The Contributions Of Yukon Francophone Women: With Angélique Bernard
Isabelle Revel (Salesse)
Isabelle Revel (Salesse) was born in 1967 in Montpellier, France. She studied modern languages and tourism at the Université Paul Valéry and graduated with a French-German guiding diploma.
Isabelle arrived in the Yukon in June 1992 with her husband, Jean-Louis. From 1996 to 2002, she was the executive director of la Garderie du petit cheval blanc, the only francophone daycare in the Yukon. In 2000, she collaborated on the creation of a francophone preschool program for four-year-olds that is now part of the regular French as a first-language education system in the Yukon.
From 2002 to 2012, Isabelle was the director of the Service d’orientation et de formation des adultes (SOFA), the counselling and adult-education department at the Association franco-yukonnaise, and became the executive director in 2012. She has contributed to the development of support services for francophone elders, the creation of a referral service in French in the field of justice and the revision of the Health Authority Act.
She greatly contributed to the development of literacy and adult education in French, in the territory and in Canada, and was the president of the Canadian Literacy and Skills Network for several years. In 2018, she received the Council of the Federation Literacy Award for her involvement in this field.
In 2024, she joined the Francopresse list of influential people of the Canadian francophonie for her work in protecting linguistic rights in a minority setting.
In the Yukon, Isabelle found a spectacular landscape, forged lasting friendships, discovered her voice for advocacy and met inspiring people.
Louise Girard
Louise Girard was born in 1952 in Chénéville, in Quebec. In April 1976, Louise left Quebec for the Yukon with her boyfriend, Ronald. They experienced life in a cabin, without electricity or running water. Louise learned how to be resourceful.
In 1981, she started working for the Yukon Native Products, and in 1987 she started her career with the Government of Yukon and occupied various positions, including at the Workers’ Compensation Board; the Department of Health, as health program director; and at the Yukon Housing Corporation, as finance director. When she retired in 2007, she was vice-president of operations.
In 1991, Louise had the opportunity to take part, with many other people from the francophone community, in the play Un jardin sur le toit (A garden on the roof).
Louise was treasurer of the board of directors of the Association franco-yukonnaise, a member of the board of directors of the Teen Parent Centre, and treasurer of the Mount Sima ski resort, at the beginning of the organization in the ’90s. She organized numerous fundraising events for the dance troupe Les Souliers dansants, was a treasurer of the Tagish Community Association, as well as treasurer and an active member of the Tagish Volunteer Fire Department. She also assisted Thérèse Lacroix with the Guides program in French. She is passionate about travelling and discovering new cultures.
Louise is a happy grandmother of four grandchildren (two girls and two boys). It is the best gift that life could have given her.
Marie-Stéphanie Gasse
Marie-Stéphanie Gasse grew up in Quebec City. The outdoors and nature have been important activities throughout her life. During her childhood, she spent weeks in a small cabin in Matane Park. The family went fishing and would get up at 5 a.m. to observe moose and other animals. She was a part of the Guiding Movement, where she developed her love of canoeing and camping.
The call of the wild brought her to the Yukon in 1998. She wanted to learn English and the North had always fascinated her. She came back for good in 2001 and got involved in the board of directors of Les Essentielles and became the executive director, in 2003, for one year. She then worked as a bilingual family counsellor for the Government of Yukon, over the next 15 years.
Marie-Stéphanie was the Yukon representative on the board of directors of the Alliance des femmes de la francophonie canadienne (Canadian Alliance of francophone women), between 2008 and 2017, holding the position of vice-president for a few years.
She was president of Les Essentielles (2015 to 2017), and in 2016 she represented Canadian francophone women at the 16th francophonie Summit in Madagascar.
Always devoted to the well-being of her community, Marie-Stéphanie joined the board of directors of the Association franco-yukonnaise as an administrator (2015 to 2017) and vice-president (2018 to 2019).
For Marie-Stéphanie, the Yukon represents splendour, nature and freedom. Among this united and diversified francophone community, she has forged strong friendships over the years.
Sandra Journeaux-Henderson
Sandra Journeaux-Henderson was born in 1940 in Port-Daniel, Quebec. She did most of her elementary and secondary education in English. She continued her studies, to become a certified teacher, by taking university classes in the summer. She also obtained a Bachelor of Arts at Sir George Williams University, in 1977, and a Bachelor of Education at McGill University.
Sandra spent 25 years teaching French in public schools in Quebec, Newfoundland and Saskatchewan. She arrived in the Yukon, in 1981, to teach French in two kindergarten classes at Whitehorse Elementary School.
In the summer of 1982, she telephoned almost everyone in the Whitehorse phone book and found about 60 parents who wished to have a French first-language program in Whitehorse. The French program started in September 1984, with classes from kindergarten to Grade 6. Summer camps and trips to Silver City and Kluane National Park were organized.
For her efforts in promoting education in French, for francophones in the Yukon, Sandra received an honour, in 1986, from the Compagnie des Cent-Associés francophones in Ottawa and, in 1989, she became a Member of the Order of Canada for her work in advancing French as a first-language program.
After a teaching career of 50 years, Sandra retired in 2007. She was a teacher and vice-principal at F.H. Collins Secondary School in Whitehorse.
French still holds an important place in her heart. Even now, at 85 years of age, she continues to promote French first- and second-language programs in the territory’s schools.
