Issue link: https://takingitglobal.uberflip.com/i/1477966
28 # R I S I N G Y O U T H C O M M U N I T Y I M P A C T V O L . 2 W hile Canada is a bilingual country, there is a misconception amongst many Canadians that most, if not all, of the Francophone population exists solely in Quebec. The truth is that Canada is bilingual from sea to sea. Recognizing this gap in the country's understanding of the Francophone community, André Marchildon and Ian T.D. Thomson set out to develop a limited series podcast exploring the history, culture, and challenges facing minority Francophone communities across Canada. Born and raised in Winnipeg, Manitoba, André and Ian created Beyond Riel, a podcast composed of 8 episodes with guests including Jacqueline Blay, former president of la Société de la francophonie manitobaine; Derrek Bentley, General Manager for the Conseil jeunesse provincial; and Justin Johnson, Chief Executive Officer of the Association of Bilingual Municipalities. The goal of producing Beyond Riel was to educate Canada's large Anglophone population about the rich culture of Francophone communities in minority settings, while also highlighting some of the challenges that these communities face. "There are a lot of existing resources in French that explore the culture and challenges facing minority Francophone communities in Canada," explains André. "However, Ian and I realized that there were far fewer resources in English that covered these topics that would be accessible to non-Francophones." The series was broadcasted out of UMFM 101.5, the University of Manitoba's campus and community radio station. While André is from the Franco-Manitoban community and proudly so, Ian is not, and he aimed to help non-Francophones like him to improve their understanding of minority Francophone communities. "Every conversation explored a new dimension to the community that I previously had no idea about," said Ian. "I think most Canadians may not be aware of these challenges as well." Every conversation explored a new dimension to the community that I previously had no idea about... Sharing the Francophone Experience Across Canada André Marchildon Ian T.D. Thomson The Podcast created by André in the context of his project.