Something caught me off guard this week. At my kid’s school in New Hampshire, they announced that invitations for 8th grade world language classes were going out. Spanish and French. Sounds normal enough, right? Then came the part that hit ol Tim square between the eyes. Limited space. First come, first served. Register as soon as you get the email. I read it twice. We’re talking about French education and not PoutineFest tickets. A Region Built on the Language If you grew up

Too often, people let inherited pain define how they see the world. Family shame, cultural silence, generations of being told to assimilate. For many Franco-Americans, that story is familiar. Our ancestors often buried language and learned to survive by blending in. Over time, those choices created wounds, not always visible, but deeply formative.

When Canada passed Bill C-3, most of the conversation focused on policy. But something else happened that caught a lot of people off guard, especially in English Canada. They realized…there are a lot of Franco-Americans.

What’s happening in the classroom led by Dr. Katharine Harrington is special. Her course, Navigating the New Hampshire–Canada Relationship in Tense Times, goes well beyond theory. Students are working on real projects designed to strengthen ties between New Hampshire and Canada at a time when that relationship actually needs attention.

That’s what we’re building with PoutineFest across Maine, New Hampshire, and Vermont. And every year around St. Patrick’s Day, I think about that a little more. Not in a competitive way. Just appreciation. This is what it looks like when a culture holds onto something and keeps it visible.

My great-grandparents spoke French. But they made a decision that many Franco-American families made during that era. They did not pass the language down to their children. They wanted their kids to sound more American and avoid some of the prejudice that French Canadians often faced in New England.

If you spend enough time around Franco communities in New England, you’ll notice something interesting. For decades the common story was that Franco-American culture had largely faded away. The language declined, the old mill neighborhoods changed, and many of the institutions that once held the community together became smaller. In a lot of ways that story is true. But it’s also incomplete. Something is happening right now that doesn’t always make headlines. It’s not a loud

There are moments when history quietly corrects itself. Not with fireworks. Not with a parade down Rue Saint-Jean. Just a policy change that restores something that probably should not have been taken away in the first place.

In recent years, a new ritual has been taking place during the holiday season: the discussion about whether or not a movie taking place at Christmas can be considered a Christmas Movie. Whether we believe that to be the case or not, it gives us a chance to add a movie about our heritage to the discussion. Claude Jutra’s Mon Oncle Antoine put rural Quebec’s daily life on the big screen for the first time, and covered a range of topics that defined an era. The issues of that er

It’s that time of year again. Time to plan the holidays, including the heritage recipes that bring back memories, connect us to our roots and help feed a table full of family members . This year we’re taking a look at a lesser known, but equally important, traditional dish: Tourtiere Lac-Saint- Jean. Right out of the gate, this one tends to be lesser known among Franco American groups because its origin within Quebec is regional. Fortunately, it’s got an ingredient base that

Baked beans. Feves au lard. Bines. They were a food staple that came across the border with our ancestors during the migration period,...

It’s been talked about for years, and in the works since 2022, but the Jack Kerouac Center in Lowell looks to finally be coming to...

Chances are if we ask anyone in Canada or Franco-America to list some of the most significant figures in Quebec History, Rene Levesque is...

It’s in the books. A whirlwind trip to our favorite province, with lots of French conversation, live hockey, local flavors, and of...

In this video we're opening a box full of great sauces and spices from Ferme J-N Morin of St-Zacharie, QC. Check out these great options...

With a Trip to Quebec on the horizon I’m beyond excited, as well as reflecting on previous trips. This one will be a bit different from...

I’ve made no secret of my love for books about our heritage (see Our Story vs Our Stories: January '23). I recently finished 2 of those...

Food-wise, there are two things I notice every Winter, two things on opposite ends of the Franco American time spectrum. First, we’ve...

The motion picture industry has done it again! They’ve picked up on something that happened in Quebec and covered it; both as reality and...

Earlier this week I was beyond happy to see an article, posted by Juilana L'Heureux, about a Vermont couple who make tourtières for their...