A group of people gathered at Northern United Place to enjoy a cozy and fun storytelling evening on Tuesday.
The event featured storytellers Shé and Jo (Shéhérazade and Joséphine), who shared their tales in French.
“We need that night to have opportunities to gather and meet new people,” said Lisa Boisneault, the coordinator of CFA Yellowknife, also known as the Welcoming francophone community. “It’s really cold at night in Yellowknife, so how to spend the cold winter night here? Just gather people, having nice stories and food and just enjoy.”
She said that the event, co-hosted by the Conseil de développement économique des Territoires du Nord-Ouest, was open to families, children, adults, newcomers and longtime Canadians. Twenty-five people took advantage of the opportunity to learn and practice French, as well as meet others and socialize.
Boisneault said they set up everything to make the atmosphere cozy and comfortable, with carpets, cushions, and snacks. She added that the stories were very engaging and interactive, and involved the participation of the audience. The stories revolved around collaboration, travel and culture.
“We had three stories, and we travelled through the stories,” said Boisneault. “They were really nice. It was sort of like theatre, but in a cozy atmosphere — really chill,” she said. “We were glad to have the kids who were involved, who participated and answered the questions.”
A similar event was held last year during National Francophone Immigration Week in November. She said the first one was a success, and they received positive feedback from the attendees.
“People were like, ‘Are we going to do that again?’ So we did it this year. Hopefully next year we’re going to do it again. Who knows?” Boisneault said.