Surrounded by parents and partners, the Fédération des parents celebrates its 45th anniversary!

The 45th anniversary of the Fédération des parents was celebrated in a big way at its 2024 Conference.

It was time to celebrate the dedication and commitment of Francophone parents, who continue the struggles of their predecessors and promote quality Francophone education throughout all communities in the province. Coming from different regions, the parents, partners, and special guests gathered around a meal to celebrate this anniversary.

Opening Night on Friday, November 22

After a warm greeting, the participants met and chatted during the welcoming reception, and then shared a dinner. During the dinner several speeches were made, including one by the president of the board of directors of the Fédération des parents, Christian Leclerc, who emphasized that “It has been 45 years now since the province’s Francophone parents came together because they believed in the same vision: that their children could be educated and live in French, here in British Columbia. This vision has now become a reality thanks to the continuous hard work of parents.”

The prestigious Martine-Galibois-Barss Award was presented to l’Association des parents d’élèves de l’école Océane in Nanaimo, which has particularly stood out for its achievements this year. The association was represented by Sonia Bishop, APÉ President, and April Canning, APÉ Secretary! Marie-Andrée Asselin, Executive Director of the Fédération des parents, introduced the award by paying tribute to Martine Galibois-Barss, recalling that she was “A great lady and a pioneer, who campaigned and worked for many years to establish the Francophone education system in British Columbia.”

The annual conference of the Fédération des parents is also the event chosen by the Fédération des parents to recognize and celebrate educators who are dedicated to the education of young children in Francophone preschool child care centres in British Columbia. This year, the Award for Excellence in Early Childhood Education in British Columbia was presented to Julie Clavet of la Société de la Garderie et Prématernelle Francophones, also known as la Garderie et Prématernelle Saute-Mouton in Victoria! Julie is known for her leadership, creativity, and sincere love for children.

This year, a surprise (or a little treat) awaited the participants. The Fédération des parents, in partnership with La palette des saveurs sugar shack, offered guests gift packages containing Quebec maple syrup products! La palette des saveurs sugar shack works with parents’ associations in their fundraising efforts. It already has a partnership with one of the parents’ associations that have been members of the Fédération des parents for a few years now, and wants to collaborate with others in the future.

This evening was also an opportunity to remember the progress made by the Fédération des parents since its beginnings. This journey into the past was made via a photo montage. (hyperlink to the video that would be hosted on the site - https://fpfcb.graphem-dev.com/historique/)

Grégory Bernard, journalist and host at Radio-Canada, masterfully hosted this magnificent opening night! Thank you to Radio-Canada for allowing him to participate in this anniversary conference!

A look back at this special anniversary in pictures