Performers at the 2004 SSFF

2173472, originally uploaded by The MediaMentor.

Here's a nice little composition with the images of the 2004 South Slave Friendship Festival

Pictures of the South Slave Friendship Festival (SSFF) Aug 2004

2018504, originally uploaded by The MediaMentor.

The SSFF is Fort Smith's annual music festival. Visitors and musicians come from around the world to enjoy the entertainment, more images of the SSFF can be seen by clicking here.

Pelicans flying over the Slave River

Pelicans flying over the Slave River, originally uploaded by The MediaMentor.

... over the Rapids of the Drowned on the Slave River at Fort Smith

Tourist Information Centre, Fort Smith, NWT

Tourist Information Centre, Fort Smith, NWT, originally uploaded by The MediaMentor.

This landmark is just outside the Fort Smith Tourism Information Centre at the town's new Recreation Centre and celebrates the Wood Bison found in the Wood Buffalo National Park

The flag of Nunavut

The flag of Nunavut, originally uploaded by The MediaMentor.

Pictures from the 2004 Annual Christmas party of the Francophone Association of Fort Smith (AFFS)

Click here to see the full set of pictures
Click here to see a slide show of all the pictures
You need a recent browser with FLASH to see thes picture properly...
Prints of the photos are available.
4" x 6" prints are $5.00 each
8.5" X 11" prints are $25.00 each.
Order by number.
If you ave any problems, call me at 872-3455 to arrange to see the pictures.
NOTE: These photos are only for sale to the families of the subjects.


The Christmas Tree

Taqramiut Nipingat Inc

Taqramiut Nipingat patch, originally uploaded by The MediaMentor.

In 1982 I was asked to work for TNI to teach all aspects of TV and radio production & management at this Inuit owned broadcasting network in Salluit, a little village in Nunavik (the Ungava region or Arctic Quebec).
More images can be seen at:
More pictures at TNI

Tokyo Video Festival's Award of Excellence

Award of Excellence, originally uploaded by The MediaMentor.

While I was a student at the Banff Centre, I produced "Rumblesphinx" which won the "Award of Excellence" from the 10th Tokyo Video Festival... more images from the videotape are online at:
More pictures from my video, Rumblesphinx

The flag of the Northwest Territories, Canada

The flag of the NWT, originally uploaded by The MediaMentor.

English language tutoring at Aurora College

English language tutoring at Arorua College, originally uploaded by The MediaMentor.

by yours truly, George Lessard....

My Flickr RSS feed

An RSS feed of my Flickr photostream

Inuit Amoutie detail

Amoutie detail, originally uploaded by Arviat Nunavut.

This shows the detail work that Arviat Inuit women put into the creation of their traditional clothing.
Arviat, Nunavut, Canada

Three Generations of Inuit Women..

Three Generations.., originally uploaded by Arviat Nunavut.

...show off their traditional Inuit women's "amautie" at the Canada Day celebrations on July 1st.
Arviat, Nunavut, Canada

A ship's visit to Arviat, Nunavut...

A ship's visit..., originally uploaded by Arviat Nunavut.

Ships bring in almost all heavy goods to Arviat. There are no roads or railroads to any Nunavut community... all are "flyin" communities... meaning that the only regular way to get into the communities is by air... so heavy goods, food and all supplies are much more expensive than in Canada's southern communities.

An old arctic willow tree

An old arctic willow tree, originally uploaded by Arviat Nunavut.

This little Arctic willow is on the tundra near Arviat, Nunavut. As with all "trees" on the tundra that are this big (about 6" high) it is actually quite old...

Season's Greetings 2004

Season's Greetings 2004, originally uploaded by The MediaMentor.

Photo by Kathy Beaupre kaybeaupreAThotmailDOTcom, design by George Lessard mediaATwebDOTnet

Tree climber answers mayor's Christmas prayer
WebPosted Nov 29 2004 02:28 PM MST

http://north.cbc.ca/regional/servlet/View?filename=smith-tree-christmas-11292004

FORT SMITH, N.W.T. - The Christmas season officially started in Fort Smith on Sunday with the traditional lighting of the town's 30-metre spruce tree.

Decorating the 100-year-old tree in the centre of town has been a community tradition since the Great Depression.

But it almost didn't happen this year, after the N.W.T. Power Corporation staff who usually decorate the tree were unable to do it this month.

That sent Mayor Peter Martselos on a quest for a tree climber.

"I have to look around to find someone to climb the tree. I tell you I had many nights I never slept because I was worried who was going up and if there was an accident or something it won't be Christmas in Fort Smith," he says.

"But we found David Burke and he climbed the tree to the top and that's why this year it's special, because we have a star at the top and lights from top to bottom."

Hundreds gathered in the downtown Sunday night to cheer as the tree was lit up with brand-new strings of lights.

Martselos says the new energy efficient lights are more expensive, but are sturdier and said to last 100,000 hours.

Col. Francois Lessard

Col. Francois Lessard, originally uploaded by The MediaMentor.

British and Canadian army units were returning to camp at Belfast, after a long burning expedition, when they were attacked by a Boer commando. British General Smith Dorrien ordered Col. Fancois Lessard from Quebec to organize he Canadians (Mounted Rifles and artillerymen) to fight a rea guard action to protect the back of the retreating British army. Because of his outstanding work Lessard was pictured as one of only two Canadians honoured to be among 75 British general pictured in a huge colour portrait called "Celebrities of the Army."
More information can be found at:
http://www.goldiproductions.com/Pages/BoerWar_Museum/Boer/Boer30_battles3.html

Map of the Lessard Family's first land in the new world..

Map of the Lessard Family land, originally uploaded by The MediaMentor.

On February 10, 1651, Etienne obtained a land from Olivier Letardif one of the members of the Company de Beaupre.
This land was 10 frontal acres on the St-Laurence river and 5 miles in land.
To help him develop the land which he called St-Etienne, he hired men; Michel Marquiseau, Urbain Jamineau et Jean Chauvet aka Lagerne.
On March 8, 1658 Etienne gave away to the Catholic Church two frontal acres located on the West end of his land so that a chapel can be built.
This chapel became the Ste-Anne-de-Beaupre basilica.
Etienne gave this land to M. Gabriel de Queylus Vicar general in New France.
The first contract was done by notary (public) Audouart. It was ratified by The Bishop of Laval on December 17, 1666 and renewed by a second contract in 1684 by notary Genaple.
Note: In 1922 after the fire of the basilica another contract had to be signed by Napoleon Lessard the direct descendant of Etienne and the Redemptorist Fathers. By this contract Napoleon gave away the Lessard's right to a bench in the church.
In the 1681 census Etienne declared to be 59 years old, married to Marguerite Sevestre 45 years old and to have 10 children; Etienne 28, Charles 26, Pierre 24, Marie-Therese 20, Anne-Dorothee 15, Noel 12, Joseph 10, Prisque 7, Jacques and Dorothee (twins) 4 years old.
The couple had a daughter named Marguerite born September 4, 1664, she died December 7, 1665.
He also declared as owner of:
3 Guns
7 Cows
40 farmable acres, on which he grew wheat, barley, peas and cabbage.

Etienne de Lessard

Etienne de Lessard, originally uploaded by The MediaMentor.

Born in 1623 in Normandy France.

Etienne de Lessard arrived in Quebec in 1645.

Lieutenant junior grade of the militia of Cote de Beaupre, he became co-lord of the Lanoraie fief in 1688.

Married to Marquerite Sevestre, Etienne de Lessard was survived by a large family of six boys and two girls.

Etienne de Lessard, son of Jacques de Lessard and Marie Herson, was born in Chambois, diocese of SEE (Orne) in Normandy.

In 1645, at the age of 22, he left France on a ship to come to New France (Canada). At the time only a few people from Europe lived in the colony of France.

Etienne owned a boat and was associated with Martin Grouvel who was a navigator from Quebec.

The Lessard Family Crest

The Lessard Family Crest, originally uploaded by The MediaMentor.