Grant and Funding Programs Offered by Centre franco-ontarien de folklore (CFOF)

The Centre franco-ontarien de folklore (CFOF) is a leading Franco-Ontarian heritage organization that grew out of the work of Father Germain Lemieux and the large-scale inventory of Franco-Ontarian oral heritage. Recognized as a provincial heritage organization since 1991, the Centre’s core mandate is to collect, preserve and showcase the oral traditions of French-speaking communities in Ontario, including songs, stories, legends and popular practices.

Beyond its archival and documentation work, the CFOF plays a modest but real funding role through awards and recognitions. Its flagship distinction, the annual heritage prize « Le Billochet du Jongleur », is explicitly accompanied by a monetary bursary. This prize highlights a person, group, organization, institution, business or event that has made an exceptional contribution to the recognition, safeguarding or promotion of Franco-Ontarian oral heritage.

The Billochet du Jongleur is described as the 22nd Annual Ontario Heritage Prize administered by the Centre. It is open to a wide range of candidates, from individuals to institutions and events, whose achievements help preserve or disseminate Franco-Ontarian oral heritage, or who have provided sustained collaboration to the CFOF in fulfilling its mandate. Nominations are submitted by a promoter through a letter describing the candidate’s contribution and its exceptional nature; self-nominations are not allowed.

Eligible nominations are reviewed by a committee established by the Centre, which evaluates the quality of each proposal and recommends a laureate. The award consists of an official certificate, a commemorative plaque representing the “billochet” and the “jongleur”, and a bursary valued at 500 CAD. The prize is presented publicly during the Souper du patrimoine, an annual heritage dinner that also serves as a key networking and recognition event for the Franco-Ontarian cultural community.

Through its prize and activities, the CFOF primarily supports artists, tradition bearers, researchers, cultural organizations, community groups and events that promote Franco-Ontarian oral traditions. While the financial amounts are modest, the symbolic recognition, visibility and networking opportunities linked to the prize and events provide significant support to the province’s heritage ecosystem.

In addition to awarding the Billochet du Jongleur, the Centre organizes festivals, storytelling events, heritage evenings and publications that give space to tradition bearers. Its archival services and the "Porteurs de tradition" listings value hundreds of contributors whose knowledge has enriched the collections. By combining documentation, dissemination and targeted financial recognition, the CFOF helps ensure that Franco-Ontarian oral culture remains alive, shared and transmitted to future generations.

The Centre’s roots go back to 1960, when Father Germain Lemieux founded the Institut de folklore. In 1972, this institute became the Centre franco-ontarien de folklore, then based at the University of Sudbury. Over the decades, the Centre has occupied several heritage buildings in Sudbury before moving back to the university and, more recently, to Place des Arts in downtown Sudbury. Along the way it has earned awards from Parks Canada and the Roger-Bernard prize in recognition of its leadership in folklore and heritage conservation.