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Descendants de la Vallée du Saint-Laurent

Cléo Ducharme et son épouse Flore, Rosanna Généreux et Joseph Ducharme (Rosanna et Jos sont mes grands-parents). Photo courtesy of Joëlle Roy

"This French poem pays homage to the residents of the St. Lawrence valley who moved to Ontario in search of a better life working in the mines."

By

Joëlle Roy

Francophone heritage, MyOntario

Published Date:17 Feb 2017

Photo: Cléo Ducharme et son épouse Flore, Rosanna Généreux et Joseph Ducharme (Rosanna et Jos sont mes grands-parents). Photo courtesy of Joëlle Roy

Il est parti au chantier
Y avait à peine 15 ans
Y a moyen de s’en sortir
Pour ça, faut faire d’l’argent
Y en a en Ontario sous la muck dans les mines
Parlait anglais comme un fro
Traité comme un mangeux d’bines
M’a t’en faire
Il s’est pas laissé faire

Mon père a fait son goddam best
Et puis ma mère, elle s’est occupée du reste

Elle, a voulait enseigner, être maîtresse dans un village
C’est pas comme ça que ça s’est passé, pognée dans le virage
Why not faire le ménage dans une maison de riche
Si ça paie les voyages, moi j’veux ben faire la boniche
Logée, nourrie; aventure y compris

Chante, chante, chante
Sur la colline chante
Le bonheur, c’est quand, c’est quand on
chante

Un enfant, deux enfants, trois, quatre,
jusqu’à dix
Autant de déménagements, la terre, la
business
Toujours les shifts à la mine
Les shifts de 8 heures
Un double de temps en temps
Pour se payer un petit Bonheur

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