Videos

Marie-Josée Karwanyi, born in Rwanda and of French-Canadian maternal origins, meets the Benhar family who arrived in Hawkesbury from Morocco in February 2020, just before the pandemic! Together, these cheerful people talk about their traditions and passions, inspired by questions asked by young school ambassadors Rosalie Lucas (École secondaire catholique régionale de Hawkesbury), Liam Vallières (École élémentaire publique Nouvel-Horizon) and Adèle Lavigne (École secondaire catholique régionale de Hawkesbury). Additionally, popular singer Céleste Lévis and her great partner Marc-Antoine “JOLY” from Hawkesbury share their favorite traditions and songs that celebrate the francophone identity! To conclude this series, Lynda Clouette-Mackay explains the mission and the impressive intercultural programming of the Centre culturel Le Chenail in Hawkesbury, which she directs with heart and passion.

Haitian Jimmy Bereth from Port au Prince, who has just put down roots in the area, discusses traditions and pride in the “Perle des Antilles” with two great friends who have stayed in his country: Nathalie Ladouceur from Hawkesbury, and Stéphanie Quesnel with whom he started a family. Alternately, the trio answers questions from young school ambassadors Zachary Gagné (École élémentaire catholique Curé-Labrosse), Liam Vallières (École élémentaire publique Nouvel-Horizon) and Parfait Niyonyishu (École secondaire publique Le Sommet). Furthermore, the Haitian singer, Ferline Regis, who impressed thousands of people on The Voice in Québec (La Voix), will perform a song in Creole and a symbolic composition of the immigrant’s journey, performed with guitarist Sean Duhaime.

Three generations of the Charbonneau family, very active in the organization of the Hawkesbury Trad Day, meet the Gainville-Beaussart family from France who, like Champlain, fell in love with the village of L’Orignal! We exchange heartfelt traditions by answering questions from young school ambassadors Annabella Lalande (École secondaire publique Le Sommet), Xavier Bonneau (École élémentaire publique Nouvel-Horizon) and Alexandre Sauvé (École élémentaire catholique Saint-Grégoire). Bringing warmth and sunshine to the meeting, artist Suzan Richards, native of the island of Dominica, and Éric Sara, from Central Africa, provide an explosion of Afro-Caribbean dances with Creole accents, and the rhythm of African drums!

In this episode, Métis Nathalie Lessard meets Sheima Kesraoui from Tunisia, who has recently moved to the Hawkesbury area. With questions from school ambassadors Marc-Antoine Tweed (École élémentaire catholique Saint-Grégoire), Marie-Audrey Ladouceur (École élémentaire catholique Paul VI) and Thomas Beaulne (École élémentaire catholique Saint-Jean-Baptiste), we explore, among other things, the traditions of the Voyageurs and the Gates of Tunisia. As a complement, the Métis Christian Pilon offers us Anishinabe songs from his ancestors while sharing the symbolism of the traditional birchbark canoe. All this, on the banks of the Kitchissippi in unceded Algonquin territory.

In this episode, Nadine Biloa, recently arrived in Hawkesbury from Cameroon, meets proud sons of immigrants active in the community: Tony Tsourounakis (Greece) and Lino Gambuto (Italy). Thanks to the questions of young school ambassadors Mathis Patenaude (École secondaire catholique régionale de Hawkesbury), Gabrielle Saumure (École élémentaire catholique Saint-Jean-Baptiste) and Philippe Viau (École secondaire catholique régionale de Hawkesbury), we travel through the heart of traditions from four continents. In addition, the artist Louis Racine and the Pourquoi pas will get the party going by sharing typical elements of French-Canadian folklore. Swingue la bacaisse dans l’fond d’la boîte à… patates grecques!

Gilles Trahan, a Hawkesbury teacher with proud Northern Ontario roots, meets Gabriel Garcia, an Aztec artist from Mexico and very active leader in intercultural promotion in the region. One by one, the young school ambassadors Étienne Latulippe Dicaire (École élémentaire catholique Paul VI), Mikael Fournier (École secondaire catholique régionale de Hawkesbury) and Maéva Poulin (École élémentaire publique Nouvel-Horizon) ask them questions about cultural traditions that are close to their hearts. In addition, we get to enjoy Gabriel’s Aztec traditions through the presentation of a ritual as well as a song, dance and music of his nation, known as the Mexicas!