A Place to Belong

On a cold January day in 1916, dozens of francophone parents fought off police who were trying to prevent French-language instruction at the Guigues School in Ottawa. In the infamous Battle of the Hatpins, mothers brandished rolling pins, cast-iron pans and hatpins and refused to allow police on the grounds.

In this episode, executive director of the Alliance des femmes de la francophonie canadienne, Soukaina Boutiyeb, helps us explore the centuries-long fight for francophone rights in Ontario – and the historic battle that marked it.

Show Notes

This episode was written and produced by Historica Canada. Production support from Andrew Chung and Edit Audio. Post-production by Edit Audio.  

Thanks to Soukaina Boutiyeb and to our script consultant, historian Dr. Marcel Martel.

Fact-checking by Sebastian Leck.

This project has been made possible in part by the Government of Canada.  

Cover image courtesy of the University of Ottawa, Centre for Research on French Canadian Culture (CRCCF).

Additional reading:

·     The Battle of the Hatpins

·     Francophones of Ontario (Franco-Ontarians)

Additional viewing:

The Battle of the Hatpins

Follow @HistoricaCanada on Twitter, Instagram, and TikTok and @Historica.Canada on Facebook.

This project has been made possible in part by the Government of Canada.  

What is A Place to Belong?

In 1971, Canada became the first country in the world to adopt an official multiculturalism policy. It was meant to preserve cultural freedoms and recognize the contributions of diverse groups to Canadian society. Today it’s a defining feature of the Canadian identity. But for much of our history, that wasn’t the case. We explore the reasons why in this five-part series, A Place to Belong: A History of Multiculturalism in Canada, produced by Historica Canada and made possible in part by the Government of Canada.

A Place to Belong is part of a larger education campaign created by Historica Canada and made possible in part by the Government of Canada. Along with the podcast series, Historica Canada also offers a video series and an education guide about the history of multiculturalism in Canada. Visit historicacanada.ca for more.

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