Francophone rights catalyst is moving on

Sometimes it takes Jeanne Beaudoin a moment to think of the correct English word.

Sometimes it takes Jeanne Beaudoin a moment to think of the correct English word.

While chatting, she may pause for a moment, mutter to herself in French and roll her eyes around in her head as she thinks, then finally pronounce her discovery excitedly, having retrieved the desired word from the recesses of her mind.

“My accent has thickened,“ Beaudoin said in a recent interview, shaking her head. “It didn"t used to be this strong.“

Indeed, Beaudoin"s accent is one of the first things people notice. Her speech is peppered with French phrases, words and pronunciations.

Joan of Arc becomes Joan d"Arc, which may sound to some more like Jean-dach.

When talking about the organization she spent 25 years working for, the Association franco-yukonnaise, she pronounces it L"Afy, instead of the clunky, English version: A-F-Y.

Beaudoin recently retired from the AFY after accomplishing some of the biggest historical victories for the francophone community the Klondike has ever seen.

Among other things, she oversaw the creation of a French-language school, a French daycare, and she was instrumental in implementing the Yukon Languages Act.

“That was the catalyst,“ she said, speaking about the act.

“That was the acknowledgement from the government that we were a legitimate community with a legitimate language.“

She also noted the Yukon Languages Act gave recognition to first nations languages.

It has not been an easy process, said Beaudoin. She spoke about having classes in rundown portables infested with stray cats, having one of her daycares burn down, and constantly writing and re-writing requests for funding.

“So much paperwork, oh my God,“ she said, resting her head in her hand. “I don"t miss that part.“

Balancing all of her work with the raising of her children, Beaudoin spent approximately half of her quarter-century"s service volunteering, and when she was being paid, it wasn"t very well.

“It was not an easy job, and it was not good pay,“ she said, shrugging. Apparently, this didn"t keep her from pursuing equal treatment for Yukon francophones.

“I feel I was pretty instrumental,“ said Beaudoin. “But I certainly wasn"t alone. Sometimes I feel like it was destiny. Like it was time.“

But now she feels it"s time for her to move on, and to make way for the younger generation of advocates.

“We accomplished 75 years” worth of development in 25 years,“ she said, noting that she was the only employee in 1984, and now the AFY has 30 current staff.

“This has been a demanding, demanding job,“ said Beaudoin. “It"s been my baby for 25 years, now I"m ready to hand my baby over to someone new,“ she said.

Beaudoin originally planned to take six months off, but ended up seeing a job in the paper with the French Language Service Directorate, an office within the YTG, just two months after retiring.

“It"s strange to get another perspective,“ said Beaudoin, now that she"s working for the very establishment she spent so many years petitioning for funding.

“I love this job, though. I saw it in the paper, and I was, like, “That"s me.“”

When asked what she"s most proud of, Beaudoin smiled warmly.

The French community was her first baby, she said, but the successes she"s seen there are not her proudest accomplishments.

“The thing I"m most proud of? My children,“ she said. “It was all for them. I wanted them to have access to a French education.

“It really is a treasure, having a whole second language to express yourself with,“ said Beaudoin.

“I"m sure sometimes my kids were, like, “Just shut up with that French stuff,“” she said, smiling. “But it really has an impact. A huge impact.“

Beaudoin has three children - Nicolas, 22, Emilie, 20, and Valerie, 14.

Emilie in particular has been utilizing her second language, studying at the University of Ottawa.

“I think it"s really given them a broader perspective, a head-start in life,“ said Beaudoin.

She originally came to the Yukon as a tour guide in Dawson City, leading tourists around town in a traditional dress and bonnet.

Participating in an exchange program from her native Quebec, she had no plans to stay long-term. However, she met her husband near the end of her stay, and they ultimately settled in Whitehorse after travelling through Europe.

A quarter-century later, she seems quite proud of everything she"s accomplished, but tired too.

She never got around to taking her master"s degree, something she"d planned to do for many years. Her children are mostly grown and there have been big changes in her life recently. She seems ready for a new chapter.

When invited to the interview with the Star, she debated whether she wanted to take part.

“It was never about me,“ she said.

She"s not sure if she wants the recognition, but ultimately she decided it was nice to celebrate her work.

“I"ve spent a lot of time putting others first. I think it"s time for me to rest a little bit, and take some time for myself,“ she said.