"Notre Place" ( en, Our Place, italic=no) is the official community anthem of the
Franco-Ontarian
Franco-Ontarians (french: Franco-Ontariens or if female, sometimes known as ''Ontarois'' and ''Ontaroises'') are Francophone Canadians that reside in the province of Ontario. Most are French Canadians from Ontario. In 2016, the Government of On ...
people in the province of
Ontario
Ontario ( ; ) is one of the thirteen provinces and territories of Canada.Ontario is located in the geographic eastern half of Canada, but it has historically and politically been considered to be part of Central Canada. Located in Central Ca ...
,
Canada
Canada is a country in North America. Its ten provinces and three territories extend from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific Ocean and northward into the Arctic Ocean, covering over , making it the world's second-largest country by tot ...
.
History
The song was originally written by
Paul Demers
Paul Demers (March 9, 1956 – October 29, 2016) was a Canadian singer-songwriter.François Dubé in 1989 to celebrate the coming into effect of the
French Language Services Act
The ''French Language Services Act'' (french: Loi sur les services en français) (the ''Act'') is a law in the province of Ontario, Canada which is intended to protect the rights of Franco-Ontarians, or French-speaking people, in the province.
...
into Ontario law, guaranteeing government services in the French language across 26 designated regions in the province. The song was recorded by Demers with
Robert Paquette
Robert Paquette (born July 2, 1949) is a Canadian folk singer-songwriter.
In 1970, he worked with the student theatre group at Laurentian University, composing songs for the Franco-Ontarian stage musical ''Moé, j'viens du nord, 'stie!'' The tr ...
and the band
Hart-Rouge
Hart-Rouge are a Canadian folk music group, consisting of siblings Paul Campagne, Michelle Campagne, and Suzanne Campagne.
The three previously recorded and performed with several other family members as Folle Avoine, and formed Hart-Rouge with ...
, and first presented to the public at the Queen Elizabeth Theatre in Toronto, where the Grand Gala organised by the Fondation franco-ontarienne and TFO was taking place.
The song's popularity within the Franco-Ontarian grew, and it became an important rallying call during the SOS Montfort protests of the late 1990s.
In September 2016, a French-language Catholic primary school in Orléans was opened, being named ''École élémentaire catholique Notre-Place'' in honour of the song. In October 2016, the
Francophone Assembly of Ontario
French language, French became an international language in the Middle Ages, when the power of the Kingdom of France made it the second Lingua franca, international language, alongside Latin. This status continued to grow into the 18th century, ...
held a minute of silence after Demers died of lung cancer.
On 2 March 2017, the
Legislative Assembly of Ontario
The Legislative Assembly of Ontario (OLA, french: Assemblée législative de l'Ontario) is the legislative chamber of the Canadian province of Ontario. Its elected members are known as Members of Provincial Parliament (MPPs). Bills passed by ...
passed a bill granting the song official status as the Franco-Ontarian national anthem. The bill had been introduced by Liberal Glengarry-Prescott-Russell MPP Grant Crack and was unanimously adopted by the Assembly.
In 2018, a monument to francophonie was inaugurated in Queen's Park in front of the Legislative Assembly. The monument was named after the song.
Songwriting
Demers had originally retired from music after a diagnosis of
non-Hodgkin's lymphoma
Non-Hodgkin lymphoma (NHL), also known as non-Hodgkin's lymphoma, is a group of blood cancers that includes all types of lymphomas except Hodgkin lymphomas. Symptoms include lymphadenopathy, enlarged lymph nodes, fever, night sweats, weight los ...
in the early 1980s, but came out of retirement to write the song. While writing the song, he was inspired by ''
We Are the World
"We Are the World" is a charity single originally recorded by the supergroup USA for Africa in 1985. It was written by Michael Jackson and Lionel Richie and produced by Quincy Jones and Michael Omartian for the album ''We Are the World''. Wit ...
'', a charity single originally recorded by the supergroup USA for Africa in 1985, as well as
Yves Duteil
Yves Duteil (born 24 July 1949, in Neuilly-sur-Seine, Hauts-de-Seine) is a French singer-songwriter. He is the third child to be born in the family. Duteil is a noted proponent of the French language, the rights of children and the respect of ...
's ''La langue de chez nous'' and ''Le Cœur de ma vie'' de Michel Rivard.
One often-cited verse calls "pour mettre les accents là où il le faut" ("to put the accents where they belong"). The verse references the attempts of Franco-Ontarians to have the accent marks of French-language names officially recognised on Ontario, such as in place names (like the city of Orléans) or for surnames on government-issued documents.
Other versions
After Demers' death, TFO released a version of the song sung by Franco-Ontarian musicians from across the province in honour of his memory. In August 2017, DJ UNPIER released a remake of the song, placing the lyrics over a new melody.
See also
*
A Place to Stand, a Place to Grow
"A Place to Stand, a Place to Grow" (''Ontari-ari-ari-o!'') is the unofficial provincial anthem of the Canadian province of Ontario. It was written as the signature tune for a movie of the same name that was featured at the Expo 67 Ontario pavilio ...