Department of National Defence to spend $285,000 on French training—in Colorado
What could be more quintessentially pan-Canadian than studying French surrounded by the majesty of the Rocky Mountains? If the Rocky Mountains in question weren’t in Colorado, for one thing. The Ottawa Citizen reports that National Defence is planning to send Canadian Forces members stationed at NORAD’s Cheyenne Mountain headquarters to be trained in the other official language, courtesy of the Globelink Foreign Language Center, which is located in the neighbouring town of Colorado Springs.
According to the Citizen‘s report, the contract was awarded under a standing offer from the locally owned firm, whose owner, Fadia Gnoske, “speaks fluent French,” and is delighted to be able to provide training to DND. “Just because they are posted outside of Canada does not mean they should not have access to the training they need.” But as the Citizen points out, “The students will find little chance to practice their French outside the classroom,” as less than half of a percent of Colorado residents “speak French at home,” according to census records—and “that includes those who speak Patois, Cajun and Creole.”