Francophones can go back to Quebec or to France to access French-language postsecondary programs.
Although Alberta’s Francophonie is characterized by a strong interprovincial migration from Eastern Canada and international immigration, many Francophones settled in Alberta generations ago. The first Francophone presence in Alberta dates back to the 18th century.
Alberta has a Francophone heritage that dates back over 200 years, to the time of European exploration and the fur trade, before the establishment of Fort Edmonton in 1795. Several French toponyms, for example Grande Prairie, exemplify that a Francophone presence already existed at that time.
Subsequently, several Métis communities and Franco-Catholic missions were established during the second half of the 19th century. These include the missions of Lac Sainte-Anne, Lac La Biche, Saint-Joachim (Edmonton), Grouard-Athabasca, Notre Dame de la Paix (Calgary), St-Augustin (Rivière-la-Paix/Peace River), Saint-Albert, Saint-Paul-des-Métis (Saint-Paul) and Duhamel.
The French-speaking settlement of Alberta – among others by Quebecers, Franco-Americans and the French (France) – took place over several years. Towards the end of the 19th century and the beginning of the 20th century, many Francophone settlers established in the Northeast region of the province and founded several villages including Lafond, Foisy, Sainte-Lina, Thérien, Saint-Vincent, La Corey, Brièreville , Saint-Édouard, Mallaig, Saint-Paul, Plamondon, Bonnyville and Normandeau. In central and southern Alberta, French-speaking settlers established the villages of Legal, Lamoureux, Morinville, Beaumont, Rouleauville (now Calgary) and Trochu. As for the Northwest region, the villages of Falher, Donnelly, Guy, Girouxville, Tangente, Dréau, Marie-Reine and Saint-Isidore were established following requests made by Francophones.
Today, although nearly 50% of Franco-Albertans come from elsewhere in Canada and 24% from elsewhere in the world, 25% of them were born in Alberta. In addition, according to the 2016 Census, approximately 418,000 Albertans (10.5%) have French or French-Canadian heritage.
