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My name is Damien Robitaille.
I'm from Lafontaine.
I am a proud Lafontainer
or Lafontainite.
I'm not sure the word has
been invented yet
an "L.A. boy", as we say.
And one thing I noticed
is that Lafontaine
is a pretty unique place.
It's like a village
of indomitable Gauls.
You know, in reference
to the Asterix and Obelix comics.
It's like a bubble
that protects Francophone
culture here in Lafontaine.
We are surrounded by
an Anglophone sea!
Here we are, in a world of our own.
Maybe it's because we
are near the water, you know
protected from the North.
That's what I say, but you know
we still get people
from Toronto who come up here.
I remember when
I moved to Quebec,
I would use certain words
and people would say
"well, what is it? What's that?"
"You talk like my grand-father. "
Words like "ear pendants",
I think, instead of "ear rings".
We use "fronder" instead "lancer" (to throw)
I think we should make a dictionary
of all the local expressions.
I think I know about that which you're talking
I think I know about that which you're talking
Yeah, sure.
Oh my God! François Labas.
Martine.
Frank Labas.
In the 60s around here,
there were a lot of babies born.
Some said that it was because
of a brand of beer.
That beer made people do
not very Catholic things.
Right! An aphrodisiac beer.
Some even said that drinking it
gave the sperms a boost.
La sacrée.
He's so good, so good, so good!
I knew itI knew it!
I think I know about that which you're talking.
I was very proud to play a role
in the movie called "La Sacrée".
It was written by Daniel Marchildon.
And I recognized Lafontaine a lot
in the script.
So, when I was asked to play in the movie,
you know,
I just had to play myself.
The main musical influences
in the area for me
are really
you start with the songs,
the good songs like
Partons la mer est belle, Le petit mousse, etc.
Those beautiful songs.
And I learned to sing,
thanks to Rosita Desrochers
or Germaine Lespérance, you know,
Louise Maurice also did
a lot of choirs.
And there were also the church hymns,
I remember Michel Payment's album,
when it first came out,
we would have dances at elementary school,
and dance to Michel's music.
« Je t'aime »
There was also the group Brasse Camarade.
I know that those guys, they lived in the area.
Éric Dubeau comes from the area.
Jean-Marc Lalonde.
Many musicians are from here.
And there's still the young crowd you know.
I still see many of them
The Lefaive family, they are good
The Maurices are good
There are Beausoleils who are good.
And there was my father who also sang
He was a good entertainer
with his guitar.
One of the most important events
in the village,
I think is the creation of the Festival du Loup.
Something that preserves you know,
that keeps the village together,
There was a time when, as the legend goes,
the wolf brought us,
brought the village together.
But I think that today,
it's the Festival du Loup
that brings us together.