Many of the first settlers to Alberta were French-Canadian. Brought by fur traders, French was in fact the first European language spoken in Alberta. These French origins are still evident today and, according to the 2016 Census data, more than 418,000 (or 10.5%) of Albertans are of French or French-Canadian heritage.
Why did the French people come to Alberta?
The Francophone heritage in Alberta dates back to the earliest days of the fur trade when the Montreal peddlers came to the Northwest region in search of adventure and business opportunities. The voyageurs married Cree women and the first Francophone communities—Métis communities—were established.
When did French people come to Alberta?
The first Europeans to visit Alberta were French Canadians during the late 18th century, working as fur traders and voyageurs for the Hudson’s Bay Company, or the North West Company.
How many French people live in Alberta?
It is also estimated that over 268,600 Albertans can speak French. Five Alberta municipalities are officially bilingual: Beaumont, Legal, Falher, Plamondon and Grande Prairie.
Why is there a French presence in Canada?
During the 17th century, French settlers originating mainly from the west and north of France settled Canada. It is from them that the French Canadian ethnicity was born. During the 17th to 18th centuries, French Canadians expanded across North America and colonized various regions, cities, and towns.
Is Alberta British or French?
It is part of Western Canada and is one of the three prairie provinces. Alberta is bordered by British Columbia to the west, Saskatchewan to the east, the Northwest Territories (NWT) to the north, and the U.S. state of Montana to the south.
| Alberta | |
|---|---|
| Demonym | Albertan |
| Official languages | English |
| GDP | |
| • Rank | 3rd |
How did French people end up in Canada?
They came in hopes of gaining some social mobility or sheltering themselves from religious persecution by a republican and secular France. For the most part, they settled in Montreal and Quebec City. Among them was Pierre Guerout, a Huguenot who in 1792 was elected to the first Legislative Assembly of Lower Canada.
Who settled in Alberta first?
European explorers first appeared in the 1750s as the fur trade expanded across western North America with the Hudson’s Bay and the Northwest Company. The first fort in Alberta was launched in Fort Chipewyan by explorer Peter Pond in 1788.
Is Calgary French Canada?
French language distribution in Canada.
Francophones across Canada.
| Province/territory | Alberta |
|---|---|
| Group name | Franco-Albertans |
| Principal regions | Edmonton (Bonnie Doon), Calgary, St. Paul, Bonnyville, Lac la Biche, Peace River, Falher |
| French as mother tongue | 81,085 |
| Percentage | 2.2% |
Who lived in Canada before the French?
An estimated 200,000 First Nations people (Indians) and Inuit were living in what is now Canada when Europeans began to settle there in the 16th century. For the next 200 years the Indigenous population declined, largely as a result of European territorial encroachment and the diseases that the settlers brought.
Where do most French Canadian live?
The Canadian Francophonie by the numbers
- Canada has a population of nearly 35 million people.
- The majority of Francophones (85.4%) live in Quebec and over 1 million live in other regions of the country.
- Almost 10.4 million Canadians can carry on a conversation in French.
Is Calgary a French speaking city?
Of the total population of the Calgary census metropolitan area, 84,675 people (7.9%) reported knowing French or both French and English. The vast majority of Calgary Francophones speak both official languages.
Why are so many people moving to Alberta?
“There are many reasons to make the move to Alberta. Calgary, for example, is the world’s third most livable city and is first in North America, according to the Economist Intelligence Unit. We have the fastest growing tech city in Edmonton, we have the beauty of the Rockies available for visiting and living.”
What part of Canada is owned by France?
Saint Pierre and Miquelon (/ˈmɪkəlɒn/), officially the Territorial Collectivity of Saint-Pierre and Miquelon (French: Collectivité territoriale de Saint-Pierre et Miquelon [sɛ̃ pjɛʁ e miklɔ̃]), is a self-governing territorial overseas collectivity of France in the northwestern Atlantic Ocean near the Canadian province
How much of Canada is French?
Highlights. English is the first official language spoken by just over three in four Canadians. This proportion increased from 74.8% in 2016 to 75.5% in 2021. French is the first official language spoken by an increasing number of Canadians, but the proportion fell from 22.2% in 2016 to 21.4% in 2021.
What are French Canadians called?
Québec French, or québécois, is a variety of Canadian French that possesses its own characteristics and words that exhibit its unique history. Let’s take a look at how québécois evolved throughout the centuries to become the language it is today.
Is French Canadian basically Canadian?
Canadian French (French: français canadien) is the French language as it is spoken in Canada. It includes multiple varieties, the most prominent of which is Québécois (Quebec French).
| Canadian French | |
|---|---|
| IETF | fr-CA |
Why is Alberta called the Texas of Canada?
One is that they are very big and nearly the same size. Texas is 269,000 square miles (696,000 km2), while Alberta is 255,000 sq mi (661,000 km2), or 5% smaller than Texas. The main similarity is that both are the oil producing giants of their respective countries.
What is the Alberta accent?
In addition to that whole a-boat thing, Albertans will generally pronounce words like bag more like bayg, raising the middle vowel. They’ll also pronounce words like can less nasally than their eastern counterparts, where, to an Albertan, the word might sound more like cayin.
Is French Canadian different from French?
But the French spoken in Canada sounds completely different from the French spoken in either Paris or Kinshasa. These differences are so pronounced that European or African French speakers cannot always understand the regional linguistic patterns of French-Canadian citizens and vice-versa.
Who was in Canada first French or English?
Frenchman Jacques Cartier was the first European to navigate the great entrance to Canada, the Saint Lawrence River. In 1534, in a voyage conducted with great competence, Cartier explored the Gulf of St. Lawrence and claimed its shores for the French crown.