The IFR
In 1824, Rawdon was home to 475 inhabitants of which 75% came from Ireland. By 1850, the majority of the community was francophone, with its numbers constantly increasing. Businesses and industries also started to crop up.
After the two World Wars, several eastern european families, attracted by the charm of the landscape, set up house in Rawdon and brought with them their contribution to the cultural and economic life of the town.
Today, Polish, Colombian, Irish, Chinese and Russian make up some of the 52 cultural communities that cohabit in harmony in this municipality of 10,250 residents in the heart of the Lanaudière region.
It is from a desire to showcase and share our differences that the Intercultural Festival was born.
The Intercultural Festival is a three day event (August 13 th to August 15 th 2010) that takes place at the municipal beach. The festival-goers are invited to participate in our workshops, taste our traditional dishes, dance and sway to the international sound of our music, compete in our Dragon Boat races, be swept away by our storytellers, to picnic in a picturesque setting, to learn about Rawdon`s heritage by taking part in our guided tour. During its 6 th edition, the festival attracted more than 7000 visitors.
'In organizing the Intercultural Festival, we bring down the borders between cultures. When we learn all the while having fun, we open ourselves up to others and their reality.'
