Histoires· Stories
Stories and explainers
Pieces that take their time: a first winter, the story of Rouleauville, choosing a school, what surprises you when you arrive from Quebec. Every piece is signed, dated, sourced and reviewed. Real stories from real people will come with their written consent; if you want to tell yours, the door is open.
Reviewed November 3
Your first Calgary winter: what it actually feels like, November to March
An honest, warm walk through a first Calgary winter: the first snow, the chinook that melts it, the dry air, the block heater, the first -30 morning, how Calgarians dress and play, the light, the kids, and the moment in March when it turns.
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Reviewed November 3
How to find community in Calgary when you are new: the realistic playbook
Where French speakers actually meet people in Calgary: francophone institutions, conversation groups, volunteering, community associations, sports, faith, parents' networks, work, and what the loneliness curve looks like in year one.
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Reviewed November 3
Calgary's francophone history: from Rouleauville to today
The French story of Calgary, sourced: the Oblate mission on the Elbow River, the village of Rouleauville that became Mission, the Rouleau brothers, the hospital and the convent, the 1907 annexation, the Franco-Albertan flag, ACFA's century, the school board, and what the 2021 census says about French in Calgary now.
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Reviewed November 3
Raising bilingual children in Calgary: the real choices, explained
Francophone school or French immersion? Private French school or English school with French at home? How Section 23 eligibility works, what research says, and the everyday habits that keep French alive in a Calgary family.
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Reviewed November 3
Where French-speaking Calgary plays: sports, recreation and culture in French
Hockey as the universal icebreaker, the Fédération du sport francophone de l'Alberta, skiing at WinSport, francophone theatre and music through RAFA and the Cité des Rocheuses, Alliance Française evenings, Radio-Canada, the Rendez-vous de la Francophonie, and how to propose your own activity.
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Reviewed November 3
What surprises Quebecers in Calgary: 18 differences, explained
No PST, no notaire, private auto insurance, registry agents instead of SAAQ counters, chinooks, quadrants, the Stampede, no July 1 moving day, wildfire smoke, magpies and jackrabbits, and what it feels like to be a francophone minority. Each one sourced.
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Interviews and profiles are published only with the written agreement of the people involved.