Hundreds of students marched, made noise and otherwise had fun celebrating Tintamarre in Prince Albert on Wednesday, March 18. (Image Credit: Susan McNeil/paNOW)

By Susan McNeil

Noisy Celebration

French students celebrate Tintamarre in Prince Albert

Mar 18, 2026 | 5:00 PM

Ask a Grade 3 student from Ecole Valois what they are doing at city hall on Wednesday and the answer is pretty basic, “we’re making noise”.  

That is exactly what hundreds of students from French schools across the city did, gathering their noise makers and yellow and green flags that represent the Fransaskois (French people in Saskatchewan) and marching from city hall to Scarrow Plaza near the Provincial Court House.  

“All of our French schools are coming together and making some noise and just a full day of being proud of being a Fransaskois, which is French from Saskatchewan,” said Aiden Edwards, the event organizer from the local French Society.  

Each student was given a noisemaker and flag to wave as they marched. (Image Credit: Susan McNeil/paNOW)

This is his first year participating, he said, although he does speak French. It is part of his new role with the French-Canadian Society of Prince Albert. 

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The student and adults alike look forward to the event, which involves making as much noise as possible with the noisemakers, waving the flag and occasionally yelling out ‘Ole, Ole, Ole’ as they walked down the street. 

“It’s just one time of year that we get to do it and we get to get together and really just show everyone why we’re proud of being Fransaskois and just have fun with it,” Edwards explained.  

Ask eight- or nine-year-old children to pose for a camera and they will not disappoint. These students were glad to ham it up prior to their march. (Image Credit: Susan McNeil/paNOW)

When they got to Scarrow Plaza, the students gathered around the flag on the pole next to River Street, sang O Canada en Francais and then walked back to city hall to go back to school.  

Tintamarre originated in New Brunswick as a way to celebrate the Acadian people.

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susan.mcneil@pattisonmedia.com