On Wednesday, Feb. 5, Wawota Parkland School welcomed a group of performers promoting bilingualism across Canada.
Sponsored by Canadian Parents for French (CPF), Wawota chapter, and the national CPF program, "O Canada!" was a hit in Wawota.
Wawota was one of 120 schools across the country to be given this opportunity. The show focuses on building Francophone culture and heritage, while promoting the importance of the language in Canada as well as its relevance to Canada today and historically.
"O Canada!" was written by Roger Dallaire with input regarding songs by Léandre Bérubé, one of the performers.
Monique Meyers, French teacher at Wawota School, embraced the program which is an interactive French production. Initially students attend a workshop, then they performed alongside Paul Cournoyer and Peter Herrington. Bérubé was at the school and typically performs with Cournoyer, but he was feeling ill and chose not to perform.
Herrington usually works as the stage manager, but has worked with the program long enough to be able to step into the two-man show.
The students attended the workshop prior to the performance included grades five and six core French, grade eight social, and the single grade nine student taking an online French course. While the entire school grades one to 12 were present to watch the final performance.
Students were given four parts within the show to take part in including an "I am Canadian" section, a game show, disco dance, and a song.
The opening of the show began with a song about Canada, which the students who had participated in the workshop sang along with.
This was then followed by an explanation of the Battle of the Plains of Abraham, which was a decisive victory for the British influencing how present day Canada came to be, leading to the question of what it means to be Canadian.
Students then took to the stage, one by one, to state a fact about being Canadian, similar to the Molson Canadian advertisement, "I am Canadian." The lines rotated through French and English varying from denying being a lumberjack and touting the delicious Canadian dish, poutine.
The performers then quickly moved into a game show, with the participating students divided into two teams. Asked a series of multiple choice questions on Canadian facts, the students appeared to be coming right out of an episode of Family Feud as they cheered and danced with their winning answers.
With students having been sitting for awhile a short choreographed disco dance was done onstage, while those in their seats in the audience jumped up to join in.
The final skit presented to the crowd regarded a grandson speaking with his grandfather about Louis Riel and the expansion of Canada westward including the Battle of Batoche.
"Bilingualism, it's not about being one or the other it's about embracing bilingualism and its beauty," Cournoyer explained. "It can open opportunities for you. A second language is invaluable to the things you can accomplish in your life."
After Cournoyer stated this he finished the show with a final song.
Following the performance Myers was excited about how the youth responded to the show.
"It was wonderful for them," Myers said. They were given the chance to participate in something performed nationwide to select schools across Canada and it was an honour to have them come to our area."
"I watched as students were picking out words they knew and were reacting to them. Even at the core French level picking out words and responding."
Overall Myers was extremely pleased with the response and reaction to the performance by the students.
Herrington stated that this show has been performed for approximately 30 schools so far and its success comes from the students who participate: "The strength of the performance is the student involvement and here we have had one of the best audiences."
