As it was early in the 19th century, the French Canadian influence is all around you in the historic Fort.

Bilingual signage, French-speaking interpreters, and the French living quarters adds an extra bit of flair for those visiting the Fort Langley National Historic Site.

The people living in and around Fort Langley today are deeply rooted in French culture.

Lisa Peppan, a longtime volunteer at the Fort, is a descendent of Etienne Pepin, who worked at the site for 33 years as a farmer, blacksmith, and master tradesman.

She is interested in her genealogy, and started the website Children of Fort Langley: www.fortlangley.ca.

The present-day Antone family from Kwanlen First Nation are descendants of Narcisse Fallardeau, the cook at the Fort's Big House for more than 20 years.

Travel back some 185 years, and you'll discover that the French-speaking people from Eastern Canada were mostly responsible for the Fort's origins.

In 1827, James McMillan arrived on the Fraser River with an Iroquois, a Hawaiian, several Britons and Scots, but mostly French Canadians.

This band of workers built the first Fort Langley in hopes of establishing trade relations with the First Nations.

At the peak of its fur trade days, Fort Langley boasted a French-Canadian population of about one-third of its total employees.

As a result, the principal language spoken among the employees would have been French. Many Anglophones holding higher positions in the Hudson's Bay Company were instructed to learn French before they were posted to a fort like Langley.

"While all the fur trade companies in Canada were managed by Scottish and British people, most of the workers were French-Canadian," explained FLNHS marketing manager Nancy Hildebrand. "They made up a big part of the work force."

The relationship between the French-Canadian and First Nations population in Fort Langley during the early 19th century was very good.

"Almost all of them [the French-Canadian men] had wives, and they were all Aboriginal women from the area," Hildebrand said. "They came here to establish trade relationships, and they had a peaceful relationship in mind, and it played out pretty well."

The French culture so embedded in the Fort will be celebrated Jan. 28-29 when the site presents its third annual Vive les voyageurs Winter Festival.

From 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. both days, visitors will experience a celebration of the vibrant French-Canadian culture that thrives today in B.C., and first emerged in the region when the Hudson's Bay Company arrived in 1827 at Fort Langley.

The weekend festival has become a popular item on the FLNHS's calendar.

"People were very excited about it the first year and momentum carried into the second year, as well," said Hildebrand, who added that it's important to highlight the French-Canadian culture in B.C., past and present.

"[French] was the main language spoken by the workers, it is an official language in Canada, and there's a thriving French-Canadian community in British Columbia, today," she said. "We tend to assume they are in Quebec or in the east but there are a lot of French-Canadians here."

Over the two days, hungry visitors can savour French-Canadian favourites such as split pea soup, sugar pie, and poutine at the Full Barrel Caf‚. The caf‚ will also be serving up tourtiŠre.

Children can sing along with children's performers, VAZZY, while making crafts, learning finger weaving, and meeting Parks Canada's new mascot, Parka the Beaver.

Visitors can take part in hands-on spoon-and-jig workshops, M‚tis beadwork demonstrations, and the Fur Trade Wedding.

There will also be a memorable photo opportunity - the site will be displaying a 20-foot inflatable beaver who starred in the closing ceremonies of the Vancouver 2010 Olympics.

Also, those who don't speak French will have the chance to discover some basics through the fun "French 101" program.

"There are lots of music and cultural elements that wouldn't be here on an everyday basis," Hildebrand said.

Regular admission fees apply for the Vive les voyageurs Winter Festival. Admission is $7.80 per adult, free for annual pass holders, and annual family annual pass are $39.20.

All day activities

- Full Barrel Caf‚: poutine, sugar pie, tourtiŠre, beans and bannock

- French-Canadian music by Denis Leclerc and Jacques Leger

- Wood carving by Jean, Cheryl Anne and Jolene Bonhomme

- Finger weaving with Centre Bel Age

- Maple taffy by Soci‚t‚ francophone de Maillardville

- Wool weaving with Henriette Bruneau

- Kids' canoe craft

- Donkey rides

- Blacksmith demonstrations

- Guides in period costume

- Hands-on activities

- Exhibit by Chilliwack M‚tis Association

- Beading and moccasins demonstration with Lisa Shepherd (Saturday only)

Scheduled activiities

10 a.m. Site opens

10:30 a.m. bilingual tour of Fort Langley

11 a.m. Fort Langley history game show

11:30 a.m. Story of the voyageurs

12 p.m. Playing the spoons with Vincent Coulombe

12:30 p.m. Musical performance: Les Jammers

1 p.m. Playing spoons with Vincent Coulombe

1 p.m. French 101 program

1:30 p.m. VAZZY children's performers

1:30 p.m. M‚tis dancers

2 p.m. Fur trade wedding

2:30 p.m. VAZZY Children's performers

2:30 p.m. Storytelling

3 p.m. M‚tis dancers

3:30 p.m. Spoons with Vincent Coulombe

3:30 p.m. VAZZY Children's performers

4 p.m. French 101 Program

4:30 p.m. Fort Langley History Game Show

Pie has French flavour:

A dish being served up at the Fort Langley National Historic Site this weekend is rich, filling comfort food that's distinctly French-Canadian.

TourtiŠre is a traditional French-Canadian meat pie originating from Quebec, though many countries have their own variations.

During the fur trade, many of Fort Langley's employees were French-Canadian, and may very well have prepared this dish on Christmas Eve or other occasions.

TourtiŠre is known for its many variations, which depended on available resources, family traditions and the person cooking it.

One French-Canadian, Narcisse Fallerdeau, was the Big House cook for over 20 years, and could have served a similar dish to Fort Langley's managers.

As a trade depot, Fort Langley had access to dried goods and farm fresh potatoes, peas, and pork.

Other French-Canadian men at Fort Langley served in many roles ranging from language interpreter and cooper to voyageur and blacksmith. Their wives were mostly Coast Salish, so it is quite possible that salmon could have been substituted in this dish.