The Challenges
Through the years the festival organizers had to deal with several challenges. Robert Chabot coordinated the Fête fransaskoise from 1989 to 1997. His main concern was always finding funding for the event - it was not stable from one year to the other (audio). He recalled the complex process of applying for grants (audio).
Another major challenge was recruiting volunteers. They came mainly from the host communities and several of these had aging populations. There were a number of tasks awaiting the volunteers (audio) and for a long time the students of the immersion program at the University of Saskatchewan lent a hand. Robert Chabot talked about their invaluable contribution (audio).
Another major challenge was recruiting volunteers. They came mainly from the host communities and several of these had aging populations. There were a number of tasks awaiting the volunteers (audio) and for a long time the students of the immersion program at the University of Saskatchewan lent a hand. Robert Chabot talked about their invaluable contribution (audio).
Also, from one year to another, attendance fluctuated and the festival workers did not always understand why. (Jean Liboiron (audio) and Michel Vézina (audio), who were respectively directors of the CCF from 1986 to 1998 and 2002 to 2006, both had their theories to explain the change in attendance. Annette Labelle, (audio) tried to account for the low rate of youth participation some years).
The people in charge often kept their fingers crossed, hoping to have good weather - which did not always happen. But the whims of Mother Nature never got the better of the Fransaskois' good humour. Listen to what Robert Chabot had to say on the subject (audio).
Archives
«Faire du bénévolat afin de pratiquer son français», 8 August 1996
Archives
«Faire du bénévolat afin de pratiquer son français», 8 August 1996
