Notre Place

"Notre Place" (English: Our Place) is the official community anthem of the Franco-Ontarian people in the province of Ontario, Canada.[1][2]

"Notre Place"
anthem of Francophone Ontario
Also known asEnglish: Our Place
LyricsPaul Demers, François Dubé
MusicPaul Demers, François Dubé, 1989

History

The song was originally written by Paul Demers and François Dubé in 1989 to celebrate the coming into effect of the French Language Services Act into Ontario law, guaranteeing government services in the French language across 26 designated regions of the province.[3] The song was recorded by Demers with Robert Paquette and the band Hart-Rouge, 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.[4]

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.[5]

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.[6] In October 2016, the Francophone Assembly of Ontario held a minute of silence after Demers died of lung cancer.[7]

On 2 March 2017, the Legislative Assembly of Ontario 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.[8]

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.[9]

Songwriting

Demers had originally retired from music after a diagnosis of non-Hodgkin's lymphoma 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, a charity single originally recorded by the supergroup USA for Africa in 1985, as well as Yves Duteil's La langue de chez nous and Le Cœur de ma vie de Michel Rivard.[10]

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.[11][12]

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.[13] In August 2017, DJ UNPIER released a remake of the song, placing the lyrics over a new melody.[14]

See also

References
  1. "Notre place".
  2. "Quatre hymnes en... 25 ans!". Le Droit. May 5, 2015.
  3. "L'homme responsable du succès de la chanson "Notre place" : Paul Demers". 400e.
  4. ICI.Radio-Canada.ca, Zone Arts-. "Notre Place de Paul Demers : l'histoire d'un hymne franco-ontarien". Radio-Canada.ca.
  5. ""Notre place", nous l'avons prise en chantant". Le Devoir.
  6. "Notre Place, hymne officiel des Franco-Ontariens". March 2, 2017.
  7. "Paul Demers, Franco-Ontarian artist, dead at 60". ottawacitizen.
  8. Vachet, Benjamin. "La chanson "Notre Place" reconnue hymne officiel des Franco-Ontariens". onfr.tfo.org.
  9. Thivierge, Philippe. "Un monument à la francophonie ontarienne à Queen's Park". L'Action.
  10. "30e anniversaire de la chanson "Notre place" et de l'entrée en vigueur de la Loi sur les services en français de l'Ontario".
  11. "Opinion: Why French accents belong on ID cards in Ontario" – via The Globe and Mail.
  12. "Pour mettre les accents là où il le faut…". October 11, 2011.
  13. "Hommage à "Notre Place" : l'hymne des francophones de l'Ontario".
  14. ICI.Radio-Canada.ca, Zone Arts-. "L'hymne franco-ontarien Notre Place remis au goût du jour". Radio-Canada.ca.
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