"Café de Paris" French Conversation Workshops for Healthcare and Social Services Professionals
French workshops for NWT healthcare and social services professionals to develop their French speaking and comprehension skills.
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Finding Your Place at the Heart of Northern Francophone Communities
From November 1 to 7, National Francophone Immigration Week celebrates the journeys, experiences and contributions of immigrants who help strengthen Francophone communities across Canada.
Under the theme “Finding Your Place at the Heart of the Francophone Community,” this year’s celebration invites us to reflect on what it means to truly feel at home in a new community. Everyone arrives with their own story, knowledge and experiences, which in turn enrich the communities that welcome them.
Journeys as Diverse as the Francophone Community
There is no single Francophone immigration experience. Some people arrive in the North after studying or working elsewhere in the world, either on their own or with their families. Each person gradually finds their footing in a new environment.
For Fatoumata Yacine Diallo, originally from Guinea and living in Yellowknife since 2023, adapting meant being open to the opportunities that came her way.
“I adapted by staying open-minded and seizing opportunities, even when they were outside my field of study.”
With a bachelor's degree in management and marketing, Fatoumata discovered the education sector after arriving in the North. An opportunity to work as a substitute educational assistant led her to an after-school program and eventually to early childhood education. She is continuing her training and hopes to one day combine her experience working with children and her management background to establish a bilingual early childhood education centre.
Continuing to Learn at Every Stage of Life
Settling in a new country can mean navigating a different job market or system, continuing or returning to school, learning a language, or facing challenges related to the recognition of qualifications and experience gained abroad.
Laure's journey illustrates how learning can build on previous experience. Originally from Cameroon, she had already worked as an early childhood educator for eight years before arriving in Canada. Her training in the North allowed her to expand her knowledge and better understand the local system while continuing her career.
Her experience reminds us that adapting through learning does not mean leaving previously acquired knowledge and skills behind.
Access to quality, flexible education can make a meaningful difference. Online and hybrid learning, synchronous and asynchronous courses, and continuing education opportunities allow people to pursue their education while balancing work, family and other responsibilities.
This extends well beyond immigration. We learn through formal education, at work, through training, volunteering, community involvement and everyday experiences. Formal, non-formal and informal learning are all part of our lifelong journeys.
With this in mind, Collège Nordique contributes to discussions with the Réseau pour le développement de l'alphabétisme et des compétences (RESDAC) about learning communities and recognizing different forms of learning. Initiatives such as Francobadges help make skills developed in various settings more visible, complementing traditional diplomas and certifications.
Finding Your Place Without Leaving Your Roots Behind
Getting to know a new environment does not mean leaving your history or culture behind.
Angélique Ruzindana Umunyana's journey is a powerful example. Born in Rwanda, she first came to Canada on a scholarship to pursue a master's degree in chemistry in Quebec. After returning to her home country, she came back to Canada with her family to pursue a PhD in microbiology. Her journey eventually brought her to the Northwest Territories.
Over the years, Angélique became deeply involved in the Franco-Ténois community, including serving as chair of Collège Nordique's Board of Directors. In 2023, she received the Fédération franco-ténoise's Jeanne-Dubé Award in recognition of her commitment to the French language and Francophone culture in the NWT.
When sharing her story, she emphasized the importance of building connections and getting involved in the community while finding a balance between her cultural roots and her new surroundings.
She returned to this idea of belonging when she contributed to Nordicité, a collection of stories bringing together people from different backgrounds through their shared connection to the North.
“Through all our experiences, I feel that we are building something together.”
Giving Back and Sharing Experiences
This idea is also reflected in the journey of Mounir Barry, now Director of Student Experience and Quality Assurance at Collège Nordique.
Originally from Guinea, his journey took him from his home country to Dakar and then to Canada. These transitions required him to adapt to different environments and gradually find his footing.
Today, his own experiences inform his work supporting students. His journey reminds us that immigrants are not simply recipients of the support offered by their new communities. Their experiences and perspectives become valuable knowledge that can be shared and used to enrich the experiences of others.
Building a Community Together
Finding your place is also about the people you meet, the connections you build and the opportunities to participate in community life.
In a Francophone minority setting such as the Northwest Territories, access to French-language services can provide an important sense of familiarity and support. Education is one part of this ecosystem, alongside employment, health care, settlement services, culture and community activities.
Across the NWT, Francophone organizations help create these opportunities and support people in different aspects of their lives. This collaboration is essential: finding a sense of belonging can begin in a classroom, a workplace, a community activity, a Francophone organization or a simple conversation.
A Francophone Community Shaped by the People Who Bring It to Life
Immigrants do more than integrate into Northern Francophone communities: they actively shape them. They bring their languages, experiences, knowledge and perspectives. They become educators, entrepreneurs, professionals, volunteers and community leaders.
The journeys of Fatoumata, Laure, Angélique and Mounir are different and cannot represent the full diversity of Francophone immigration in the North. Each, however, reflects a journey of adaptation and learning, as well as sharing knowledge, getting involved and contributing to the community.
During National Francophone Immigration Week, Collège Nordique celebrates everyone who has chosen to make the North part of their story and who, in their own way, helps Northern Francophone communities thrive and evolve.
Published on November 3rd 2026