ST. PAUL - A stretch of St. Paul's main street will see 18 unique, handmade banners hanging through the month of March in honour of the local francophone community and the generations of French families in the area.
Local artist Herman Poulin and ACFA Régionale de St-Paul are spearheading the project, and last week a row of colourful banners was on display just outside the ACFA office.
Having been involved in the annual main street banner project spearheaded by Champions for Change in St. Paul, Poulin took that knowledge and experience and brought it to the francophone community, choosing the month of March to display the banners during Alberta Francophonie Month.
Over 275 people have been involved in the creation of the banners, says Poulin. Some banners involved multiple generations of family members working together, while others were created by students.
One banner was created as a memorial piece for a local resident and involved about 70 family members who took time to help paint the banner. The banner shows a woman's hands holding a rosary, and was created in honour of Lilliane Brousseau, who passed away at the age of 93 years old in late 2022, just as the banner project was getting started.
While participants were offered guidance, Poulin says the project was unique in that the banners were created in people's homes. The images are simple, yet impactful, and each banner includes a verb written in French that relates to the painted image.
Poulin says he would like to thank the community for allowing the Francophone community to share and celebrate their culture through the banner project. He is a strong believer that as people, "we are all different, but we are all united," and his mom taught him to celebrate the differences that exist among people.
ACFA director Meriem Hajjaoui began working in her position about three months ago, after the project was started. She credits Poulin for doing much of the work involved in leading the project, while Poulin says "it's a team effort."
Hajjaoui says each image painted on the banners is meaningful, in some way, to the people who have created them.
A total of 28 banners have been created and 18 will be displayed on main street. The banners are also going to be displayed at various community events for the public to enjoy.
Champions for Change
And just as one project wraps up, another is set to begin. Poulin is eager to once again be part of the main street banner project through Champions for Change. The year's theme is: "Once upon a time."
Poulin is excited to see how community members and community groups will interpret the theme. Over the years, St. Paul Regional High School has incorporated the banner project into its curriculum for art students, and many community groups have been involved in creating the one-of-a-kind banners.
Anyone who would like to get involved in the main street banner project can contact Champions for Change.
