City of Summerside and La Belle Alliance hope to make relationship official

A Summerside-area group that represents Francophones and Acadians is aiming to establish a more formal relationship with the City of Summerside.

Giselle Babineau-Jordan,chair of the group La Belle Alliance, presented at the Summersidecouncil's monthly meeting on Monday night.

She said that while the group and the city have worked together informally for the last few years, she would like to make collaborations more official.

"I think it was important to make it official because in the past we kind of felt, maybe not invisible, but maybe second-class," she said.

"It's always seemed like an afterthought. 'Oh yeah, well maybe there should be French on the website,' or things like that. So just to make the collaboration official makes it more meaningful. And kind of a way for us to show the appreciation that we are happy to be collaborating with the city much more thanin the past."

Working together

Babineau-Jordan said that a more formalconnection with the city would help both parties.

An official relationship would mean the group would be able to use the city's equipment for some of their activities.

In turn, La Belle Alliance could help the city by promoting Francophone and Acadian events which could help tourism in Summerside.

The group and the city have a draft memorandum of understanding, and Summersidemayor Bill Martin said he expects it will be brought up for ratification as a resolutionin July, and signed in August.

"I think it's largely symbolic," said Martin.

"I don't think there's going to be anything in the memorandum of understanding that is going to be, pose challenges for either the Francophone community or the city of Summerside."

'It's great'

Martin said that discussions with the group about a formal relationship have been discussed over the past year and a half, and he likes the idea.

"I think it's great," he said."Collaboration is always a good thing."

The city and the group have been strengthening ties, with Summersiderecognizing area residents by raising the Acadian flag the past two years.

"I was actually really, really surprised at the number of people who turned out for that. And the very genuine and sincere appreciation that they showed that we were actually raising their flag in the city of Summerside," said Martin.

"We were so very pleased to raise the Acadian flag in front of city hall for La JourneeNationale des Acadiens, August 15," saidBabineau-Jordan

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