Our activities in pictures

As part of its new project "Building capacity for equitable services for refugees and newcomers", SOFIFRAN held a community mobilization session that brought together more than thirty participants on July 26, 2026, at Église Sacré-Coeur in Welland.

Canadian Multiculturalism Day took place on Saturday, June 27, 2026.

Students from École élémentaire Franco-Niagara took part in the launch of the Appren’TISSAGE project on June 12, 2026, together with the other Viamonde schools in Niagara.

Students from École secondaire Franco-Niagara took part in the launch of the Appren’TISSAGE project on June 12, 2026, together with the other Viamonde schools in Niagara.

Students from École élémentaire L’Héritage took part in the launch of the Appren’TISSAGE project on June 12, 2026, along with the other Viamonde schools in Niagara.

Students from École élémentaire LaMarsh took part in the launch of the Appren’TISSAGE project on June 12, 2026, together with the other Viamonde schools in Niagara.

Students from École élémentaire Nouvel Horizon took part in the launch of the Appren’TISSAGE project on June 12, 2026, together with the other Viamonde schools in Niagara.

Students at Collège Français took part in mental health awareness activities under the Vice Versa grant D-53774.

Students at Micheline-Saint-Cyr made small wooden objects during a workshop held in the school gymnasium, with the Vice Versa grant D-53774.

All of the students at Pierre-Elliott-Trudeau came together in the gymnasium for an activity in French, supported by Vice Versa grant D-53774.

A musical welcome party for Toronto Ouest students, hosted by a DJ, with Vice Versa grant D-53774.

Students at Charles-Sauriol took part in a percussion and rhythm workshop, a doorway into world music, as part of the Les Voix du futur project.

Students at Gabrielle Roy took part in the activities of the Voix du Futur project: a magic show by Marc Trudel where mathematics becomes a trick, then an improv workshop on stage.

École La Mosaïque came alive to the rhythm of an energetic, unifying show by Just Asai (Gumboots), as part of the Voix du Futur project.

The Micheline-Saint-Cyr improv team took home the bronze medal at the Tournoi des Oursons, held at École secondaire Michelle O’Bonsawin, as part of the Les Voix du futur project.

Students at Michelle O’Bonsawin took part in the Voix du Futur project: a show and improv workshop with Improteines, then living museums to meet inventors and pioneers, all in French.

Students at Pierre-Elliott-Trudeau celebrated their commitment with their mascot, under the motto “Les mots comptent” (words matter), as part of the Les Voix du futur project.

Students at Toronto Ouest took part in a djembe workshop led by a professional musician, as part of the Les Voix du futur project.

Students at Gaétan-Gervais designed their own fabric bags, with the school crest and their own drawings, as part of Vice Versa grant D-54196.

A year of activities in French at David-Saint-Jacques: robotics and a competition, a sushi workshop, a health sciences workshop, henna art and end-of-year games, thanks to Vice Versa grant D-54198.

On May 24, 2026, at 100 Garnet Street, SOFIFRAN was pleased to host the Niagara Folk Arts Festival 2026, a wonderful day of cultural celebration, sharing and discovery.

On May 10, SOFIFRAN had the pleasure of hosting a wonderful Mother’s Day celebration in Welland, bringing together close to 90 participants in a warm, festive and family-friendly atmosphere.

To mark Mother's Day, SOFIFRAN invites you to a special event dedicated to honouring and celebrating moms. The day will be a one-of-a-kind moment of sharing, warmth and inspiration, in a friendly family atmosphere.

On Saturday, March 21, 2026, the Salon du Livre des Francophonies du Niagara (SAFRAN) once again brought the community together at the Niagara Artists Centre for a day rich in culture, conversation and discovery.

Presentation of the book Petit GPS to the Lieutenant Governor by Mama Fété on March 13, 2026.

The Festiv’Ébène 2026 festival, organized by SOFIFRAN, runs from February 5 to 28, 2026 in the Niagara region (Welland/St. Catharines) under the theme "Roots and Resonance".

A few photos of the exhibition taken this morning at École secondaire catholique Saint-Jean-de-Brébeuf in Welland with Professor Amadou Ba

On Saturday, December 13, 2025, SOFIFRAN held its Christmas party and its intergenerational evening at Sacred Heart Parish, 72 Empire Street, Welland, Ontario.

Fété Ngira-Batware Kimpiobi has been the founder and executive director of SOFIFRAN (Solidarité des femmes immigrantes francophones du Niagara) since it began, in 2007.

Do you have plans for a home child care and want to take them to the next level? Good news: the Sofifran mentorship workshops continue tonight!

On November 2, 2025, Welland City Hall hosted the screening of “2 Rives et Dérives”, an original Sofifran production directed by Saïd Ben as part of the Canal S project, during National Francophone Immigration Week.

Niagara celebrates Francophone diversity!

On September 25, 2025, the Francophonie of Welland, St. Catharines and the surrounding area celebrated the 50th anniversary of the Franco-Ontarian flag in style.

On Sunday, September 21, 2025, Sofifran held its annual general meeting. The team presented the activity report and the year in review, giving a clear overall picture of what has been accomplished and of the projects under way.

Organized by Mosaïque Interculturel for young people aged 6 to 12 in Montreal, in the beautiful setting of the Afro Musée de Montréal.

On June 29, 2025, SOFIFRAN celebrated Canadian Multiculturalism Day at the Welland market, in a warm and festive atmosphere.

Sofifran’s open house

Sofifran at Festiv’Ébène

A wonderful recognition for our dear Maman Fété!

Tuesday, April 8, 2025, 6:00 p.m. Tel | 905 714 7333, Cell | 905 226 5282 Address: 8-165 Plymouth Rd, Welland ON L3B 3E1

LE SAFRAN, Salon du livre des Francophonies du Niagara, went by far too quickly, and in far too good company, for me to give a faithful summary of it. But I will be back!

A Sofifran initiative funded by the Ministry of Francophone Affairs. Official launch March 20

As it does every year, the organization Sofifran held a festive event to strengthen the ties between Niagara’s Francophone communities and newcomers.

The 18th edition of the FestivÉbène festival marked a turning point in the celebration of the diversity and the richness of African cultures.

Welland, February 15, 2025. SOFIFRAN is pleased to announce that it has received $362,391 in funding through the Women’s Program of the Department for Women and Gender Equality of Canada.

On July 1, 2024, SOFIFRAN celebrated Canada Day alongside francophone and francophile families from the Niagara region.

On Sunday, June 23, the Francophone community of Welland celebrated the Fête de la St. Jean at the Auberge Richelieu.

On June 17, we had the honour of taking part in the graduation ceremony for the students of École Sacré-Cœur in Welland. Josette Aubourg-Valcourt, our dedicated program coordinator, represented SOFIFRAN at this memorable event.

After a successful Father’s Day celebration in 2023, Sofifran chose to do it again on June 15 at Memorial Park in Welland. About sixty people, mainly from Niagara, Welland, St.

To promote student leadership, the students created a long-term project on overall well-being connected to social justice.

The 56th Niagara Folk Arts Festival ran from May 2 to 26 in the region’s various cultural clubs.

Dear authors, partners, teachers, technicians and volunteers, I invite you to look through a few pictures from the Salon du livre des Francophonies du Niagara.

Ladies and gentlemen, we would like to warmly thank everyone who honoured the diversity of Francophone cultures during the Francophonie Month celebrations.

ALEXIA GROUSSON For a second year in a row, Sofifran presented the Salon du livre Francophone du Niagara (SAFRAN) from March 21 to 24 at Brock University in St. Catharines.

We are pleased to announce our first hands-on session on African doughnut recipes with the women who have registered. The event takes place on Saturday, March 16 at 3 p.m. in the kitchens of Holy Trinity Church, at 77 Division Street, Welland.

As part of International Women’s Rights Day, Sofifran welcomed the women of its community on March 9 to celebrate this important occasion at the Four Points Sheraton Hotel in Thorold.

“We want to close the distance between peoples,” says Fété Ngira-Batware Kimpiobi, Executive Director of Sofifran.

WELLAND, September 7, 2023. SOFIFRAN is delighted to announce to the community that the Canadian Women's Foundation has awarded it an economic development grant of $260,000.00, spread over four years.

This new Sofifran project is funded by the Ontario Trillium Foundation through its Resilient Communities Fund program.

Local groups welcome the streamlined process that will let more francophone immigrants come to Canada, but the federal government will also have to lower employment barriers once they arrive, they say.

Canada Day

As part of our “ART’ifice” project, carried out with the organization SOFIFRAN and the Conseil scolaire Viamonde, we took part in several activities that brought our schools together to build connections and a sense of belonging in our diverse community.

As part of our Appren’TISSAGE project, carried out with the organization SOFIFRAN and the Conseil scolaire Viamonde, we took part in several activities that brought our schools together to build connections and a sense of belonging in our diverse community.

The Festiv’Ébène Festival is back in person. Do not miss the 16th edition, full of surprises!!

Sofifran event, February 25, 2023

As part of Black History Month (BHM), SOFIFRAN, in collaboration with Brock University and the First Ontario Performing Arts Centre (FOPAC) in St. Catharines, presents the exhibition Spirit of Mali from February 4 to 10.

On Saturday, February 4, Sofifran launched the first activity of the Festiv'Ébène 2023 Festival with the opening of the exhibition "Spirit of Mali" by artist Stève Viès. The event took place at the FirstOntario PAC in St. Catharines.

In early August, Sofifran held its annual barbecue, which this year added a variety of games for the community’s young people. Soccer was clearly their favourite.

The last few weeks of 2022 were certainly busy ones for the staff and members of SOFIFRAN in Niagara. December began with an intergenerational evening held at Holy Trinity Church in Welland.

We want to say a special thank you to Vice Versa for giving SOFIFRAN the chance to create these unforgettable moments of joy last June and in September 2022, in collaboration with all the Conseil scolaire Viamonde schools in the Niagara region.

The Multi'arts summer camp is back. Hurry, spaces are limited!! Register your children at this email address: info@sofifran.org

Let’s start August in style and have fun all together! Sofifran is putting on 2 big activities for you on August 1: the SOFIFRAN games for young people and the community’s annual BBQ and potluck.

To celebrate Canadian Multiculturalism Day and Canada Day with its ethnocultural communities, SOFIFRAN held a community celebration on July 1 at the Welland Farmers Market.

On Friday, July 1, let us celebrate Canada Day. For the occasion, Sofifran is putting on a big multicultural buffet at Welland Farmers' Market, 70 Young St, Welland, ON L3B 4C5, at 3 pm.

The Niagara Folk Arts Festival and its seven cultural clubs recently held 11 open houses across the region, and on June 11, at Immaculate Conception Parish in St.

Open house. Saturday, June 11 at 4 p.m. at the Immaculée Conception parish hall, 99 Garnet Street, St.

This project, funded by the Ontario Trillium Foundation in the amount of $50,600, allows Sofifran to purchase technical filming equipment, to develop content, tools and resources available online, to create a digital development unit and to offer training to its employees, its staff and its volunteers.

The project is about building and setting up a community of practice where young Black entrepreneurs can grow their organizational capacity and get advisory services to improve their results.

During the last week of April, the organization Solidarité des femmes et familles interconnectées francophones du Niagara (Sofifran) launched the project “Community of practice in entrepreneurship for Black communities”.

Sofifran has received a $12,000 grant from the Canadian Heritage celebration and commemoration program, under its Canada en fête stream. The event, a large free multicultural buffet, will be held on July 1 at the Welland Farmers Market.

Do you know Widjila? Come and discover this dish from northern Mali and the story behind it on Friday, May 20 at 7 p.m.

National Francophone Immigration Week is made up of many activities, some playful, some educational, often both at once.

A year ago, the Ontario Trillium Foundation, through its Resilient Communities Fund, awarded a grant to SOFIFRAN.

A cultural, artistic and thoroughly entertaining gathering you will not want to miss, this Thursday, May 12 at 7 p.m. Come sit around our virtual fire and let Mr.

On Sunday, May 8, Sofifran celebrated Francophone immigrant mothers in Niagara with gifts and a potluck that brought together more than 60 adults and children.

Sunday, May 8, from 3 p.m. to 6 p.m. at Welland City Hall. A beautiful celebration in honour of the immigrant mothers of Niagara.

The Table interagence du Niagara held its monthly online gathering on April 26, a chance for organizations across the region to share their projects and activities.

On Saturday, February 26, Sofifran celebrated 15 years in Niagara along with 15 years of the Festiv’Ébène festival, on the theme of “Living Memories”.

It is always striking to see just how much SOFIFRAN buzzes with activities and projects.

Are you a student at Csc Mon Avenir looking for a summer job? Here is a research assistant position that could be a good fit for you.

On February 28, Sofifran’s executive director, Fété Kimpiobi, proudly marked the end of Black History Month (BHM).

The most important events of Black History Month fall in the last days of February. Festiv’Ébène is one of them and, like all the others, had to be held online.

Starting your own business is a dream for many of us! Yes, but how?

Over the years and through its many activities, Sofifran, although based in Welland, has built ties with the institutions and communities across the region it serves, Niagara.

At the end of a very full year, the organization Sofifran held its annual general meeting (AGM) in Welland on Sunday, June 23.