A monument to 300 years of francophone settlement in Windsor-Essex, especially Sandwich, will enjoy a public unveiling Friday, March 21.

The canoe-shaped monument was originally displayed at Place Concorde in Forest Glade. Because of its fragile state, it was disassembled and has now been reconstructed. Danny Maltais, a local francophone and Indigenous artist, was charged with reconceptualizing the canoe, which will now be placed near the new Gordie Howe International Bridge on the Detroit River.

The project was made possible by the Association of Franco-Ontarian Communities of Windsor-Essex-Chatham-Kent (ACFO WECK), with the sponsorship of the community benefits plan of the Gordie Howe International Bridge and the Francophone Community Grants Program of the Government of Ontario.

"We wanted to move our historical legacy to where it all began, close to the river, where Antoine de Lamothe-Cadillac arrived by canoe,” says Gisèle Dionne, executive director of ACFO WECK. “This monument has been our identity for over 300 years. It's part of our roots.”

The unveiling will take place at 90 Mill St. at 5:30 p.m. Friday and is open to all as part of the celebration of Francophonie Month.