You can keep your fishnets and feathers stored for this Rendez-vous. But you don’t have to. If you can’t help but whip them out for an encore, who is to judge? Les Rendez-Vous de la Francophonie is a two-week celebration of the French language in Canada. “Everyone is encouraged to take part, Francophones and Anglophones,” …
There are currently two mammoths at the Yukon Arts Centre. But they don’t interact; they are on different schedules. The one hanging out in the Public Art Gallery belongs to the Ice Age Mammals exhibit. The other mammoth — the one of current interest — is symbolic. He lives in the Community Gallery as part …
You know who they are when you see them; they walk around festival grounds with dozens of colourful buttons pinned to them, smiles on their faces, pen and paper in hands, ready to turn your beer-tent-small-talk into a debate about sexualized assault. For the fourth year in a row, the francophone women’s group Les EssentiElles …
“I am obsessed by creating community connections through art, it’s kind of a disease,” confesses Yukon visual artist Marie-Hélène Comeau. So when she heard of the international art project called La Caravane des Dix Mots (Ten Word Caravan), she decided to take the lead on the first Yukon edition. La Caravane des Dix Mots involves …
On March 11, at the Old Fire Hall, the local francophone band Soir de Semaine will be celebrating the 10th anniversary of their very first gig. “We played at Steve’s music store,” Marie-Maude Allard says. “The place was packed and all we had was two original songs and a few covers.” Actually, Soir de Semaine …
I’ve met some beautiful and special fabric puppets. They live here in Whitehorse and they come from the imaginary world of Fabienne Tessier. Tessier sews and knits little animals and imaginary characters with different, kind of funky, old fabrics and wools. Those characters catch our attention by their strong personality and the expressions on their …
If your taste buds long for something new and your eyes are looking for something as pretty as it is tasty, you need to find Karina Lapointe. This local chef graduated from two different professional culinary schools in Québec but her training started long before then. “I’ve always been crazy about cooking,” says Lapointe. “I …
Le secteur culturel de l’Association franco-yukonnaise is bringing north some of the greatest cinematographic creations of the year in the world of francophone film, Canadian and foreign. From Oct. 16 to 19, the Francophone Film Festival is coming to Whitehorse. Once a year, this event provides the rare opportunity to view new, independent French films …
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Here comes November, a month full of events for the Francophone community. The big news is the recent accessibility of the Coup de Coeur program in the Yukon. Coup de Coeur Francophone is a network that allows more emergent and famous Francophone artists to tour around the country. The program was born in Montréal 20 …
Recently, with the massive interest in television reality shows, came a remake of old-style living and old-style adventure. The Rivard producers from Manitoba are currently shooting La Ruée vers l’or: The New Adventure television show featuring various people to experience the great journey of the Klondike. The series is hosted by a historian from Québec, …
As everybody knows, the Dawson City Music Festival 2010 is coming this weekend, July 16 to 18. This year, the Francophone voice of the festival is Bette and Wallet. The duo from Nova Scotia (Antigonish) and Québec promises to present an original and bilingual music performance. Its traditional sing-along tunes are livened up with modern …
He is an important member of Whitehorse’s artistic community, but he is especially well known as an experienced guitar player. Nicholas Mah’s classical sound is different from this mostly rock-folk music scene. His path began when he studied classical guitar at the University of Ottawa. He stayed a short time in the capital city, but …
There is a new, francophone face in the artistic landscape of the territory. Indeed, everyone in the Yukon’s francophony talks about this night of May 12: it was the presentation of the show Me Voilà by Sylvie Painchaud at the Francophone Centre. The show was a premiere here in Whitehorse, but also a welcome back …
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It’s hard not to find her; she is everywhere. I’m talking about the performance artist, poet, writer and painter Josée Fortin. And starting on Nov. 29, you will be able to see her paintings at Gallery 22, in downtown Whitehorse. Better known under the name of Jo la Jolie, a glow poi dancer, we also …
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The colourful Gala de la francophonie is coming up soon. For the 16th year in a row, the Francophone community will get together to celebrate some of the people working to develop Francophone culture in the Yukon. Awards will be handed out for people excelling in nine different fields of Francophone development: education, volunteer involvement, …
It’s a landscape in monochrome colours, a mysterious detail of a natural scene, an abandoned truck in the middle of the winter or the behaviour of animals in the Northern wildlife. This is how Mary Dolman depicts the Yukon: a territory of inspiration for her. But Dolman is also an abstract painter and a drawer, …
The Francophone Film Festival 2010 is your chance to check out the best Francophone cinema from Canada and Europe. From Oct. 14 to 17, more than 25 films will be screened at the Old Fire Hall. Presented by the cultural branch of the Association franco-yukonnaise, it’s the only annual Francophone film festival in the Yukon. …
Afew years ago, many people in the territory (and beyond) were introduced to one of the Yukon’s only Francophone bands: Soir de Semaine. Well known for their crazy theatrical performances, the band members — Alain DesRochers on bass and voice, Marie-Maude Allard on accordion, voice and flute, Cory Chouinard and Marc Paradis on percussion and …
Onstage Surprises at Long-Awaited Soir de Semaine Show Read More »
The winner of this year’s Juno award for best Francophone album will make her Northern début at the Old Fire Hall next week. Andrea Lindsay, a pop-folk singer originally from Guelph, Ontario, is coming to Whitehorse as part of the Coup de Coeur francophone, which allows established and emerging Francophone Canadian artists to tour throughout …
French Toast: Juno Winner En Route to Whitehorse Read More »
After a year of silence, Soir de Semaine is back, with something solid. With their new album Faire des voeux, it seems like they have found a sound more assertive and proud. Previously described as a festive, funk, rock and roots band, Soir de Semaine decided to attempt the reggae and ska experience. However, the …
The annual St-Jean-Baptiste festival has introduced a variety of well-known Francophone musical groups to Yukon audiences. This year the Francouverte prize winning group, Monogreanade, will bring its unique blend of electric, electronic, pop and acoustic sound to Dawson City and Whitehorse. The group consists of Jean-Michel Pigeon (vocal, guitar and piano), Marianne Houle (cello), François …
There is no doubt; the man is guilty of parricide. Eleven members of the jury are convinced that he has to die. One is not. How does one man convince the rest of a jury that he has some serious objections to finding this man guilty, and that he might be right? For its fifth …
Award-winning contemporary and classical ensemble, Quatuor Bozzini, will make its Yukon debut next week at the Yukon Arts Centre. The Montréal-based ensemble will present an experimental sound experience that is probably new for many spectators. French Toast spoke with Isabelle Bozzini, one of the quartet’s founding members. FT: When we listen to the music of …
Do you feel like there is almost too much to do in this town of 24,000 souls? We can certainly say that the activities never stop in February and March. The Francophonie is no exception. The community joins the general effervescence by organizing the Sugar Shack, the Sweet Tooth Breakfast and the Rendez-vous de la francophonie. At …
Every two years, Nakai Theatre provides an opportunity for professional and non-professional creators to present new, often experimental, works at its Homegrown Theatre Festival. This year’s festival, which runs May 8 to 13 at the Guild Hall in Porter Creek, will consist of 17 projects of various kinds—plays, readings, musical performances and other offerings. Some …
The cultural branch of l’Association franco-yukonnaise (AFY) presents a double St-Jean-Baptiste festival this year. The calendar is so generous that it made the two days of the St-Jean-Baptiste happening a Friday and a Saturday. The event will take place June 24 for Dawson City and June 25 for Whitehorse, this year at Marsh Lake. The …
November is the time of year when the francophone community rewards the people who give their time and energy to improving the quality of French life in the Yukon. The Gala de la francophonie, happening Nov. 2 at the Yukon Arts Centre is an occasion to thank the remarkable people who work in many areas: …
French Toast: Celebrating the Past and Present in French Style Read More »
We are in the heart of the winter and there is only one way to survive cabin fever: by tasting everything that the cultural life in the Francophonie has to offer. It begins with the Available Light Film Festival presenting Incendiesby Quebec auteur Denis Villeneuve, adapted from Wajdi Mouawad’s play,Scorched. The film has been nominated for …
Do you know the francophone vocal ensemble, Les-Ceusses-qui-ont-du-fun-quand-y-chantent (literally, those who have fun when they sing) ? They are Jean-Marc Bélanger, Hélène Beaulieu, Claude Gosselin and Danielle Bonneau. On the release of the group’s first album, an all-Yukon-made Christmas album, I spoke with leader Danielle Bonneau. FT: How were Les Ceusses born ? DB: I …
Beginning April 29, clients of Baked Café will have a chance to admire the mysterious and attractive work of painter Josée Fortin. Her work is well-known in the Francophone community but this exhibition is the first opportunity for Fortin to show her work to the entire public of Whitehorse. As an artist, Fortin puts a …
The Rendez-vous du cinéma quebécois, which comes to Whitehorse April 20 and 21, features two new realeases from Québec producers: À l’origine d’un cri (Crying Out) from Robin Aubert and 2 Frogs dans l’Ouest from Dany Papineau. . À l’origine d’un cri depicts the relationship of three men: grandfather, father and son, who have the …
The year 2011 is a time of celebration for the Francophone community; it’s the 25th anniversary of Rencontres, the Francophone radio program broadcast on Saturdays from 5-6 pm on CBC North. Rencontres is the only Franco-yukonnaise radio show. It is one of the only radio shows in Canada, produced by a dynamic team of volunteer …
Genticorum, a traditional band from Québec, will perform on November 2 in the community hall at the Centre de la francophonie on Strickland Street. The band is well-known on the traditional music scene, both in Canada and abroad. With four albums so far, Genticorum shows no signs of slowing down the machine. The energy of …
On a beautiful day, when you go to the Alpine Bakery to get your traditional coffee-and-muffin, you might notice how good-looking the food is. This is the work of Maxime Deschesnes, the “food artist” of the bakery. He is also a visual artist who is becoming more and more well-known in the artistic community. He …
Following the success of the first Cabaret Théâtres, heldin March of this year, this week the Association Théâtre Art’lequin (ATA) presents Le Facteur Pleine Lune, playing for two nights at the community hall of the Centre de la Francophonie. The Cabaret Théâtre presents a variety of artistic disciplines: theatre, music and more. The concept of …
For the fourth year in a row, representative films from the 2012 Rendez-vous du cinéma Québecois will play in Whitehorse next week. Filmmaker Guy Édoin will present his feature, Marécages (Wetlands) at the Yukon Arts Centre on Thursday, April 5 at 8 p.m. He will also be on hand for the Dawson City International Short …
Two evenings of French cabaret theatre are coming on Friday, March 16 and Saturday, March 24. The shows are presented by Art-Lequin Theatre and the cultural branch of l’Association franco-yukonnaise (l’AFY) as part of Les Rendez-vous de la francophonie 2012. It’s been awhile since we have seen a French variety show in Whitehorse. Robert Gagnon, …
The Arctic Winter Games are full of beautiful surprises. One entertainment event in particular during the Games caught my attention – the return ofRaphaël Freynet to Whitehorse. Freynet was last in town in October, when he accepted the award for best francophone album of the year at the Western Canadian Music Awards for his first …
One of the highlights of this year’s Available Light Film Festival is Philippe Falardeau’s 2011 film, Monsieur Lazhar. The film won two awards at the Locarno Film Festival in Switzerland, and was chosen best Canadian feature film at last year’s Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF). Last week, it received an Oscar nomination in the best …
It’s really happening in the North for the first time. The Gala of Emerging Francophone Musicians and the Francophone Performing Arts Fair, Chant’Ouest and Contact Ouest, are coming to the Yukon. The events are presented by the Réseau des grands espaces, which represents western Canadian francophone performing artists, and the Association franco-yukonnaise (l’Afy). For its …
The project, Mapping Inuvik, which is on display at the Yukon Art Centre until early next week, began with a virtual trip to Inuvik along the Mackenzie River. In 2011, Marie-Hélène Comeau went to participate in the Great Northern Arts Festival in Inuvik. She took some inspiring and colourful aerial pictures with her of different …
The man behind the Association Théâtre Art-Lequin is bringing his final theatrical venture to Whitehorse audiences this week. Pierre Gauthier and his team have made a number of projects happen in Yukon’s tiny francophone theatre scene. In a sense, Art-Lequin is the francophone theatre scene, experimenting with different types of presentation for both kids and …
The fall has arrived with a multitude of cultural activities. It is also a tremendously busy time on the Francophone musical scene. Yukon Women in Music (YWIM), in collaboration with the cultural sector of Association franco-yukonnaise, have organized a Café-rencontre — the traditional Friday dinner with the Francophone community — followed by a show featuring …
In July, several festivals from Whitehorse to Dawson City will have a French contribution. From July 11 to 13, the Atlin Music Festival will be in full swing with an impressive program of bands coming from all over Canada: Random Order, the McDades and Ssasi a West African musician concerned about ecology in Africa. From …
Sourdoughs remember with nostalgia the pleasures of last year’s Solstice-St-Jean-Baptiste event that took place at Shipyards Park. Party addicts were dancing early into the morning following Brazilian rhythms, African percussions, bossa nova, gypsies, techno, rock … well, those days are back. June 20 to 22 will offer a dynamic program: three events, three days of …
French Toast: Multi-Cultural Fun at Shipyards Park Read More »
This summer, the French community will play with new concepts; her artists will open their frontiers to create new music, performances, exhibitions, dance and more. There’s a lot of projects on the way and the community is active, passionate and reckless. This land is the perfect place to inspire artists to try new work and, …
BY VIRGINIE HAMEL Once again this year, the cultural sector of the Association franco-yukonnaise (AFY), in cooperation with École Émilie-Tremblay, is hosting an exhibition of visual arts with multimedia presentations, which will focus on students’ creativity. It is an opportunity to raise awareness of visual arts among young people. To this end, the AFY youth …
BY VIRGINIE HAMEL March has been known all over the world as Women’s Month, the month for raising awareness and support for women’s issues. Les EssentiElles, the organization representing francophone women of the Yukon, turns to the arts to celebrate Women’s Month with a fourth annual francophone women’s visual art exhibition. According to Julie Ménard, …
