ST. PAUL – The ACFA Régionale de Saint-Paul unveiled a monument dedicated to the Francophone community at the Lagasse Park on June 22.
This monument aims to recognize the contributions of the Francophone population in the region, said Sylvie Smyl, director at St. Paul ACFA.
She said the idea behind the monument began with a question. "Where is our [Francophone] monument?" said Smyl. It was asked by a student from École du Sommet during a school tour of the Lagasse Park several years ago, which included the students learning about the monuments reflecting the different cultures of St. Paul.
"That basically started the idea for the project," she said.
The ACFA also found it fitting to unveil the monument this year to coincide with the ACFA's 100th anniversary as a symbolic gesture to celebrate the Francophone culture not only in the St. Paul community, but in the Lakeland region, said Smyl.
Smyl thanked everyone involved with the creation of the monument. "It was a collaborative effort with many people within the community," she said, with the collective hope of not only celebrating the past, "But also leaving a mark for the future."
