RECOGNIZING THE ACHIEVEMENT OF THE FOUNDING DIRECTOR OF CPF NOVA SCOTIA
Canadian Parents for French will celebrate it’s fortieth anniversary in 2017. CPF Nova Scotia held a gala celebrating the launch into their fortieth year at the Paul O’Regan Hall in the Halifax Central Library on October 7, 2016. Guests were entertained by accordionist, Sylvie Dumont and the catering by done Pavia Gallery. A wonderful cake in the shape of a champagne bottle was made by the talented, Amy Muench of Cake Babes.
The event began with the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding with Université Sainte-Anne. Allister Surette, Rector and Vice-Chancellor was on hand to sign for the university and Stephanie Carver, President of CPF Nova Scotia signed for the organization. CPF Nova Scotia has been partnering with Université Sainte-Anne for over thirty-five years to provide summer camps to Nova Scotian youth. The summer camp program is the tip of the iceberg, Sainte-Anne has also supported our Concours d’art oratoire, Salon d’exploration de carrières bilingues, and other projects by providing sponsorship and recruiting volunteers from its students, teachers and staff.
Canadian Parents for French was founded in 1977 by a group of like-minded parents who were concerned about their children learning French. Patricia Holland was the founding Director of the newly formed Nova Scotia branch of Canadian Parents for French. She was joined at the gala by her youngest son, Daniel Holland who was one of students in the very first early French immersion class in Halifax. The pilot program of early French immersion began at the Ecole Beaufort. At that time fifty children were drawn from a pool of one hundred applicants to be part of the first two primary classes in 1977.
Mrs Holland spoke of the hard work her volunteers did in the early days of CPF. Without their effort, CPF Nova Scotia would not be the success today that it is. The local CPF committee worked tirelessly with other parent groups, teachers and senior educators to lobby the School Boards, local and provincial governments to continue and expand the early French Immersion pilot program. Funding for special projects was sought from the federal level, through the Department of the Secretary of State (now known as Canadian Heritage) as well as bake sales and French expos in schools.
During those early years, Mrs Holland wrote and presented proposals for the first summer camps in the city and an exchange program with a french-first language school in Digby. But is was the membership in the National board of Canadian Parents for French which gave inspiration, leadership, and exposure to the growing numbers of students in French immersion which served as an incentive to take the next step – the formation of Canadian Parents for French, Nova Scotia. Mrs Holland was presented her award by CPF Nova Scotia President Stephanie Carver and Mylène Thériault, the Commissioner’s Representative for the Atlantic Region, Office of the Commissioner of Offical Languages.
Following the presentation to Mrs Holland, CPF Nova Scotia was also a receipient of an award. On May 19, 2016, Canadian Parents for French was honored be recognized as the recipient of the Commissioner of Official Languages 8th annual Award for Excellence in the Promotion of Linguistic Duality. Mylène Thériault presented Stephanie Carver, President of CPF Nova Scotia with a certificate of the award.
The gala wrapped up with photos and much networking amongst past Presidents, members, and guests. The CPF Forthieth Anniversary celebrations will take place in 2017 across the country with branches and chapters celebration this important milestone.