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The Point: a Franco-American Heritage Site in Salem, Massachusetts
Traditional French Songs in Ontario
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Centre franco-ontarien de folklore (CFOF)
Centre de recherche en civilisation canadienne-française (CRCCF)
Welcome to the Encyclopedia of French Cultural Heritage in North America! As you browse the site, you will learn about the heritage of French-speaking North America, as well as about its history and diversity. Get to know the people who preserve and cherish it, discover the places where it finds expression and become familiar with the trends that have shaped and influenced its evolution throughout history.
Article Summary
![The Croix Fassett [Fassett cross] (Outaouais), © Vanessa Oliver-Lloyd, 2007](/media/thumbs/341/285x0-Croix_de_chemin_coeur.jpg)
By Joly, Diane
Wayside Crosses
Nearly3,000 wayside crosses are still standing along the highways and byways of theProvince of Quebec. They representa precious heritage-a legacy of the past. The first crosses were erected by Jacques Cartier as a symbol ofterritorial appropriation. Later,the pioneers used them to mark the founding of a village and French Canadianpeasant farmers (then known as habitants) did thesame upon staking their land claims. All sorts of reasons have led French Canadians to put up waysidecrosses: farmers set them up closeto their fields for divine protection; parish priests erected them to indicatethe...
The English version of the Encyclopedia of French Cultural Heritage in North America is online since December 15th, 2009. It features an ever growing number of articles, documents and resources on the heritage of French-speaking North America.
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