{"id":744,"date":"2022-08-11T13:38:38","date_gmt":"2022-08-11T17:38:38","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/festivalbonjour.com\/history\/"},"modified":"2025-04-22T17:24:50","modified_gmt":"2025-04-22T21:24:50","slug":"history","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/festivalbonjour.com\/en\/history\/","title":{"rendered":"History"},"content":{"rendered":"\t\t
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Our history<\/h2>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
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Franco-Festival de Thunder Bay<\/h3>

Discover the Franco-Festival of Thunder Bay, the only Francophone festival in Northwestern Ontario!<\/strong><\/p>

Since its inception in 2007 by the Association des Francophones du Nord-Ouest de l’Ontario (AFNOO) to celebrate its 30th anniversary, the Franco-Festival has established itself as a major showcase for Francophone culture in the region. Organized by the Coop\u00e9rative Centre Francophone de Thunder Bay Inc., this festival has become an essential event celebrating the richness and diversity of Canadian Francophone culture.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t

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A Friendly and Inclusive Event<\/strong><\/p>

The Franco-Festival aims to be friendly, inclusive, and welcoming. Each year, its diverse cultural program attracts an ever-growing and diverse audience. The festival offers music performances, art workshops, exhibitions, and much more, allowing festival-goers to discover a multitude of facets of Canadian Francophone culture.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t

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A Growing Success<\/strong><\/p>

In just 12 editions, the Franco-Festival has seen tremendous growth. Its success has led to an extended program duration, from one day to three days, to better meet public demand. Each edition attracts more and more visitors, both Francophones and non-Francophones, from all over the region to enjoy this festive and cultural event.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t

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\"Franco-Festival-Thunder-Bay-2019<\/figure><\/div>
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Memorable Editions<\/h2>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t
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2023<\/strong>: A record-breaking edition with increased participation and a partnership with TFO (T\u00e9l\u00e9vision fran\u00e7aise de l’Ontario). The involvement of the community, with diverse performances and participation from community organizations, contributed to the festival’s success.<\/p>

2022<\/strong>: A triumphant return to in-person events with performances by Rats d’Swompe and Martin Blanchet after two years of virtual activities.<\/p>

2019<\/strong>: A record with over 1,100 participants, concluded with a memorable concert by Sara Dufour and En Barque.<\/p>

2018<\/strong>: Electrifying performances by The Winston Band, DJ UnPier, and Ariko, along with film screenings, art workshops, and photo exhibitions.<\/p>

2016<\/strong>: A rainy celebration featuring Le R and Marco et les Torvis, bringing together over 800 enthusiasts.<\/p>

2014<\/strong>: A crowd of 1,200 people at the Sports Dome in Thunder Bay to applaud Damien Robitaille, Pierre Schryer, and Gabrielle Goulet.<\/p>

2012<\/strong>: Performances by Mauvais Sort, BAM, and \u00c0 la ferme de Jojo.<\/p>

2010<\/strong>: The festival hosted Tam Tam Mama, Swing, and Les Trois Accords.<\/p>

2007<\/strong>: For the 30th anniversary of AFNOO, the festival took place at the Fort William Historical Park with performances by Fredo the Magician and the group EN BREF.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t

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A Magical Location<\/strong><\/p>

The festival now takes place in the heart of Port-Arthur, on Van Norman Street, offering a picturesque setting with a stunning view of the bay. The street is closed for the occasion, transforming the area into a festive and welcoming space where festival-goers can enjoy open-air concerts.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t

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Why Become a Sponsor?\n\n<\/h2>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t
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By supporting the Franco-Festival, you will associate your brand with a dynamic and growing cultural event. You will benefit from exceptional visibility among a diverse and engaged audience, while contributing to the promotion of Francophone culture in Canada. Your support will help maintain and enhance the festival’s programming, ensuring its success and impact for years to come.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t

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Join us and be part of this unique adventure!<\/p>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t

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Our history Franco-Festival de Thunder Bay Discover the Franco-Festival of Thunder Bay, the only Francophone festival in Northwestern Ontario! Since its inception in 2007 by the Association des Francophones du Nord-Ouest de l’Ontario (AFNOO) to celebrate its 30th anniversary, the Franco-Festival has established itself as a major showcase for Francophone culture in the region. Organized […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"parent":0,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"elementor_header_footer","meta":{"_seopress_robots_primary_cat":"","_seopress_titles_title":"History | Festival BONJOUR","_seopress_titles_desc":"Festival BONJOUR (formerly the Franco-Festival) was initiated in 2007 by the Association des Francophones du Nord-Ouest de l\u2019Ontario (AFNOO), on the occasion of its 30th anniversary. Learn more.","_seopress_robots_index":"","_eb_attr":"","inline_featured_image":false,"footnotes":""},"class_list":["post-744","page","type-page","status-publish","hentry"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/festivalbonjour.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/744","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/festivalbonjour.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/festivalbonjour.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/page"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/festivalbonjour.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/festivalbonjour.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=744"}],"version-history":[{"count":37,"href":"https:\/\/festivalbonjour.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/744\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":3952,"href":"https:\/\/festivalbonjour.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/744\/revisions\/3952"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/festivalbonjour.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=744"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}