Les Journées du patrimoine / Heritage Days 2008

Through a fun, interactive and dynamic learning experience with volunteer actors performing sketches, visitors will discover the life in a French town during the period of the late Second World War era. The history of Gravelbourg and its Main Street will be at the centre of all our sketches.

The sketches will include historical facts about the military presence in nearly Mossbank where there was an air force training base for the Allies during the Second World War. There will be a sketch about the Town of Gravelbourg’s local militia as well as the Cadet corps at Collège Mathieu. The War and soldiers will be at the centre of the others sketches as their presence had an impact on the economic, social and cultural life in Gravelbourg. We will also talk about the daily life of the people in this time period. Some sketches will be in French, some in English and other in both French and English. As we did in the 2007 edition, sketches will include a third, if not a fourth language, that will give the visitors the possibility to truly discover how Saskatchewan was build by people from diverse origins. In one sketch, visitors could hear some Chinese as some Chinese merchants were established in Gravelbourg in the 1940’s.

The two-day event is organized in partnership with the Town of Gravelbourg, the local French group (Association culturelle francophone de Gravelbourg), the Chamber of Commerce, the Co-Cathedral of Notre-Dame-de-l’Assomption, Corporation du Collège Mathieu and Saskatchewan History and Folklore Society.

The coordinators of the event are looking for English speaking and bilingual volunteers interested to acting in sketches, to guide school and visitors groups on the site of the event and also lead groups of students in traditional games.

The event will recreate the Gravelbourg’s Main Street in 1943. To achieve this, we’re looking for costumes from that period and also for pre-1943 vintage cars.

If you are interested in volunteering in Les Journées du patrimoine / Heriatge Days 2008 or if have clothes / costumes or cars, please contact Mélissa Bouffard, the event co-ordinator, at 1-877-463-6223 or at melissa.bouffard@culturel.sk.ca.

Les Journées du patrimoine / Heritage Days is an annual event created in 2005 during Saskatchewan’s Centennial. The event dramatizes historical facts from Fransaskois history and Saskatchewan history as seen through the eyes of the Fransaskois.

We use re-enactments and demonstrations to show these facts and events. The event drew an average of 850 visitors from Fransaskois, French immersion and English schools as well as both French and English general public. The sketches and the activities are held in French, English or in both languages.

The first day, Friday September 26th, 2008, is reserved for the schools and the second day, Saturday September 27th, 2008 is opened to the general public both English and French.

If you want more information, please contact Mélissa Bouffard, the event co-ordinator, at 1-877-463-6223 or at melissa.bouffard@culturel.sk.ca.