Organizations

Association des Canadiens Français du Manitoba and L’Association d’Éducation des Canadiens Français du Manitoba Anticipating the adoption of a bill amending the Public Schools Act, which would abolish the bilingual school system, delegates from bilingual school boards throughout Manitoba gathered at St. Boniface College on February 25, 1916 and decided to establish an association to ensure that their children could continue to be educated in the Catholic faith and French language in spite of the provincial law. At a second meeting, a name was proposed for the association: “l’Association des Canadiens francais du Manitoba”, which was changed shortly thereafter to L’Association d’Éducation des Canadiens Français du Manitoba (AECFM). This Association was to function as an unofficial, yet almost “parallel” Department of Education for French Catholic schools for over 50 years. The AECFM had a central office in St. Boniface as well as parish guilds with representatives from each local school board. Every two years, parish delegates gathered to discuss issues and elect a new executive. The association oversaw the French-language curriculum and ensured professional development for teachers, paid school inspectors, organized contests and festivals and offered scholarships to students and prospective teachers. It also served as a hiring agency for school boards. In 1924, la Ligue des institutrices de l'Ouest was formed, a first teacher’s association for French-language educators. In 1966, when Duff Roblin’s Conservative government adopted Bill 59 allowing teaching in French during half of the school day, a major step had been reached in the promotion of French-language education. The claims of Franco-Manitobans thus began to extend to other spheres of activity and as the AECFM’s limited mandate no longer corresponded to the new political and social reality, it was replaced by the Société Franco-Manitobaine (SFM) in 1968.