This year, she celebrates her 50th birthday, 30 years of career and 20 years of love with her husband, Ken. Over the years, Julie Bélanger has built a life in her image, in perfect harmony with her deepest values. I feel privileged to count this beautiful human among my close friends, and equally privileged to speak with her today to take stock of a pivotal moment in her life, where happiness is definitely there.
Mariphotographe CO
Julie, you turned 50 this year. I want to take a trip back in time, to discover who the little girl in you was.
Little Julie was a little girl who dreamed a lot. Growing up on the North Shore, a place where nothing obstructed my vision, where I could contemplate the horizon, gave me the right to dream big. It was like there was no limit!
The North Shore is so important to you, it is an integral part of your identity. What has your part of the country left you?
There’s a raw side that I really like there. The elements are larger than life, and the climate can be so harsh at times that there is no room for pretense. This true, authentic aspect, I inherited it from home. Freedom is super important to me, and it definitely comes from my North Shore. I think there is no place where I feel more free than when I am there, on a beach, with the immense sky and the river as far as the eye can see.
Mariphotographe CO
That’s why you need to go back there so much, because this place anchors you with both feet on the ground!
I feel whole every time I go back, like a piece of me lives there full time. At home, I’m not in representation, I can dress all dressed up, have a duvet on my head. I see my family, my cousins, I’m good… just good.
The last time we spoke, you told me that you wanted to buy a chalet on the North Shore, but that it didn’t work out. Has this file moved forward?
Yes! I finally made this dream come true: I have owned a chalet since this morning! I’m saying it out loud for the first time, and it freaks me out a little! (laughs) I even get a little tear in my eye when I talk about it. I’ve seen some beaches in my life. Every time I go on a trip, I visit beaches. It’s not complicated, it takes a lot for me to be happy. Well, for me, the beach at my chalet is the most beautiful in the world!
Since we’ve known each other, I’ve often heard you say phrases like: “This project wasn’t for me” or, on the contrary, “It was for me!” Do you really believe in this famous timing in life?
Yes, really. You see, I was saddened that the previous chalet purchase didn’t work out, but in the end, the perfect chalet for us was waiting for us. It is small, modest, but simply heavenly. It all happened really unexpectedly. Ken and I were looking without really believing it, because there are very few chalets for sale in that area. And then, our dream came true.
Where does this resilience come from, this tendency to wait for the right moment, not to force things?
I can’t explain where it comes from, I think I’ve always had it in me. I’ve always had a pretty strong instinct. For example, I remember exactly the moment when I announced to my mother that I was going to do television, during a walk on a boulevard in Port-Cartier. For me, it was obvious, linked to a strong intuition.
There are times in your career when you have completely thrown yourself into the void! Have you ever been paralyzed by fear?
Of course! But I think my desire to achieve my dreams is more powerful than my fear of failing! (laughs) After studying communications in Quebec, I had two jobs: one on television and the other on radio. For me, who came from a small town of 5,000 inhabitants, Quebec was already huge… but not big enough to make my dream come true! So I left this city to settle in Montreal.
Mariphotographe CO
Jumping into the void, you’ve done it a few times during your career.
It’s true. When I left Two girls in the morningit was a decision taken without a net, nothing expected me. But I listened to my little inner voice and then received an offer on the radio, at Rythme FM, then another to host the show The bosses!.
It takes courage to leave a job, especially in our profession, because there are many called, but few chosen. You have been working hard for 30 years in the artistic field, respecting yourself, prioritizing yourself. It’s to your credit!
When I take a look behind me, I realize that I have a path that resembles me. I made choices in my image, without distorting myself. If I had to do it again, I would take the same path, because I am happy with what I have accomplished.
Everything you say is great, it sounds like you. On a personal level now, would you also take the same path?
Again, the answer is yes, because I have built a life that I love, which perfectly suits my values. My husband, my waterfront house, my friends, I have everything I wanted in life. (Julie thinks and adds with a smile…) This weekend, Ken and I stood in front of our fireplace, a small glass of wine in hand, watching our two dogs play together. I said to myself: “This is happiness!”
We can officially announce it: you adopted a new dog!
We’ve been wanting a second dog for a while, a female. When we were looking for a name for her, we thought of Patsy. Why this particular name? Because Ken had a sister named Patty. She died very young, when she was eight and he was six.
So, Patsy, this is in her honor!
Exactly. And guess what temporary name the breeder gave our dog following his birth? Patty! Well let’s see! What breeder names a dog Patty? I had never heard that in my life! This is how the beautiful Patsy came into our lives, to the great joy of her sister, Toutoune!
It’s such a beautiful story! Your family is now complete. It’s a different family, but it’s yours!
I opened up in an interview about the loss of motherhood. This grief is over for me. I sincerely think that there is a way to give maternal love in other ways, like, among others, to my goddaughter, Emma, and to my brother’s new child, Félix. But the love of animals also brings me a lot, because it fills a need for affection, a need to take care of others.
Julie, I feel happy like never before. Is there something missing from your happiness?
I swear, Ingrid, I’m not missing anything. I would like to take a Polaroid of this precise moment in my life, and then say: “OK, we’re not touching anything anymore!” All my loved ones are well, everyone is healthy. I am currently experiencing the best years of my life. I like hearing you say that. We feel that you are sincere, that you really mean it.
Last year, you released the documentary Imparfaite. Could you have made this documentary at 30 or 40?
Oh, no! For a long time, I hid behind the host. Then, during the therapy that followed my burnout, I understood that I shouldn’t keep everything inside. Initially, when I started setting my limits, I was very harsh. Then, little by little, I went to find tools, I learned to drop the mask, to show who I really am. I embarked on the production of the documentary Imparfaite when I was strong enough to tackle more personal questions.
Through this documentary, we see your loved ones, including your husband, Ken, who is usually very discreet. Is it by choice?
Because he doesn’t like being in the light? You know, the artistic world is not his world, it’s not his job. We reached an agreement: if I organize a launch or if I am nominated for a project, he will be by my side. Otherwise, he will remain in the shadows. It’s an effort for him, it’s anxiety-inducing, he doesn’t enjoy it. He really does it because he loves me. You see, he was present at the launch of my NOVA jewelry collection. It took a lot out of him, but in the end, he had friends there and he had a great evening.
Otherwise, is he in the shadows?
Quite. I have my career, he has his. That said, that doesn’t mean he’s not interested in what I do. On the contrary, he gives me excellent advice, because he takes an outside look at my environment. I’m also interested in what he does, but our professional and personal lives are separate.
Ken, he’s the man of your life. Why did you choose it?
Because it was simple and it was obvious, from the first time we kissed. He and I make a good team. When something happens in my life, he’s the first one I call. We have the same vision of the future, the same plans, we are heading in the same direction. Then, when we lose sight of each other, because it happens, as in all couples, we manage to create bridges, to find each other again.
MARIO BEAUREGARD/AGENCE QMI
This year, you are celebrating your 50th birthday, your 30 years of career and almost 20 years with your lover, including 15 years of marriage. What can we wish you for the future?
I want to practice my job for as long as possible. I got a taste of producing a documentary series with Imparfaite and I loved having both hands on the wheel, being involved in all the decisions. I am now an associate producer at It Ends the Week Well. Perhaps the host will make more and more room for the producer. On a more personal note, I can’t wait to relax on the beach at my cottage on the North Shore. My husband, my dogs, my family, my friends and the river on the horizon… nothing can make me happier!
It’s a good end to the weekFriday 7 p.m., on TVA. To discover her NOVA jewelry collection: draecollection.com. $1 per piece of jewelry sold is donated to Tel-Aide Montréal.
