Roxanne Daoust says giving back to the community is a part of who she is.
“I grew up as a child in a family that did need some support from the community and we did receive some support,” she says. “For me, giving back now is important, so I can thank and help other families who may be in a position I was when I was younger.”
Born and raised in Timmins, Daoust, 40, was recently named “Perles de l’année” by Club Richelieu – Les Perles du Nord for her contributions to the francophone community.
“I am really humbled. I can’t express how much I love my club. I love being able to give back to the community, the same francophone community that helped my family when I was young and played an important role in shaping me into who I am today," she says.
She has been a member of Club Richelieu – Les Perles du Nord for seven years, six of which she has been on the executive committee. Last year, the club raised over $25,000 for 21 projects and initiatives. The club’s donations go towards supporting francophone students by providing them bursaries or covering travelling expenses to French families who may have sick children. Last year, the club also donated money to the hospital foundation for equipment in the pediatric department.
“For Les Perles du Nord, being recognized was really humbling but I really feel I was just a small part of it. It was really a team effort from all of our group,” she says. “I was just participating in a collaborative effort. It’s really the club as whole that was able to achieve the results, it’s not on me alone.”
In 2015, when Ontario celebrated 400 years of French presence in the province, Daoust was a part of the group that worked on having a permanent francophone flag at city hall.
“I’m humbled and proud to be able to participate in these initiatives in helping youth. I know they need it. A small donation can seriously help a student purchase food or books they might need and for me, that’s a humbling experience because I know I was at the receiving end when I was a youth and now, I’m able to participate in a collaborative effort to giving back.”
The club receives its funds from volunteering at the Jackpot City and then redistributes the money within the community.
“It’s so important to be able to continue having those clubs and opportunities to be able to develop francophone opportunities,” Daoust says.
When she was in the Timmins Royal Canadian Sea Cadet Corp Tiger, from the age of 12 until she turned 18, it allowed her to experience firsthand what being a part of a group meant.
“I learned about giving back, I learned about fundraising,” Daoust recalls. “I had some wonderful collaboration experiences, so learning how to work with a team. I learned how to appreciate things.”
For Daoust, the francophone community in Timmins is “strong.”
“And it’s getting stronger in a sense that we’re collaborating and we’re working together for a common goal of celebrating and promoting our francophone culture,” she says.
Moving forward, her plan is to help the club identify new gaps in the community and find solutions.
“My philosophy is that you’re never alone. As one person, you might struggle but when you collaborate as a team, things that you can overcome are unimaginable,” she says.
She pursued a law clerk program at Cambrian College and after graduation, moved back to Timmins. The city has a “strong cultural presence” and she wanted to raise her children in a community where they could appreciate their Métis and francophone heritage and culture, that’s why she returned to Timmins, she says.
Daoust joined The Venture Centre as an intern and has been working at the non-profit for 16 years. She now serves as executive director.
“My time at The Venture Centre has been a time of personal and professional growth, supported by a board of volunteers who only encourage their staff to thrive and contribute toward the betterment of the community. It’s been a fantastic and wonderful experience working for them,” she says.
For her involvement in the community and due to the nature of her job, she was also invited to teach communications and business class and share her knowledge at Collège Boréal for more than two years.
Daoust is married to her high school sweetheart and has four children, with the oldest aged 20 and the youngest being two years old.
“It is very important for me that my kids grew up bilingual. Francophone culture is very critical and I want to make sure that all of their school levels were in the francophone school system,” she says. “At home, our first language is French because I want them to have an opportunity to know not only where they come from but to also be able to communicate and have those opportunities to share and be able to give back to the community when they’re older.”
They also celebrate all the francophone holidays and participate in events through La Centre Culturel La Ronde such as St-Jean-Baptiste Day, Bonhomme Carnaval and Franco-Ontarian Day.
“We proudly wear our green-and-white and show our community pride,” Daoust says.
