Organized by the team at the Francophone Child Care Resource and Referral (FCCRR), working within le Phare C.-B., the first provincial conference dedicated to professionals in school and preschool child care centres was a resounding success!
Focusing on the theme “Building Connections, Opening Perspectives,” it brought together about one hundred participants from across the province on May 1 and 2, thus achieving its intended objective. The participants’ enthusiasm demonstrated the real need to unwind, to create connections despite geographical distance, to break out of geographical isolation, to network, and to develop professionally.
The opening night was an opportunity to meet, exchange ideas, and celebrate the winners of the Horizon 2026 Awards, who distinguished themselves in four categories:
- The Excellence in Leadership Award: Christelle Monserrat (Service de garde Les Copains)
- The Excellence in a Family Setting Award: Sophie Timmermans (Les Francofolies)
- The Francophone Engagement Award: Anne-Marie Bouchard (Garderie Chez Tintin et Milou)
- The Excellence in Teaching Awards were presented to:
- Garderie préscolaire Les Étoiles de mer under the leadership of Kévin Rathé
- Garderie préscolaire Les Riverains under the leadership of Assia Azfar Azami
- Service de garde La Marelle under the leadership of Athénaïs Abîme
After an opening evening filled with moments of joy and celebration, the participants met again on Saturday for a day of training on different themes, in the company of renowned speakers.
This was an opportunity to share the day with the partners of the Fédération des parents who have supported this initiative from the beginning:
“The Commission nationale des parents francophones (CNPF) recognizes the importance of a gathering like the Horizon conference. At the local level, Francophone early childhood professionals build relationships every day with children, colleagues, parents, schools, and their communities. A provincial gathering is an opportunity to expand networks with other passionate professionals in the field and to join forces.”
– Richard Vaillancourt, Strategic Programming Director
One of the key partners of the Fédération des parents, le Collège Éducacentre, was also present, represented by Isabelle Thibault, Academic Vice-President; Sophie Raimbault, Coordinator for the ECE Projects; Nader Eid, ECE Recruitment Officer; and Shabnam Mirzaei, Student Advisor for Education Programs.
“When we, the stakeholders in Francophone early childhood education, come together at events like the Horizon conference organized by the FCCRR, we do much more than exchange ideas. We ensure that every voice, every area of expertise, and every collaboration strengthens the vitality, the recognition, and the impact of everyone involved in early childhood education, and in the future of our Francophone minority communities.”
– Isabelle Thibault, Academic Vice-President
The team was also able to count on the presence of the Early Childhood Pedagogy Network (ECPN), represented by Cynthia Alves.
“Participating in this first provincial conference was a true privilege for the ECPN (Early Childhood Pedagogy Network). Creating meeting spaces like this one is essential to supporting the early childhood sector: these are precious moments that allow us to enrich our dialogues, rethink our practices together, and strengthen our collective commitment to Francophone children and professionals in the province.”
– Cynthia Alves, Francophone pedagogist
Are you curious to know what the participants thought?
“This conference truly allowed me to feel connected to the Francophone community and valued in my role. The discussions were rich and motivating.”
“Being new to Canada, it allowed me to gain a clearer understanding of the many issues associated with early childhood education.”
“I loved meeting all these wonderful people, putting faces to names, and discovering other facets of each person in different contexts. The passion and commitment of the educators were truly felt, and it’s motivating! Connections have been made.”
It goes without saying that our teams are already hard at work preparing for the Horizon 2027 conference! Stay tuned, we’ll tell you more in the coming months!
“The Fédération des parents is delighted with the large turnout at this first conference. This mobilization demonstrates the importance of this type of gathering, which offers a real breath of fresh air and constitutes an important anchor point for professional development. We thank our sponsors, partners, and exhibitors, without whom this event would not have taken place.”
– Joannie Dubuc, Acting Executive Director of the Fédération des parents francophones de C.-B.
The Horizon 2026 conference in the media (in French):
Relive these two days of the conference through our photos.
