In honour of International Women’s Rights Day 2022, our team wanted to highlight five women who gravitate around the organization or who have been a part of our team and who stand out in their current careers.
Their passion and their sense of commitment being very present allows them to shine in their respective worlds. They are female role models for their generation and generations to come, that Camp Edphy is proud to count in its big family.
Julie Taillon
Counsellor and chief of counsellors (2006-2011)
Since her time at Camp Edphy, Julie first taught physical education in the greater Montreal area. She then decided to take a leap and change careers to become a host, first in radio, then in television. Solicited for her knowledge in sport, she proves the opposite to those who still believe that men know more than women in the field. Recently, Julie joined the prestigious sports department of Radio-Canada as a journalist, in addition to participating in the description and analysis of various disciplines during the Olympic and Paralympic Games. We could also hear her on the air of d’Ici Première as a sports columnist. In addition to being known for her determination and enthusiasm, her unique humour makes her very popular on her various digital platforms: she is an inspiring role model for young women of her generation.
@julie_taillon
Laurence Létourneau-Pilon
Camper (2001 à 2007)
Counsellor, chief of counsellors and coordinator (2008-2015)
After teaching in Montreal for a few years, Laurence left the big city just before the pandemic to settle in the Laurentians, very close to the Edphy summer camp which was a great part of her youth. A passionate lover of books, in 2021 she transformed a quaint house in Ste-Adèle into an independent bookstore specializing in children’s literature, but which also offers a selection of novels, essays, poetry and comics for all ages, Le Sentier bookstore. Alongside her cherished business partner, Laurence, who affectionately reminds us of the mysterious Mademoiselle C, wishes to participate in the development of children’s love for reading by sharing her expertise with families and teachers while promoting literary culture through various activities. By making her dream a reality, Laurence is proof that female entrepreneurship has the wind in its sails and, with her determination, her enthusiasm and her charisma, she is a true source of inspiration.
Marie Anna Bacchi
Director general – Villa Maria College (2010 – Current)
After a long and successful career in the telecommunications industry, Marie Anna returned to her roots in the field of education when she was appointed Director General of Villa Maria College 12 years ago. A teacher by training, a surplus of assignments led her to move into the business world where she gained skills related to customer service, marketing, communications and management, in addition to occupying several senior management positions, notably at Bell Canada. A leader and committed woman, she has sat on several board of directors, including that of the Italian Chamber of Commerce in Canada, the Société Générale de Financement and the Canadian-Italian Foundation and the Centaur Theatre. She has also participated in a Concordia University mentorship program for master’s students and is a member of the International Women’s Network. Her return to the education world allows her to combine her teaching expertise and her business skills which benefits her organization and all of its partners, including Camp Edphy. Inspirational, she makes it her duty not only to give back to society what she has received by playing a role in the development of the next generation in Quebec, but also to promote the increased participation of women in high authorities.
Eugénie Lépine-Blondeau
Counsellor and assistant coordinator (2009-2010)
Eugénie has always had animation in her blood: from school shows in elementary school, to the animation of children at Camp Edphy, she has now made it a career! A graduate in classical singing and political science, she began her career hosting Les sous femmes, a feminist and queer show on CISM. At the same time, she joined Radio-Canada as a researcher, then as a columnist and host. Recognized for her openness in regards to others, her sensitivity and her authenticity, she is also entrusted with hosting occasional radio shows and can be heard and seen on On va se le dire (Ici Télé) and On dira ce qu’on voudra (Ici première). Her services are also regularly called upon for questions in regards to sexual and gender diversity, particularly with organizations such as the Quebec Lesbian Network and Pride at work/Fierté au travail and for the facilitation of various panels. Endowed with an ability to adapt and a remarkable ability to listen, she is a model of audacity: she dares to address all subjects that fascinate her and she highlights women and diversity, in all forms.
@eugenie.lb
