Kitimat Public Library’s French language programs provide tremendous value to the families from France and Quebec arriving in Kitimat each year for work, and position the library as a centre for French language and culture in the community.

Along with substantial holdings of materials in French, the library serves francophone patrons in their own language, and is typically the sole community source for French language support.

KPL has offered many workshops and programs in both English/French or French only, including a French-language Summer Reading Club, a bilingual English/French African storyteller, and a bilingual storyteller who spun stories with string.

In addition, KPL partners with the Association des Francophones et Francophiles du Nord-Ouest (AFFNO) to deliver the annual Cabane à Sucre, a community-wide French-Canadian breakfast and music festival. AFFNO has also provided readings in French for children prior to English author events at the library.

“We do our best to keep the French language alive in Kitimat,” says library director Virginia Charron. You can contact Virginia for more information at vcharron@kitimatlibrary.ca.