Joseph Groulx
Encyclopedia
Joseph Groulx c.1884-? was purportedly a Franco-Ontarian
storyteller from Tecumseh
, Ontario
, an area of Southwestern Ontario
with a small, French
-speaking minority.
, in transcribing French stories, which were added to a university folklore database and eventually published in Donald Deschênes and Marcel Bénéteau's Contes du Détroit (Prise de parole
, 2005), which won the Prix Mnémo in 2006.
Groulx's stories are said to be particularly significant for the fact that they testify to the survival into the 20th century of a French-language storytelling tradition in the Windsor
/Detroit area.
, where his papers were stored, with his sources' basic biographical details.
It is assumed that the death of Carrière in 1970 significantly diminished the possibility of ongoing research efforts shedding light on the nature of Groulx's (or another person's) French
storytelling.
, politician and diplomat Paul Martin, Sr.
Franco-Ontarian
Franco-Ontarians are French Canadian or francophone residents of the Canadian province of Ontario. They are sometimes known as "Ontarois"....
storyteller from Tecumseh
Tecumseh, Ontario
Tecumseh is a town on Lake St. Clair east of Windsor, Ontario, Canada. It has a population of just over 24,000.Tecumseh enjoys long summers and mild winters...
, Ontario
Ontario
Ontario is a province of Canada, located in east-central Canada. It is Canada's most populous province and second largest in total area. It is home to the nation's most populous city, Toronto, and the nation's capital, Ottawa....
, an area of Southwestern Ontario
Southwestern Ontario
Southwestern Ontario is a subregion of Southern Ontario in the Canadian province of Ontario, centred on the city of London. It extends north to south from the Bruce Peninsula on Lake Huron to the Lake Erie shoreline, and east to south-west roughly from Guelph to Windsor. The region had a population...
with a small, French
French language
French is a Romance language spoken as a first language in France, the Romandy region in Switzerland, Wallonia and Brussels in Belgium, Monaco, the regions of Quebec and Acadia in Canada, and by various communities elsewhere. Second-language speakers of French are distributed throughout many parts...
-speaking minority.
Claimed significance of Groulx's work
In 1940 he reportedly assisted a French-language scholar, Joseph Médard CarrièreJoseph Médard Carrière
-Academic background:One of his specialisms was folklore, and he taught for many years at the University of Virginia.Carrière's papers are lodged in the archives of the University of Laval.-Recent interest in his work:...
, in transcribing French stories, which were added to a university folklore database and eventually published in Donald Deschênes and Marcel Bénéteau's Contes du Détroit (Prise de parole
Prise de parole
Prise de parole is a Canadian book publishing company.Located in Greater Sudbury, Ontario, the company publishes Franco-Ontarian literature...
, 2005), which won the Prix Mnémo in 2006.
Groulx's stories are said to be particularly significant for the fact that they testify to the survival into the 20th century of a French-language storytelling tradition in the Windsor
Windsor, Ontario
Windsor is the southernmost city in Canada and is located in Southwestern Ontario at the western end of the heavily populated Quebec City – Windsor Corridor. It is within Essex County, Ontario, although administratively separated from the county government. Separated by the Detroit River, Windsor...
/Detroit area.
Ongoing research efforts into Groulx's work
Deschênes and Bénéteau point out, however, that an element of obscurity surrounds the reported work of Groulx with his transcriber Carrière: there was little evidence that Carrière ever spent any significant time in the Detroit area; the surviving daughter of Groulx was reported to have denied any knowledge of her father's French storytelling activities, and Carrière was recorded only to have claimed Groulx as his main source 25 years after the time of his purported transcriptions, and subsequently omitted, when requested, to supply the archivist at the Université LavalUniversité Laval
Laval University is the oldest centre of education in Canada and was the first institution in North America to offer higher education in French...
, where his papers were stored, with his sources' basic biographical details.
It is assumed that the death of Carrière in 1970 significantly diminished the possibility of ongoing research efforts shedding light on the nature of Groulx's (or another person's) French
French language
French is a Romance language spoken as a first language in France, the Romandy region in Switzerland, Wallonia and Brussels in Belgium, Monaco, the regions of Quebec and Acadia in Canada, and by various communities elsewhere. Second-language speakers of French are distributed throughout many parts...
storytelling.
Possible link with Paul Martin Sr
Deschênes and Bénéteau record the suggestion by Madame Carrière that her late husband's work on the French storytelling tradition in the Windsor/Detroit area, for which Groulx was claimed as his chief source, was carried out at the significant encouragement of a fellow Franco-OntarianFranco-Ontarian
Franco-Ontarians are French Canadian or francophone residents of the Canadian province of Ontario. They are sometimes known as "Ontarois"....
, politician and diplomat Paul Martin, Sr.