I work in a non-profit organization that works locally and globally on behalf of vulnerable children. I have two daughters who attend l’école Victor-Brodeur in Victoria and a stepdaughter who now lives in Montréal.

 

For me, there was never any question about passing on French to my children; it was as obvious as breathing. My husband is Anglophone and at home we speak a mixture of French and English, with the younger ones often translating for the older ones, which we support and encourage every day. My children therefore call themselves bilingual Francophones, and they were quick to grasp that one doesn’t cancel or prevent the other.

 

In our family, we also support volunteering, and my children have known from a very young age that a community is built by those who live there. I’ve always tried to teach them by example this simple life lesson. That’s why I’ve sat on several boards in the Victoria community, including that of the Garderie et Prématernelle Saute-Mouton. I’ve learned a lot there about the challenges for Francophone parents and their preschool and school children in our province.  By becoming a member representing my region on the Board of the Fédération des parents, I hope to be able to give back to the growing Francophone community in British Columbia.