Who we are - Les Rendez-vous de la Francophonie

What is the RVF?

Les Rendez-vous de la Francophonie (RVF) is part of the cultural events surrounding the Journée Internationale de la Francophonie (March 20), which is organized every year to promote the French language and the many ways it can be expressed!

The 21st edition of Les Rendez-vous de la Francophonie will be held in 2019! It is an initiative of the Canadian Foundation for Cross-Cultural Dialogue, whose mandate is to promote dialogue and forge closer ties between the Francophone and Acadian communities and all other communities in Canada.

Nearly 9.5 million people in Canada keep the French language alive and share it with others. Most of these people live in Acadian communities or in Quebec and Ontario, but some of them live in western and northern Canada. Some are Francophones whose families have been in Canada for generations, and some are French‑speaking immigrants, while others are Anglophones or allophones who have chosen to learn French and immerse themselves in the language.

The RVF is a time for Canada’s Francophonie to celebrate! Hundreds of activities take place across Canada: community gatherings, multicultural meetings, ceremonies, performances, film screenings, word games, contests, educational activities—in short, a whole series of events that provide an excuse for celebrating.

By creating a directory of activities organized by Francophones and Francophiles across the country, the RVF conveys the tremendous energy of these communities and regions. By promoting these celebrations through the pan‑Canadian event calendar, the RVF invites you to join the party.

The RVF is an extraordinary opportunity to come together in celebration!

Spokespersons

CAROLINE SAVOIE

Winner of the 2015 Festival international de la chanson de Granby, Caroline Savoie has also received more than 15 awards, including the SOCAN Best Song Award for “Y’en aura,” the Yves-Gagnon Public Award and the Jacques-Cossette Press Award. Having won over her native Acadia, performed over 500 shows in Canada, the United States, Belgium and France, and produced two award-winning EPs, she is now following her heart by performing the songs from her first album in concert.

With her intimate and soothing songs, her powerful and distinctive voice, and her charisma and disarming naturalness, Caroline seduces audiences wherever she goes. Her deftly woven lyrics, inspired by her daily life, will carry you away with her on a journey.

PATRICK CHAN

A graduate of École secondaire Étienne‑Brulé (2009) in Toronto, Patrick Chan began skating at the age of five because he wanted to play hockey. The most decorated figure skater in Canadian history and three-time world champion, Patrick won the Olympic gold medal in the team event at PyeongChang 2018, to go with his two silver medals from Sochi 2014. In January 2018, he won his 10th national title, breaking the all-time record held by Montgomery Wilson since 1939.

Patrick made his Olympic debut as a 19-year-old at Vancouver 2010, where he finished fifth, after suffering a muscle tear in his calf in the fall of 2009 and changing coaches just before the national championships. After winning silver medals at the world championships in 2009 and 2010, he claimed the next three world titles (2011‑2013), becoming the first man to accomplish that feat since Russian Alexei Yagudin

Theme

This year, we are highlighting the importance of our country’s official languages, the strength of those who speak these languages and their commitment to ensuring that bilingualism is entrenched as one of the fundamental values of our society. We are also celebrating the 50th anniversary of the Official Languages Act in 2019.

Through the Rendez-vous de la Francophonie, and in a spirit of rapprochement and reconciliation with Indigenous communities, the Canadian Foundation for Cross-Cultural Dialogue will also celebrate Indigenous languages.

Visual

The visual design for 2019 takes a fresh new look at Francophone culture – as though we were looking at it through the eyes of a child, free from bias, with a sense of wonder, and, most of all, with an open mind.

The illustration shows two young girls, a symbol of future generations, who listen with awe to the sound coming from a seashell. Who hasn’t had the same experience during childhood? “Listen to the sound of the sea,” someone would say, handing us a seashell. It is also a nod to our Acadian communities and a reminder of our roots.

So many beautiful surprises await us when we take the time to listen, appreciate, understand, discover and share. This is how we grow and how we enrich ourselves culturally as a society.