Drummondville claims ownership of poutine in new tourism campaign

The City of Drummondville has launched an official tourismcampaign in which it claims ownership ofQuebec's most famous fast-food dish.

The ad showsFrdric Bastien Forrest, a local personality, offering poutineto people in cities around the world and touting his home city.

• CBC Digital Archives: Vive la poutine!

Yetthe origins of the combination of fries, gravy and cheese curds is highly contested.

Many towns have claimed to be the inventor of the dish butit is widely accepted that it all began in Warwick, Que.

According to legend, acustomer walked into Warwick's Le Caf Idalin 1957and asked its owner, Fernand Lachance, to throw in some cheese curds with his fries.

Lachance used the Quebec slang "poutine" to describe the dish.

The town of Warwick is about 45 minutes from Drummondville.

The campaign, complete with website and ads, isplaying on French television stations.

Using the hashtag#viveDMV, the site highlights allthe city has to offer.

Drummondville, pop.71,852, is about 100 km northeast of Montreal.