From August 7 to 13, 2022, between 5:30 p.m. and 11:00 p.m., the Center culturel franco-manitobain (CCFM) hosts the French Canadian Pavilion at Folklorama. On the program: dance, food and song.
By Raphael BOUTROY
The French-Canadian Pavilion of the Folklorama is therefore settling in at the CCFM for a few days. This pavilion represents the various aspects of French Canadian culture.
Kathy Marion, one of the ambassadors, encourages everyone to come and discover the pavilion. Her involvement in Folklorama dates back to her youth: “I often went there with my parents, but it was only when my children became interested in Folklorama that I really got into it. »
His son, Jean-Marc Marion, who plays the violin, wanted to get involved in the pavilion show. “We live in Saint-Malo, but I was ready to drive an hour to give my child the opportunity to take part in the show and immerse himself in part of its culture,” explains Kathy Marion.
Quickly, several family members got involved: “My daughter Janica Marion started dancing with the youth troupe, and my other daughter Alexie Marion started singing at the pavilion. At one point I was spending so much time there that I started volunteering, picking up chairs, helping organize food, etc. »
This year, Kathy Marion and her daughters have been named ambassadors of the French Canadian Pavilion. This new position allows them greater year-round involvement with Folklorama. “It’s a pleasure to be an ambassador, my daughters and I had the opportunity to participate in various events dressed in our traditional dresses to raise awareness of the French-Canadian Pavilion and encourage them to come and discover it. »
Kathy Marion participated in the Canada Day festivities at the Forks. “It was a bit of a weird year, people weren’t sure how to celebrate Canada Day. I met an Egyptian woman with an interesting story, she had just obtained her Canadian citizenship. For her, aside from the challenges facing the country, it was truly a celebration since she was so happy to have obtained her citizenship. She really made me want to share French-Canadian culture. »
In preparation for August 7, Kathy Marion and her daughters will visit the other pavilions to encourage people to visit the French-Canadian Pavilion. “It’s not very difficult to convince people to come to our pavilion, we have good food, good music and a lot of dancing, it’s going to be a party! »
As a Franco-Manitoban, Kathy Marion insists on the importance of the pavilion: “It’s an opportunity to come together, we must take advantage of it to maintain ties and form new ties in the community. The pavilion represents an important part of our history, which is also why we want to encourage people to come and see it. »
“The pavilion shows our past and what has remained in our present, we want to open the door to new Franco-Manitobans so that they can discover our origins. »
