The cultural advisor at Ottawa’s French Embassy visited the Yukon last week with the Consulate General of France to look into expanding French ties to Whitehorse’s arts community.

“Creating French content is at the heart of both France and Canada’s priorities,” said a release advising of the visit.

“The visit also marks the importance of France’s interest in enhancing its presence from one coast to the other.”

Brigitte Proucelle joined the Consulate General from Vancouver in Whitehorse last week to visit the MacBride Museum, Association franco-yukonnaise, Yukon College and the Yukon Arts Centre.

Proucelle also met with the ministers of Tourism and Culture and Education as well as the commissioner, premier, mayor and Yukon MP.

For Proucelle, the visit was about creating connections based on common values.

“We share many things like democracy, inclusion and equality of opportunity,” Proucelle told the Star last Thursday morning. “We strongly share a vision of the world for the future.”

Proucelle believes shared perspective and goals can flourish into joint projects.

“It’s so obvious to work with Canada and with Yukon in francophone matters, and also in artificial intelligence and sustainable development,” she said. 

“It’s about what kind of world we would like for our children and for the planet.”

Proucelle added she believes Canada and France excel at different things and can learn from each other.

“Canada has good immersion schools and we have to learn from Canada about that. France is good in early stage education,” Proucelle said. “It’s complementary.”

Proucelle commended the Yukon’s culture of innovation in technology, science and the arts.

“(Yukoners) want new things, and to discover more, and especially attract people who can appeal to their mind and their sensibility,” she said.

Yukon MP Larry Bagnell met with Proucelle last Thursday.

“It was great, I think we have good relations with France in the Yukon,” Bagnell said this morning. “There’s a history, right back to the Gold Rush (of relationships with France).”

Bagnell said he, Proucelle and the Consulate General discussed tourism, technology and innovation.

“I told them we’re keen on renewable energy in the Yukon, on all levels of government,” Bagnell said.

He said they discussed investment in mining and tourism, and he recommended partnership with Yukon First Nations groups. He added the ambassadors expressed interest in forming more economic ties with Canada.

“They were quite keen on expanding trading opportunities,” Bagnell said. “That’s always a big objective of Canada: to diversify our trade. Most of our trade is with the United States, and we’d like to diversify that as much as possible.”

Proucelle told the Star she was surprised, but happy, to note how many people aboard her flight to Whitehorse last Wednesday were tourists from France.

“Yukon has a big place in the imagination of French people, because of the history and because of the Gold Rush,” she said.

When she spoke to the tourists on her travels, she found this fascination rang true.

“They were just curious to discover Yukon, they think it’s a country of possibilities. They’re interested in nature, First Nations, all of your stories and what you’re building.

“I was happy to notice that.”