Franco Manitoba

[Svenn]

Not sure if anyone read this article about Provencher not being French enough but in the article there's a quote from the Le Garage owner saying that he owns and wants to develop the old Shell lot on Provencher. Who knows if it'll actually happen though...

The French disconnection
By: Maureen Scurfield

http://www.winnipegfreepress.com/loc...161705905.html

Here's the quote from the article..."Beaudry says he owns that lot and has plans to fill the gap with retail shops on the bottom and residential on top."

[roccerfeller]

Originally Posted by Svenn

Not sure if anyone read this article about Provencher not being French enough but in the article there's a quote from the Le Garage owner saying that he owns and wants to develop the old Shell lot on Provencher. Who knows if it'll actually happen though...

The French disconnection
By: Maureen Scurfield

http://www.winnipegfreepress.com/loc...161705905.html

Here's the quote from the article..."Beaudry says he owns that lot and has plans to fill the gap with retail shops on the bottom and residential on top."

Excellent read man, thanks for the link I missed this article.

As someone who goes out to Provencher often and enjoys it especially for the french atmosphere and being served in french, it is severely under-utilized.

There are so many french speakers in Winnipeg, and around Winnipeg that Provencher could be so much more. But then there are these very real issues brought up in the article. I have never had any issues with services in french in that area, but I do feel it doesn't communicate how french the area is.

I hope these developments go through because it would be nice. I am relieved to hear they actually have a large desire to format the area in such a way.

If some government subsidies are required then they should explore all avenues. Manitoba has a very strong and proud french culture and Saint Boniface is in many ways the epicentre of that. It certainly doesn't feel like it on Provencher; its not what it used to be (but I suppose the same can be said about Winnipeg in general)

Plus since 2005 we have had over 2000 native-french speaking people move to the city, so there is hope for people who would attempt new business opportunities.

[vid]

When 1ajs and I went down Provencher, I don't recall hearing anyone speak French. Everyone spoke English with typical Western Canadian accents. The only places I heard people speaking French in Winnipeg were on the bus, at Chapters, and at the zoo.

[armorand93]

Originally Posted by vid

When 1ajs and I went down Provencher, I don't recall hearing anyone speak French. Everyone spoke English with typical Western Canadian accents. The only places I heard people speaking French in Winnipeg were on the bus, at Chapters, and at the zoo.

We have accents?

[chrisallard5454]

Originally Posted by vid

When 1ajs and I went down Provencher, I don't recall hearing anyone speak French. Everyone spoke English with typical Western Canadian accents. The only places I heard people speaking French in Winnipeg were on the bus, at Chapters, and at the zoo.

I live in St. Boniface. Don't kid yourself, the majority of the population either speaks French as a first language, or is fluent in French. That doesn't include the many African immigrants who come from French speaking countries. The culture is very much French, unfortunately Provencher doesn't portray that very well. Go anywhere in St. Boniface, and say bonjour instead of hello. You will see what I mean.

[chrisallard5454]

Originally Posted by armorand93

We have accents?

Very much do. From what I have been told over the years (about my accent when I moved away), Winnipeggers accents are akin to British accents in a way. It sounds absurd, but it is true. Moving back here I realized how different the accents really are to our Eastern neighbours. To contrast I would say they have Southern American accents, especially when you get close to Windsor. Their vowels get fancier the farther south you go.

In all actuality, every province seems to have its own unique accent. I have heard people say that they can tell which province a person is by vocabulary and accents alone. For example; people call a hoodie, or sweater a bunny in what province?

[vid]

Originally Posted by armorand93

We have accents?

We don't notice it but yes, relative to the other accents we also have accents.

I didn't really notice much of an accent in Winnipeg relative to Thunder Bay, but I have a new co-worker from the GTA and you can really tell that she is from Toronto. Met two guys from Kenora while I was in Winnipeg, and you could tell they came from a small Canadian town. They had a hint of Bob and Doug in them.

As soon as you cross the border into Minnesota, while it looks almost exactly the same as Northern Ontario, as soon as someone opens their mouth you know you're not in Canada anymore.

I also met one of 1ajs' friends from the mine and he had a really thick accent but I couldn't place it. It was like if Bob and Doug Mackenzie were raised by a Swedish couple living in Germany. Maybe he was one of those Icelanders from Gimli.

Originally Posted by chrisallard5454

I live in St. Boniface. Don't kid yourself, the majority of the population either speaks French as a first language, or is fluent in French. That doesn't include the many African immigrants who come from French speaking countries. The culture is very much French, unfortunately Provencher doesn't portray that very well. Go anywhere in St. Boniface, and say bonjour instead of hello. You will see what I mean.

We did actually walk down a few residential streets and I think I heard a couple people speaking French but for the most part it was quiet.

I did find Provencher to be a bit less interesting than I had expected.

[Bdog]

I know it's kind of off topic, but living in Toronto for a few years, I didn't find their accents to be too different from ours here. I've heard from friends in broadcasting over the years that the "Manitoba" accent (or more broadly, the mid-western North American accent) is very similar to the "General American" accent, which is widely used by anchors, sportscasters, voice-over artists, etc. They encourage it, and you'll notice that many top anchors/ broadcasters don't have that different of an accent than ours here in Winnipeg...

[Andy6]

Originally Posted by Bdog

I know it's kind of off topic, but living in Toronto for a few years, I didn't find their accents to be too different from ours here. I've heard from friends in broadcasting over the years that the "Manitoba" accent (or more broadly, the mid-western North American accent) is very similar to the "General American" accent, which is widely used by anchors, sportscasters, voice-over artists, etc. They encourage it, and you'll notice that many top anchors/ broadcasters don't have that different of an accent than ours here in Winnipeg...

There is an upper middle class accent in Ontario that doesn't really exist in Winnipeg. I speak a bit differently now than I did when I was growing up in Winnipeg. And young Torontonians are now speaking with what are alarmingly American accents -- you hear that in teenage girls especially. I don't notice that depressing trend in Winnipeg or other Canadian localities where people are more rooted in Canadian culture than they tend to be in Toronto.

On the subject of construction, those are great photos of the Met, TV -- thanks for sharing!

[vid]

Their vowels are treated a little bit different, but in an almost indescribable way. We can't hear enough of a difference to explain it or imitate it, you can just tell that the person speaking isn't local.

Do Winnipeg or Toronto teenagers use the word "right" instead of "very" (as in, "that's right fucked" to mean something isn't right), or the word "boughtten" to mean "purchased" (as in, "look at these new shoes I boughtten")?

[Spocket]

Frankly , I have no idea what you guys are talking about . I meet and talk to people from across Canada every day and none of them have any sort of identifiable accent save those from Newfoundland and some other regions of Atlantic Canada . I also deal with people from across the English speaking world and they certainly don't hear any regional differences among Canadians . I've also lived in various cities across Canada and I've never noted (nor has anybody else) any sort of accent among Canadians west of the Quebec / Ontario border .

While there may be some minor variations in slang terms I guarantee you that people who actually study these things would define neither the spoken language nor the accents used across English Canada as dialects (except for the previously mentioned Atlantic regions)

[Acajack]

Originally Posted by Svenn

Not sure if anyone read this article about Provencher not being French enough but in the article there's a quote from the Le Garage owner saying that he owns and wants to develop the old Shell lot on Provencher. Who knows if it'll actually happen though...

The French disconnection
By: Maureen Scurfield

http://www.winnipegfreepress.com/loc...161705905.html

Here's the quote from the article..."Beaudry says he owns that lot and has plans to fill the gap with retail shops on the bottom and residential on top."

Is this situation really news to anyone?

[Shinook]

Originally Posted by Acajack

Is this situation really news to anyone?

If you are a Quebecois coming to "look down" on the french community in Western Canada, then ya, I can understand your expectations.

[Bluenote]

Originally Posted by roccerfeller

Excellent read man, thanks for the link I missed this article.





If some government subsidies are required then they should explore all avenues. Manitoba has a very strong and proud french culture and Saint Boniface is in many ways the epicentre of that. It certainly doesn't feel like it on Provencher; its not what it used to be (but I suppose the same can be said about Winnipeg in general)

Plus since 2005 we have had over 2000 native-french speaking people move to the city, so there is hope for people who would attempt new business opportunities.

Whoa, more money to the french, I am Metis / German / CDN and I am not for this in any way, there are more Germans in this city then French, go do proper statistics please. We bow down to french all the time, maybe some of the other cultures in this city need help as well.


As for our accents, we definatly have them here. I was way down south, Florida , Arizona, California, and they all right away said you have such a strong accent to me and my wife. We both looked at each other in awe, as they sounded just like us in our own opinion.

[armorand93]

I have a slight low German accent, thats because my relatives moved from (West) Germany to Canada in 1965, and it still carries on to some 2nd gen relatives. Otherwise, I cant recongnize a thing

[Acajack]

Originally Posted by Shinook

If you are a Quebecois coming to "look down" on the french community in Western Canada, then ya, I can understand your expectations.

I live in Quebec at the moment but am actually a francophone born and raised outside Quebec. I have lived in five provinces and have francophone relatives in two or three more.

Merci beaucoup anyway!

[cheswick]

Originally Posted by Bluenote

Whoa, more money to the french, I am Metis / German / CDN and I am not for this in any way, there are more Germans in this city then French, go do proper statistics please. We bow down to french all the time, maybe some of the other cultures in this city need help as well.


As for our accents, we definatly have them here. I was way down south, Florida , Arizona, California, and they all right away said you have such a strong accent to me and my wife. We both looked at each other in awe, as they sounded just like us in our own opinion.

Depends what you mean by French. French people who identify themselves as origins from France or French Canadians? My fiance is born an raised in montreal is fluently French but doesn't identify herself as French on a census. Her father is Romaina and her mother french Canadian so identifies herself as Romanian and Canadian backgrounds. And I can guarantee there are more French speakers in Winnipeg than there are German speakers.

[roccerfeller]

Originally Posted by chrisallard5454

I live in St. Boniface. Don't kid yourself, the majority of the population either speaks French as a first language, or is fluent in French. That doesn't include the many African immigrants who come from French speaking countries. The culture is very much French, unfortunately Provencher doesn't portray that very well. Go anywhere in St. Boniface, and say bonjour instead of hello. You will see what I mean.

Yes, this is my experience with St. B

French is "hidden" in Winnipeg since its not the common way to greet others, but the amount of people who speak french fluently in the city is astounding.

Its why I am an advocate of more support for promoting such culture in Winnipeg. We might not be the premiere city or the first city to come to mind in Western Canada, but there is certainly more french culture here and general populous that speaks french here versus the other main cities in western Canada. It something helps make the city unique. I agree with that article that such potential is really under utilized and under developed in Winnipeg.

But it is what it is.

Originally Posted by vid

We did actually walk down a few residential streets and I think I heard a couple people speaking French but for the most part it was quiet.

I did find Provencher to be a bit less interesting than I had expected.

I agree with Provencher being less interesting. It has a long way to go, but its got some stellar potential. That said, french is "hidden" in Winnipeg. Its not like other english dominant cities where if you try to start a conversation in french no one follows you...in Winnipeg its very possible to find people who speak french, my experience going out often is about 1 in 6 people will engage a conversation in french well. Make no mistake, St B is very french. If you don't speak it, they won't. But if you engage and maintain a conversation in french with the majority of people you meet in St B, its like a different Winnipeg. Especially after University times, lots of professors and students from USB are out and about and Le garage and Cafe 22 for instance is all french with english speaking in a strong minority

The part I agree with the article about is, even given this, cafe 22 will have full menus in english for instance. There is a potential that is no tapped into.

Though vid, British accents? I'm from the UK and I have never heard any British accents in Canada unless they are from relocated Brits!

Originally Posted by Bluenote

Whoa, more money to the french, I am Metis / German / CDN and I am not for this in any way, there are more Germans in this city then French, go do proper statistics please. We bow down to french all the time, maybe some of the other cultures in this city need help as well.

I agree with the bolded entirely. I am not excluding that possibility, but what I mean is with respect to the fabric of Winnipeg, and with respect to Saint Boniface specifically, there could be some more community directed funds to help out "sprucing up the french atmosphere" on Provencher. If that is what they are lacking, then they might need some business incentives like start up funds for French immigrants who would love to own a business and make a go of it but lacking in funds (as most of the French African immigrants are) for instance. It is just something I am just shooting off the top of my head.

Originally Posted by Acajack

Is this situation really news to anyone?

Sadly, this is true. Most of the traditional business minded Franco-manitobans relocated outside Winnipeg, which plays a role.

Originally Posted by cheswick

Depends what you mean by French. French people who identify themselves as origins from France or French Canadians? My fiance is born an raised in montreal is fluently French but doesn't identify herself as French on a census. Her father is Romaina and her mother french Canadian so identifies herself as Romanian and Canadian backgrounds. And I can guarantee there are more French speakers in Winnipeg than there are German speakers.

Yeah, I agree. French is easily the most common second language in the city. I don't know if there are upwards of 90 000 speakers of any other language, though I could be wrong.

Originally Posted by JamieDavid Exchange

Updated 311 At Centre Point Winnipeg forum.
http://forum.skyscraperpage.com/showthread.php?t=197745

Thanks for the update JDE!

[chrisallard5454]

French is very hidden in Winnipeg. For example I have a co-worker at the zoo who until the other day never spoke a word of French. A group of daycare kids came in, the majority of whom spoke French, and she preceded to speak complete, fluent, French to them. I came to find out both her parents speak French and that she just doesn't speak it often in public. This gives an example of how French is hidden in Winnipeg. Out of my 4 co-workers, one is fluent in French, another is fluent from French Immersion, and the only one that lives in St. Boniface (myself) is sadly only fluent in English.

It isn't just in St. Boniface, French is spoken everywhere in this city. It just isn't prevalent. People aren't forthright with it. Even in the restaurant on the corner of Taché and Provencher they will only speak French to you if you speak it first despite the fact that they have obvious heavy French accents.

To Roccerfeller, it was me who mentioned the British accents. That was because when I first moved to Southern Ontario my classmates would tell me that I had the strangest accent, and that I sounded almost British. They said the biggest noticeable difference was the vowels. For example, they would say when using the word pants, that I would say p-aw-nts and they would say p-ah-nts. For me it would be (milk) M-i-lk, for them it is M-e-lk. I never noticed a difference, however watching my little sister growing up in Ontario, I noticed a major difference in her accent, then mine. I was really the only one out of my family that held on to the Winnipeg accent.

Also whenever my Winnipeg family would come down to visit Ontario, they would make fun of the "American" accents that Ontarioans have.

[vid]

"Ontarioans"!

Ontarians.

People asked if I was British when I was younger, but I had speech impediments. I started learning French at the same time I was receiving speech therapy, so I've always been pretty good at pronouncing French sounds. It's the intonation that I can't get. When I was in school, I was the only one that could pronounce the r in rouge correctly. I actually pronounce rouge better than I can pronounce red.