Folk Getaway
French Storytelling, Traditional Music and Dance on Wolfe Island
with the Centre franco ontarien de folklore and the festival Les vieux m'ont conté
ACTIVITY | ENGLISH-FRIENDLY
Sunday October 18, 2026 | 12:00pm(opens in new tab)
St Margaret's Hall, Wolfe Island
Presented as part of the 10th edition of the Les vieux m’ont conté Festival, organized by the Centre franco-ontarien de folklore in Sudbury, this getaway takes you to Wolfe Island to celebrate living heritage and Canadian traditions in a warm and welcoming atmosphere.
Set sail for a folk getaway on Wolfe Island!
For an afternoon, cross the St. Lawrence River and step into the warm atmosphere of traditional gatherings of days gone by: oral storytelling, a shared bowl of pea soup, traditional music, and a called dance to end the afternoon on a high note.
Gather around a bowl of delicious soup, let our storytellers transport you through their tales, then clear the chairs—the fiddles take over and our dance callers invite you onto the dance floor!
No dance experience is necessary. Instructions will be given in both French and English, so everyone can join in.
Whether you love storytelling, traditional music and folklore, or are simply looking for a unique outing in the Thousand Islands, come along!
Program:
11:00 a.m. – Recommended departure from Kingston
Board the ferry to Wolfe Island. (by car or on foot)
12:15 p.m. – Welcome at St. Margaret’s Hall
(Approx. an 8-minute walk from the ferry terminal)
Help yourself to pea soup, get comfortable, and enjoy the atmosphere.
12:20–1:00 p.m. – Storytelling and oral tradition
Featuring Quebec storyteller Françoise Crête and French storyteller Sklaeren Huré.
1:00–2:00 p.m. – Traditional music and called dance
Join the dance to the sounds of traditional music! Dances will be called in both French and English. No experience or partner required.
Storytellers
Françoise Crête
Françoise Crête has been travelling the roads of storytelling since 2003, after exploring theatre, mime, and clowning. She has presented her shows across Quebec, Nova Scotia, and internationally. Her characters, often women, draw from both imagination and tradition, taking audiences on surprising and thought-provoking journeys.
Sklaeren
Sklaeren, a Breton storyteller, combines rigor and boldness. Sixteen years ago, she created the “improviconte,” a unique fusion of traditional storytelling and theatre improvisation. Today, she brings her stories and improvicontes wherever open hearts and ears are ready to listen.
Musicians
Teilhard Frost
A multi-instrumentalist passionate about traditional music, Teilhard explores Appalachian fiddle tunes alongside the sounds of banjo and harmonica. For nearly 20 years, he has toured with Sheesham, Lotus & ‘Son and collaborated on various music and film projects. Based on Wolfe Island, he composes, builds banjos, and keeps traditional music alive through his solo and collaborative projects. His album Four and Twenty Blackbirds Dancing on a Deer Skin brings together fiddle and banjo tunes, harmonica, and traditional ballads.
Benoit Schryer-Lefebvre
Born into a family of musicians, Benoit Schryer-Lefebvre brings Canadian and Irish traditional music to life on fiddle, tenor banjo, mandolin and guitar. An accomplished musician, he has performed across Canada and the United States, carrying on a rich family tradition of music.
Dance Callers
Maryse Chalifoux
After 40 years in molecular biology research, Maryse now devotes her energy to her community and traditional dance. An active volunteer, she serves as treasurer for a community garden and helps serve breakfast at a Kingston elementary school. She is also a passionate contra dancer who believes traditional dance brings people together through joy, connection, and community.
Tom Henbest
Having grown up in Upper Canada Village, Thomas Henbest has been fascinated by the old time ways his entire life. He is currently the music director, music historian and head researcher at UCV as well as performer and dance caller. He has done extensive research in the field of early community dance, particularly in the years around 1867. He plays piano, fiddle, banjo, and concertina among other antiquated instruments, and raises chickens and goats on a small holding in Gallingertown, Ontario.
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