The French were very important in the development of Alberta.
French explorers were among the very first to enter Alberta and
the first to meet with Aboriginals. French and Métis hunters and
traders fuelled financial interests and were trailblazers in the
new land, while independent and company surveyors from French
families helped plan Alberta’s mines, tar sands extractions, and
fur trade expeditions. French art and culture--from food to
music to dance, is still visible today in festivals attended by
many Albertans. French Oblate Fathers of Mary Immaculate set up
churches and missions which would become an important part of
the basis for new French communities, and Alberta’s political
forum has been graced by many influential French speakers.
Here you will learn about the important Franco-Albertan
figures in religion, politics, business, sport, art, culture,
and community life.
Catholicism, French culture, and prominent French people.