Arrière-cour, Montréal, an oil painting by John Mlacak was presented to Nancy McKeraghan of Newmarket, Ontario, winner of the draw, by Beth Mlacak on October 15, 2016. Nancy is the newly elected Vice-President of Canadian Parents for French (CPF).

Karen Lynch of Edmonton, Alberta, the new President of CPF, won a Mlacak oil painting in 2014. CPF’s 40th anniversary conference was celebrated in Ottawa on October 14 to 16. The conference brought together the members who founded CPF in 1977 at a special event in their honour. Among the founding members are John and Beth Mlacak and it became a tradition for them to donate a painting of John’s as a fundraiser during the organization’s national conferences. Beth continued the tradition after John’s death in 2014.

CPF is a nationwide, research informed, volunteer organization that champions the opportunity to learn and use French for all those who call Canada home. There are 23,000 members and 10 branches. CPF knows that it is widely acknowledged that the benefits of learning French extend beyond enhanced first language skills and increased employment opportunities. These include significant cognitive and academic benefits, and the development of interpersonal and intercultural skills. French second language in Canada benefits millions of children and youth today.