Communities Gasping for Breath

Méchoui organisé par l'AJF, Zenon Parc, 2000 The communities of Bellegarde (1998), Saskatoon/la Trinité (1999) and Zenon Park (2000) organized the festival without the traditional support of the CCF. In March 2000, the organizing committee for the Zenon Park festival considered the CCF's commitment too lukewarm and decided to see through the project on its own. In his final report, committee chairman Philippe Potié emphasized what a heavy task it was for the host communities to organize an event of such magnitude. He raised the thorny question of festival leadership:

'Unfortunately the survival of the festival has been under threat over the last three years. A year of ambiguity and uncertainty is long enough; two years is too long; but three years is going too far. ... Having the host community take on the leadership role for the festival is only a stop-gap solution. ... These responsibilities should not have fallen to the host communities, but to the whole of the Fransaskois community, which is, after all, really responsible for this festival.'


While Potié was pleased that the ACF decided to 'take the bull by the horns' and look into the problems which threatened the festival's existence, he added: 'All the financial politics and power struggles which have marked the festival over the past years contribute nothing to its stability and success. A more neutral structure would be preferable'. And so the idea of incorporating the festival was put forward.

Comments

Philippe Potié, chair of the Zenon Park festival organizing committee in 2000, explained the split between their committee and the ACF.
(1581ko)


He adds that the CCF had not completely withdrawn from the organization
(1533ko)



Archives


«Zénon Park accepte l'entière responsabilité de la Fête fransaskoise», 16 March 2000

«Direction Zénon: Un village tout en fête», 10 August 2000

«Session sur l'avenir de la Fête fransaskoise», 18 January 2001