popular,” Laberge says. “Sometimes with a lack of money, we have to limit ourselves to four summer camps, which is okay. Usually they’re full by April.” These camps maintain linguistic immersion while embracing inclusive practices.“There’s a component of learning French because most of our students learn French, but sometimes we have immersion students that are not in our schools, but they’re welcome because we’re a community school.” The division’s outdoor education center provides another valued cultural resource. “We also rent a piece of land, which is called Moose Lake. Moose Lake Camp is an hour and a half from Winnipeg. Meanwhile, DSFM school facilities themselves function as community hubs.“Our schools are open in the evening for the community, so we have Girl Guides, Boy Scouts, badminton, hockey, things like that,” says Laberge. “If it’s a French event, we’ll probably prioritize it, but most of the time, depending on where they’re located, we’re open to everyone in the community.” The division also brings French-Canadian cultural traditions to life through events like Festival du Voyageur.“In all our schools we have what they call 4 CIVIL AND MUNICIPAL VOLUME 06, ISSUE 04
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