The strength of the wolf is the pack and the strength of the people is the community. This was evident in how many people came together this weekend to join the pack at the Festival du Loup in Lafontaine.
It’s a celebration of Francophone culture and a local legend of how one wolf united both the French and English communities.
The festival began Saturday with the tractor parade, an event that started five years ago and has become one of the main attractions.
“Our son and daughter love tractors and we both love how the French and English community comes together,” said local resident Emma Penton.
The festival is a family event with lots of activities for the kids, such as face painting, storytelling, arts and crafts.
People from all over came to join in the fun and to feel the sense of community Lafontaine has to offer. Raymond Devillers, who has been volunteering at the festival on and off for 19 years, described it as “a homecoming, of sorts.
“You run into a lot of people you haven’t seen in a long time,” he said, noting, three years ago, “when it was raining, so many people turned up to enjoy the fun.”
Organizers prepared for the heat this weekend by having misting stations nearby and lots of shady trees for the parade. It wasn’t just the good weather that brought out so many people; it was the welcoming and friendly environment and a desire to learn more about the local heritage.
There was also plenty of food and music. Bands such as ARIKO, Diable à 5, and Pourquoi Pas? Performed.
For food, both French- and English-run businesses were on hand. La Brehandaise Market served food throughout the day and later in the evening, while Georgian Shores Catering came to serve more locally made dishes.
The Festival du Loup may have started as a legend, but it has evolved into something that continues to bring many people together.
