Community Grandioses

The Grand Falls Regional Municipality wishes to express its appreciation for its outstanding citizens. The Recognition of Community Grandioses policy aims to recognize three groups of people.

The Grand Falls Regional Municipality commits to:

Monthly recognition of up to two volunteers from the municipality during public meetings who have distinguished themselves through their serivce to others.
Recognize an ambassador or hero during a public meeting when appropriate. A summary of their achievements will be presented.

Council members are responsible for identifying deserving volunteers, ambassadors and heroes, and the community is also invited to submit names by filling out the nomination form.

*The masculine form used below includes women, men and non-binary individuals. The masculine gender is used without discrimination for the purpose of the text simplification.

Nomination Form

Grandioses 2024

Volunteers

Definition: Any individual, regardless of age, who freely offers their time, energy, and skills to a cause or activity that enriches the lives of their fellow citizens in the Grand Falls Regional Municipality. This policy also encompasses volunteers working with external organizations that provide services to the municipality's residents.

The Grand Falls Regional Municipality wishes to pay tribute to individuals who stand out through their volunteer work. They graciously contribute their time and expertise to carry out activities and provide community's population. These citizens wholeheartedly support the development of our municipality by dedicating numerous hours to serving their peers.

Ambassadors

Definition: Any individual, team or group whose achievements reach the provincial, national, or international level and contribute to the reputation of the municipality. Recognized individuals must either reside in the Grand Falls Regional Municipality or be native to it.

Many citizens make their mark at the provincial, national, and international levels, thus contributing to the global recognition of the Grand Falls Regional Municipality. According to this initiative, the municipality not only wants to acknowledge the extraordinary achievements of these individuals, teams, or groups but also wants to thank them for being worthy representatives of the Grand Falls Regional Municipality.

Heroes

Definition: An individual who stands out for his bravery, his actions, or his role in a precarious situation, and whose intervention has made a significant difference.

Some citizens occasionally perform acts of heroism. Through their actions, these individuals save lives and prevent unfortunate events. The municipality wishes to recognize this extra effort.

Grandioses 2024

Community Grandioses - Grand Falls (Ambassador 2024)

Morel Caissie

With nearly 40 years of public service behind him, Morel has held an impressive variety of community leadership positions over the years. He has gone far beyond his professional obligations, maintaining an unparalleled commitment as a volunteer with a number of organizations.

He contributed to the great success of the Guignolée Richelieu, served on the municipal council from 1992 to 2001, was a member, president or even founder of community groups including the Regional Association for Mental Health, the Planning Commission, the Foyer École Sacré-Cœur, Toys for Joy, the Association for Community Living, the Oasis Youth Center, and the list goes on.

Morel has served on the boards of the New Brunswick Association of Social Workers, the Canadian Association of Social Workers and the International Federation of Social Workers. To this day, he remains an active member of local organizations such as the Club Richelieu, the Knights of Columbus and the Toys for Joy committee. At the provincial level, he has been representing the Northwest region as a member of the Board of Governors of the Université de Moncton since 2019 and represents North America on the Nominating Committee of the International Federation of Social Workers, as well as the Commonwealth Organisation for Social Work, where he continues to exercise important responsibilities.

Many awards of distinction have been presented to him which include those from the Canadian Association of Social Workers, the Queen Elizabeth Diamond Jubilee Medal and the Canadian Senate Community Service Award.

All in all, it's impressive to see a person offer his skills and time in the service of others, with a passion that never wavers. The Grand Falls Regional Municipality congratulates you and thanks you sincerely for your exceptional commitment.

Alain Lavoie

ALAIN LAVOIE is an exemplary student-athlete who has distinguished himself not only locally, but also nationally and internationally. With an impressive grade point average of 4.3 in his post-secondary studies at the Université de Moncton in his Bachelor of Education program, Alain has certainly not been bored during his academic career, as has held the positions of academic vice-president of the Student Federation as well as president of the Discipline Committee all during his continuous studies. On the sports front, he is a member of the Aigles Bleus cross-country team, and has also been honoured for his community involvement by U Sports and Sport universitaire atlantique.

Alain stands out nationally as an ambassador for the MealExchange program, in which he focuses on promoting food security. Internationally, he has traveled to Paris this past October, where he was named First Youth Representative at the Francophonie Summit, where he had the opportunity to advocate for youth perspectives on education and even met with the Prime Minister of Canada, Justin Trudeau.

Alain's great sense of leadership is the driving force behind every project he undertakes in the various aspects of his life. His ability to balance all of his different academic, sport, and cultural responsibilities makes him an ideal candidate, and it's a great pleasure to present him with the GRANDIOSES AMBASSADEUR AWARD.

Community Grandioses - Grand Falls (Volunteer 2024)

Judith Thériault

JUDITH THÉRIAULT has been part of the Grand Falls Potato committee since 2017, initially as vice-president and now as president since 2022. Through her community involvement, her sense of leadership, and her ability to adapt and work well with others, the Potato Festival is able to shine and surpass itself every year. It's thanks to people like Judith, who no longer count the numerous hours she volunteers, that the Festival continues to grow, with a diversity of activities for the whole community.

With her collaborative spirit, Judith never misses an opportunity to acknowledge the dedication of her team members (Specially Antoinette Tsoi who has been by her side since her journey began), as well as the support of the many partners in the various projects she leads. Judith also stands out on other committees on which she sits, namely NOW - Network of Women and the ACL - Grand Falls Association for Community Living Inc.

For all her accomplishments and commitment to her community, we are delighted to recognize her with this prestigious GRANDIOSE VOLUNTEER AWARD

Mariette Lafrance

During her 38-year career, Mariette Lafrance not only devoted herself to her patients as a nurse, she also took care of her community, and continues to do so to this day through her volunteer work with a number of community organizations. Although now retired, Mariette Lafrance's schedule has never been busier. She devotes her volunteer time to organizations such as the Nouvel Envol program, the board of directors of the Villa des Chutes de Grand-Sault, the Foundation of the Friends Grand Falls General Hospital, the Filles d'Isabelle de Saint-André (Cercle 1283), the Canadian Red Cross, the Eat Fresh Northwest program and her parish church. It goes without saying that Mariette Lafrance is a respected and passionate figure in the community, and the Grand Falls Regional Municipality is privileged to benefit from her passion for helping others.

Coco (Carole) Belliveau

With a multi-faceted career in comedy, rap and social advocacy. Her versatility as an artist is evident in her ability to blend humor, rap and insightful social commentary, always striving to be a catalyst for social change. Coco Belliveau's resilience and determination were on full display when she took part in the "Big Brother Celebrity" reality show in 2023. As the first Acadian contestant and a person with autism, Coco navigated over 12 weeks the show's physical, mental and social challenges, displaying remarkable strength and shattering stereotypes about autism. Upon leaving the show, Coco was honored by Mayor Bertrand Beaulieu, who presented her with the symbolic keys to the Grand Falls Regional Municipality, a testament to her outstanding representation of our community. Coco Belliveau embodies the spirit of the Grand Falls Regional Municipality with her creativity, resilience and dedication to making the world a better place. She is a role model for aspiring artists and activists.

Paul Plourde

At the age of 80, Paul Plourde reached a remarkable milestone by crossing 100,000 miles, or more than 160,000 km of walking, which is equivalent to a quarter of the distance to the Moon. Since 1985, Paul Plourde has demonstrated exemplary discipline by walking 10 kilometers daily, regardless of the weather or season. Paul Plourde’s accomplishments over the years demonstrate his consistency and commitment to a healthy and active lifestyle in the community. In addition, Paul Plourde has been working for more than 10 years to develop a parcel of the bike path located at the back of his home in Grand Falls, an initiative for which he was recognized by NB Trail.

Daniel Parent

Daniel Parent is driven by an overflowing passion and contagious energy for baseball and especially for his team the Grand Falls Cataracts. Through his unwavering involvement and commitment, he is a real driving force within the team organization. His passion for the sport is palpable and his desire to see young players reach their full potential by supporting the Grand Falls Minor Baseball Association is a source of inspiration for all. The Grand Falls Regional Municipality is also proud to have Daniel Parent in its ranks with nearly 15 years of dedicated service as an employee in the Community Development Department.

Marco Leblanc

Marco Leblanc doesn't count the hours he invests in various community organizations. From the Grand Falls Association for Community Living to the New Brunswick Student Leadership Association, the Drug-Free Community Committee, the Global Skills Council and the International Student Class Leader, Marco Leblanc has a real desire to make a positive impact in his community by promoting inclusiveness and self-reliance. His sense of leadership, his humility and his compassionate nature make Marco Leblanc an exceptional citizen and a key person to accompany and support our young people.

Normand Caron

Normand Caron has made it his personal responsibility to groom and maintain the trails at the Kahoutek Cross-Country Ski Club. He has devoted himself to this task with passion for no less than 40 years. Over the years, Normand Caron has demonstrated his ingenuity, using the means at his disposal to surface the trails, rain, or shine. The great reputation of this recreational and tourism facility is what it is today, thanks to Normand Caron's commitment to offering quality cross-country ski trails to the delight of people from near and far.

Eric Ouellette

For many years, Eric Ouellette has contributed to the development of our community and our tourism industry through his business Zip-Zag, which offers visitors a unique experience of our falls and gorge. Eric Ouellette, a citizen with a thousand and one ideas, recently surpassed his own Guinness World Record for the largest ice dome at the renowned Québec Winter Carnival. A leader with a rallying spirit, Eric led a team of 12 volunteers from the region in the realization of this operation, which thanks to his vision quickly became a community success that contributed to Grand Falls' reputation.

Madeleine Leclerc

Madeleine Leclerc has made a significant contribution to our community for over 40 years as an editor, journalist, photographer, and translator in the print media. Her dedication to volunteering with organizations such as Mad-Vic Crime Stoppers, Literacy, the Food Bank, and the Historical Society demonstrates a strong commitment to exerting a positive influence on people. Her leadership skills have enabled her to occupy several key roles within various organizations. To this day, she is President of the Grand Falls Historical Society and Secretary-Treasurer of the Grand Falls Regional Food Bank.

Nomination Form

Candidate's Contact Details

Candidate's First Name

Candidate's Last Name

Candidate's Telephone

Postal Address

Town

Province

Postal Code

Home Address (if different)

Town

Province

Postal Code

Tenderer's Contact Details

Tenderer's First Name

Tenderer's Telephone

Tenderer's Last Name

Tenderer's Email

Submitting organization (if applicable)

Does the candidate highlight a volunteer, ambassador or hero?

Volunteer

Ambassador

Hero

Context

Brief summary of the candidate's achievements:

How has the candidate made a significant difference in the service of others?

How long has the candidate been a volunteer?

Does the proposed candidate volunteer for other organizations?

In the case of an ambassador, how has the candidate distinguished himself at provincial, national or other levels?

In the case of a hero, describe the candidate's actions.

Your signature

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