Panel discussion
Four Regions, Four Approaches: The Different Faces of Networking
Roger Gauthier
The French-language health movement has set itself the challenge of further improving high-quality healthcare services in French: this is known as “toward access.” This session will give you a taste of the different faces of networking that are central to the work of transforming healthcare systems, raising awareness in politics and in government, and building communities’ capacity to fully engage with their health in French.
With participation from:
- Paul Denis, Executive Director, Réseau santé Alberta
- Julie Lantaigne, Executive Director, Réseau franco-santé du Sud de l’Ontario
- Elise Arsenault, Director, Réseau Santé en français Î.-P.-É. (RSFÎPÉ) and French Services Analyst, Health PEI
- Sandra St-Laurent, Director, Partenariat communauté en santé (PCS), the French healthcare network in Yukon.
Elise Arsenault
Director, Réseau Santé en français Î.-P.-É. (RSFÎPÉ) and French Services Analyst, Health PEI
Julie Lantaigne
Executive Director, Réseau franco-santé du Sud de l’Ontario
Paul Denis
Executive Director, Réseau santé Alberta
Paul Denis has been active in Alberta’s Francophone community since 1969, when he joined the ACFA’s youth committee while studying at university.
He has held a number of positions within various organizations:
- Current chair of the provincial ACFA Foundation
Current chair of the Centre de Santé Saint-Thomas community committee - Member of the Campus Saint-Jean steering committee (1990–1995)
- Member of the University of Alberta Senate (1995–1999)
- Member of the University of Alberta Alumni Council (2004–2007)
- Chair of the provincial ACFA (1993–1995)
Chair of the - Théâtre français d’Edmonton (1980–1986)
- Founding chair of the Alberta Multilingual Media Association (1983)
- Chair of the Association de la Presse francophone Hors Québec (1985–1986)
- Member of the Alberta Cultural Heritage Council (1981–1982)
- Founding chair of the Jeune Chambre de commerce d’Edmonton (1974–1976)
His professional experience includes the following:
- 25 years with Investors Group, where he worked as advisor, division manager, and regional manager (1987–2012)
- Writer and editor of the Le Franco newspaper (1981–1986)
- Director of planning and public relations for the provincial ACFA (1978–1981)
- Development officer with the federal Secretary of State (1975–1978)
- Director of public relations at Radio-Canada television (1971–1975)
- Assistant executive director at the provincial ACFA (1970–1971)
Education:
- Secondary school at Collège Saint-Jean
- Bachelor in socio-psychology, Faculty of Arts, Saint-Jean Campus and University of Alberta (graduated 1970)
- Certified financial planner diploma from Canadian Association of Financial Planners (1990)
Recognition:
- Alberta Centennial Medal (2005)
Sandra St-Laurent, Director, Partenariat communauté en santé (PCS), the French healthcare network in Yukon.
Sandra St-Laurent is the director of the Partenariat communauté en santé (PCS). She has a master’s degree in anthropology of health as well as a graduate specialization in tropical medicine and international development. The great magnetic north has always held a fascination for her; she left an international career behind for one in the Yukon, where she has made her home for over 20 years. She first developed the Maman, papa et bébé en santé program, the perinatality journal Le Nombril, and (in 2003) the PCS. As a French-language health network, PCS offers a program of early childhood activities (swimming, a healthy toy guide, a set of 13 discovery kits for children aged 0–6, etc.). PCS also administers the Healthy Early Years (HEY) initiative for the territory, which has resulted in the production of two resources: Mission Possible (which deals with healthy screen time management) and Au cœur des émotions (which deals with children’s mental and emotional health). She says it was Yukon’s physical landscape that first attracted her, but it was the human landscape that nourished her and led her to put down roots there. A busy mother of two young daughters, she enriches her bundles of joy through arts and family time in the outdoors.
