(Adrian St.Onge/CHAT News)

By Adrian St.Onge

‘It’s a treat’: French community celebrated in Cabane a Sucre cultural event

Mar 18, 2024 | 1:08 PM

Cabane a Sucre, roughly translated to sugar shack, is a celebration of French culture.

Crescent Heights High School hosted an event by the same name on Saturday.

Over 150 people from Medicine Hat, Swift Current and Lethbridge went to experience maple syrup cooked into taffy, traditional french food and traditional French music.

CFB Suffield Chief of Staff Talon Desjardins said it was rewarding to see kids enjoy the event.

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“It’s nice, especially with this weather,” Desjardins said.

“It brings it together and makes it a nice little experience,” he added.

“It’s a pleasure, it’s a treat. Especially seeing all the little kids running up, trying to think they can take it without you noticing it.”

Teachers and organizers stressed the importance of celebrating French culture in a primarily anglophone southern Alberta.

Most of the volunteers were students and teacher Samantha Thorvaldson said the cultural event was something her students found a lot of value in.

“It’s really amazing. When I reached out to the students about volunteering, I didn’t have anybody say no to me,” Thorvaldson said.

“It’s really encouraging to see them want to come to these events, want to help them and I think we saw them really take ownership of their volunteerism and them speaking French to the community,” she said.

“It’s not something they get the opportunity to do in the classroom, so for them to have a really authentic learning experience was really important to me.”

Organizers stressed the importance of cultural events like this to make sure they don’t disappear.

Canadian Parents for French president Karen Saffran said that Southern Alberta isn’t often represented in the francophone community.

Saffram said that the events stretch beyond academics and affects a sometimes forgotten community.

“I think it’s really powerful,” Saffram said.

“I think it’s really nice and a great opportunity for kids learning French to see that French can be spoken outside of school, that it’s not just an academic thing,” she said.

“It’s a living, breathing language and culture.”

Saffram and Thorvaldson both stressed that the French community in Medicine Hat is small, but very healthy.

Desjardins thinks that some might find the celebration memorable for a different reason.

“We’re appreciative for the help that we’ve gotten. It’s been a blast and I’m sure the sugar crash later will be awesome as well.