A little taste of French

Photo by Patrick Boez

S aint-Pierre and Miquelon is an archipelago South of Newfoundland, Canada. The total population of the islands is 6,500, of which 600 live in Miquelon, 30 kilometers away form Saint-Pierre, the main island.  

The Rotary Club of Saint-Pierre et Miquelon sits in a Franco-Canadian district where it is the only French-speaking club.  The club has 20 members, of which 17 live in saint-Pierre and 3 live in Miquelon. Despite our insularity and the small number of inhabitants, our social activities are very diversified, and we are responsive to people’s needs such as helping those who no longer have access to governmental assistance, encouraging diverse organizations, or participating in the community social activities.

Furthermore, we implement international projects such as PolioPlus fundraisings, used-clothes drives, homes building in Madagascar, orphanages support in France, Telethon, etc.

As a way of collecting funds, we hold Christmas cakes sales, Easter chocolates sales, a refreshment stall for Bastille Day and a raffle in September.

In order to be recognized within our community, we bought a small house in 2009 in downtown Saint-Pierre. It gave us to a cozier space and a way to collect funds by renting it. Club members did some work on the house and they’re almost done with it. The District Governor will be present for its official opening by the end of 2011.