approximately 72 per cent of Franco-Albertans are situated within the province's two largest cities, Edmonton, and Calgary. A number of other communities also form part of the Alberta Bilingual Municipalities Association.
The province is home to more than 100 francophone non-profit organizations. Radio-Canada, the country's French-language public broadcaster, serves as the main French-language media broadcaster in Alberta.
- ^ "Focus on Geography Series, 2016 Census - Alberta". www12.statcan.gc.ca. Statistics Canada. 10 April 2019. Retrieved 27 April 2020.
- ^ a b "The Francophonie in Alberta: Strong and Vibrant" (PDF). open.alberta.ca. Government of Alberta. 2018. Retrieved 29 April 2020.
- ^ "Infographic: The French Presence in Alberta". Office of the Commissioner of Official Languages. Government of Canada. September 13, 2019. Archived from the original on April 25, 2020. Retrieved April 29, 2020.
Cite error: There are <ref group=note> tags on this page, but the references will not show without a {{reflist|group=note}} template (see the help page).