Saskatchewan establishes network for francophone singers

CBC News Online with files from Joanne Skidmore, The Arts Report

REGINA - A network of cultural associations in Saskatchewan has been established to help francophone singers and performers tour the province.

Across the province, there is a strong market for these musicians. The French-language population is there, but it's spread out and it has never made economic sense for most francophone artists to tour Saskatchewan.

That's about to change. A network has been set up that's designed to get these artists into Saskatchewan and across Western Canada.

Jean-Guy Labelle is a French musician from Ontario who will perform in Gravelbourg, Regina, Saskatoon and Prince Albert this winter. His tour was organized through the new network of French cultural groups.

Laurier Gareau is with the French Cultural Council of Saskatchewan. He says it's not easy for French performers to tour the province because the francophone community is spread out and often there's not enough time to publicize the event.

Gareau says public money from the federal government helped establish the network.

"When we bring shows into Western Canada, quite often the drawback is we will lose money unless it is subsidized because of the high cost of transportation and the distances between the centres and so forth," Gareau says.

Gareau says the network is trying to attract more than francophones to French concerts and theatre.

In Gravelbourg, the French association is working with the owner of the local theatre, Jack Walton. "It can do nothing but bridge the communities and afford opportunities, especially for younger people to be involved in cultural activities in both French and English," Walton says.

Organizers hope the network of French arts presenters in Saskatchewan may lead to a network throughout Western Canada.

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