Live in French in Yellowknife

Duration: 3:16 minutes

Soft music begins with a crescendo. The following text appears over a white background: “Welcoming Francophone communities support the integration of newcomers in French.”

We see an aerial image of the City of Yellowknife. A map of the Northwest Territories appears over this image, along with the following text:

“Yellowknife
Northwest Territories
Over 15% of residents speak French.”

We see an aerial view of a street with small houses. Next is an image of an island with a few homes floating on the lake. Then we see a few skyscrapers in the downtown core. We cut to an image of Ghyslain walking down the main street. We see him enter a building. The building’s facade reads: “Diamond Plaza.” Next, we see a sign that reads “CDÉTNO Conseil de développement économique des Territoires du Nord-Ouest.” Ghyslain walks by it.

Ghyslain letourneau: When a newcomer to the Northwest Territories comes to see us at the Conseil de développement économique, we provide services in French to help them find a job.

We see Ghyslain standing in the lobby of the building. He is smiling, looking directly at the camera. The following text appears over this image:

“Ghyslain Letourneau
Immigration, Employability and Recruitment Officer
Conseil de développement économique des Territoires du Nord-Ouest”

We then see shots of Ghyslain working at a computer in his office.

Ghyslain letourneau: We run what we call an “employment café” twice a year. People looking for work can drop by to talk, network or submit their résumés. Often they find a job as a result of these networking opportunities.

This is followed by an aerial view of the lake with floating homes. The skyscrapers of downtown Yellowknife can be seen in the background. The following text appears over this image:

“The accommodation and food services sectors have experienced strong growth in recent years.”

Then we see images of a building identified as: “YK Center.” Next, we see Ghyslain in a conference room speaking directly to the camera. This is followed by an aerial view of the city. Next comes a shot of the main street with cars driving by. Then we see an aerial view of small houses. We see a sign that reads as follows: “Welcoming Francophone community.” This is followed by a wide shot of small tents where people have gathered. Inside, we see people talking and a person smiling. We cut to a small group of people in a park with their dogs. Next we see an image of skyscrapers in downtown Yellowknife.

Ghyslain letourneau: For instance, one of the people who arrived in Yellowknife two months ago had no work and was looking for something in their specific field. They spent three weeks looking for a job in their field. Thanks to the welcoming Francophone community, they made friends, integrated themselves into their workplace and developed their personal and social life.

This is followed by a shot of Anna riding her bicycle down the road. Next, we see aerial images of a river in the boreal forest. We see Anna walking alongside her bike. This is followed by a wide shot of Anna parking her bicycle in front of the building where she works. We see a close-up shot of her removing her bicycle helmet while walking.

Anna krizova: When I was young, I was always drawn to the great outdoors, places like the taiga and the wild forests of Northern Canada. So when I saw an ad saying that the government was looking for people, I thought: “Here’s my chance to make my childhood dream come true!” Next thing I knew, I was in Yellowknife.

This is followed by a shot of Anna standing by a lake. She is smiling, looking directly at the camera. The following text appears on the screen:

“Anna Krizova
Translator
Government of the Northwest Territories”

This is followed by three photos of Anna and her family pinned to the wall of her office. We see her sitting at her desk, working at the computer. Next, we see Anna at the top of a small hill. We can see the city behind her. Anna speaks directly to the camera.

Anna krizova: As soon as I arrived, I realized that the Francophone community was more present than I thought. There are quite a few of us, all told. And the services are there for us. All government services are also available in French. For instance, if you want a driver’s licence, if you want to get married, if you have a child, whatever.

This is followed by a montage of shots of Anna walking in the woods and on the rocks.

Anna krizova: As a Francophone in Yellowknife, it helps us be a lot more comfortable in our daily lives and feel that we are truly part of the society.

Next is an aerial view of a river bordered by conifers. The following text appears over this image:

“As a major urban centre, Yellowknife also provides privileged access to the vast Northern landscape.”

This is followed by a short montage of a waterfall. Then there is a shot of Anna taking a photo with her cell phone. Next come a few images of Anna as she continues her hike in the woods.

Anna krizova: Nature is really, really close to the city here. It’s the best of both worlds in some ways, because there’s adventure but there’s also security. Having the great outdoors on your doorstep is becoming more and more rare in the world, and I feel that coming to live here is really worth it.

This is followed by an image of pedestrians on the main street sidewalk. There is a wide shot of a few buildings downtown. Next, we see Marie-Pierre working at the computer in her office.

Marie-pierre poirier: The Intercultural Centre is becoming the single window for all manner of reception, settlement and integration services for newcomers.

Then we see a shot of Marie-Pierre standing in a park. Behind her, we can see the buildings downtown. She is smiling, looking at the camera. The following text appears over this image:

“Marie-Pierre Poirier
Coordinator
Intercultural Centre”

We then see a shot of Marie-Pierre standing in her office, speaking directly to the camera. Next, we see her speaking to a colleague.

Marie-pierre poirier: We’re really here to try to identify and address your needs, and to help you integrate into the community as easily as possible. We’ll always start by assessing needs, for instance, with respect to housing, education, employment, but also help you connect with other people in the community.

Next is a wide shot of Maison Laurent Leroux. The following text appears over this image:

“The Fédération Franco-Ténoise organizes social activities, providing community members with opportunities to connect.”

We then see photos of newcomers engaged in activities. This is followed by a montage of Marie-Pierre socializing with various people inside the tent. We see a group of Indigenous people drumming and singing. Other people gathered inside the tent are dancing to the group’s music.

Marie-pierre poirier: What really struck me the most is the close connections we develop with people. I mean, we’re still fairly isolated. Most of the people who live here aren’t from here originally, so the people and friends we meet end up becoming like our family. As a result, we’re able to build tight-knit bonds very quickly with the people around us.

Lastly, we see the Northern Lights. The following text appears over this image:

“Find out more about services in French:
Interculturalnwt.ca”

The music ends. A white background appears with the Department’s logo, namely a small Canadian flag with the following text: “Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada Immigration Réfugiés et Citoyenneté Canada.” We see the Government of Canada logo: the Canadian flag waving over a white background.