Madeleine Vallières, a high school teacher of Quebec and Canadian history and resident of Fort Coulonge, was awarded the Forces Avenir prize for engagement in education at École secondaire La Cité in Gatineau in a ceremony on June 14.

Vallières, who has been teaching for 34 years, expressed her surprise and gratitude upon receiving the recognition. What made this accolade particularly special was the fact that it came in her first year teaching at École secondaire La Cité, after spending the previous three decades at École secondaire Sieur-de-Coulonge (ESSC).

Seeing the abundance of active, engaged young educators around her, Vallières says she never anticipated being nominated by the school administration. However, she is pleased to have been recognized for her work.

Vallières’ dedication to her profession is exemplified by her daily commute of one hour and fifteen minutes from Fort Coulonge to Gatineau to teach at her new school. Originally planning to retire in June 2024, her time at the new school has allowed her to regain confidence in her abilities, reigniting her love for teaching and inspiring her to continue making a difference in the lives of her students for a few more years.

When asked about her departure from ESSC after such a long tenure, Vallières explained that her decision stemmed from a misalignment between her pedagogical vision for the school and the direction advocated by the administration.

Despite the differences, she still holds deep affection and attachment to ESSC, as she had once been a student there herself. Valliéres said that it is not to diminish the accomplishments of ESSC, but she does believe there is still work to be done for the school in order to respond adequately to the needs of the Pontiac as it develops. She emphasized that quality education is essential to attracting families to the region.

In expressing her gratitude, Vallières thanked her co-workers for their warm reception and for appreciating her contributions as an educator. Vallières, a Canadian and Quebec history teacher, expressed her joy in being able to share the history of her province and country with new Canadians at a multicultural school such as École secondaire La Cité.

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