3 Franco-Ontarians on the list of influential personalities of the Canadian Francophonie

The young poet laureate of Greater Sudbury Alex Tétreault, the long-time activist Claudette Gleeson and the late defender of the social economy Ethel Côté are among the ten influential personalities of the Canadian Francophonie of 2024.

I was a little in shock! I really, really didn’t expect that! I feel very excited, but above all very grateful.

Francopresse highlights how rich the year 2024 has been for the playwright who has accumulated projects and awards: the Audace Réseau Ontario prize and the Alliance Acadie Prize for his play Nickel City Fives and the publication of the text of his play by Éditions Prize de parole.

His mandate as poet laureate of Greater Sudbury began in June and will continue in 2025. He serves as president of Théâtre Action and is generously involved in his community.

What motivates me is the people around me, it’s the community that I love, which welcomes me with open arms.

Even if we are few in number […] we are capable of doing miracles with pinotteshe exclaims, recognizing the work of everyone to ensure the survival and development of a vibrant and dynamic Francophone community, despite the challenges of working in a minority environment.

While he admits to being affected by imposter syndrome, he is delighted that this recognition reaches a little to silence that voice and to nourish it with renewed confidence for the year to come.

Continue the battle

For Ms. Gleeson, this recognition is aimed at all Francophones who campaign to keep the culture and language.

I don’t think I deserve it! […] For me, it’s being rewarded for something that I am naturally. […] For me, it’s natural to be able to fight for those who have no voice!

She went to the front against the locality of Greenstone after the latter decided to remove the Franco-Ontarian flag from the city hall mast where it had flown permanently since 2015.

In order to annul this decision, which touched her personally even if she resides Thunder Bayshe fought through petitions and deputations before the municipal council and led a campaign for a hundred green and white flags to envelop the community on September 25, 2024, Franco-Ontarian Day .

She is not giving up and intends to continue waging this battle in 2025.

Note that Ms. Gleeson also chairs several key organizations in the North-West: the Association des francophones du Nord-Ouest de l’Ontario, the Conseil scolaire de district catholique des Aurores boréales, Accueil francophone de Thunder Bay and the French-speaking Center of Thunder Bay.

A pioneer of the social economy

Ethel Côté, for her part, received this tribute posthumously. Qualified in the press release pioneer of social innovation, champion of the solidarity economy and figurehead of women’s economic empowermentshe died of cancer on October 16, 2024.

She has many accomplishments to her credit, including the founding of the social economy enterprise mécènESS as well as the direction of the social enterprise Impact ON, and was the founding president of La Nouvelle Scène in Ottawa.

Numerous honors and distinctions have also been bestowed upon him; she was received into the Order of Caisses Populaires de l’Ontario, the Ordre de la Pléiade, the Order of Ontario and the Order of Canada, among others.

Making the figureheads shine

The 10th edition of this list was established by Francopresse in partnership with the Société acadienne de Clare in Nova Scotia. This annual initiative aims to highlight the work of leaders who contribute powerfully to the advancement, promotion or influence of the Canadian Francophoniespecifies the press release.

As honorary president, the general director of the Société acadienne de Clare, Natalie Robichaud expressed how participating in the selection jury and chairing the committee was a true privilege. Ms. Robichaud is one of the winners of the 2023 Palmarès.

This Palmarès is a celebration of our cultural heritage as well as those who carry it with passion.

For Julien Cayouette, editor-in-chief of Francopresse, the exercise allows the public to discover personalities who work far from the spotlight. It qualifies the applications submitted as impressive vintage.

In total, around thirty applications were submitted to the jury by Canadian French-speaking minority newspapers that are members of Réseau.Presse.