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Yolette Lévy

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Yolette Lévy
(1996)
Born(1938-05-15)May 15, 1938
Haiti
DiedDecember 6, 2018(2018-12-06) (aged 80)
Val-d'Or, Quebec, Canada
Occupations
  • pharmacist
  • politician
  • unionist
  • feminist
  • activist
Known forMunicipal councilor, Val-d'Or
SpouseJean-Emmanuel Alfred
Children3
Awards
  • 2005: Alexina-Croteau Prize
  • 2007: Personality Award from the Val-d’Or Chamber of Commerce
  • 2007: Prix Charlie Biddle
  • 2017: Lieutenant Governor's Medal

Yolette Lévy (May 15, 1938 – December 6, 2018) was a Haitian-born Canadian politician and activist from Val-d'Or, in Abitibi-Témiscamingue, Quebec. She was for many years a municipal councilor in Val-d'Or. Originally a pharmacist, she also worked as a feminist activist, trade unionist, and defender of the rights of seniors.

Early life

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Yolette Lévy was born May 15, 1938, in Haiti. She hailed from Cap-Haïtien.[1]

Career

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Levy worked as a pharmacist in Haiti,[2] before fleeing Duvalierism, arriving in Zaire (now the Democratic Republic of Congo), and teaching for four years in the service of UNESCO. She and her husband, Jean-Emmanuel Alfred, then submitted their applications for teaching positions in Val-d'Or.[3] She arrived in Val-d'Or in 1969, to work as a chemistry teacher at the Le Carrefour high school;[4] her husband taught literature.[5] Upon her arrival she and her husband were among the 12 Haitians in the city. [6]

She became involved in the teachers' union in 1972. On April 8, 1982, she was elected president of the Syndicat des travailleurs de l'enseignement du Nord-Ouest québécois (Union of Education Workers of Northwestern Quebec) (STENOQ)[7] and held this position until June 1984.[8] In June 1984, she was elected to the executive council of the Commission des enseignants des commissions scolaires (School Board Teachers' Commission) of the Centrale des syndicats du Québec.[9] During her union career, she defended several issues concerning women, such as maternity leave, the right to abortion, child care services, and led a major push for pay equity. She also led workshops on the involvement of women in politics.[2]

Lévy was one of the founders of La Mosaïque, the intercultural association for welcoming and integrating immigrants in Abitibi-Témiscamingue. With several others, she filed the organization's letters patent on November 23, 1990, with the Quebec government. The association received its official recognition on February 13, 1991.[10]

From 1996 to 2009, Lévy sat as a municipal councilor in Val-d'Or.[4] She was re-elected in the municipal elections of 2000, 2001 and 2005,[11] but lost the 2009 elections.[12] During her mandates, she contributed to the revision of the family policy, the implementation of the Taxibus public transport service, defending community organizations, and supporting cultural development.[11]

Lévy served as vice-president of the board of directors of the Université du Québec en Abitibi-Témiscamingue (UQAT) from 1998 to 2005.[13][14][15][16][17][18]

In 2015, she became president of the section of the Association québécoise de défense des droits des retraités et préretraités (AQDR) (Quebec Association for the Defense of the Rights of Retired and Pre-Retired Persons) in Val-d’Or.[19]

Personal life

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She was the mother of three children: Yolette, Jean-Emmanuel, and Henry-Philippe Alfred.[20]

Death and legacy

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Yolette Lévy died December 6, 2018, at the Maison de la source Gabriel, a hospice in Val-d'Or, Quebec, Canada.[20][21]

In December 2017, the Regroupement des femmes de l'Abitibi-Témiscamingue supported the creation of an honorary prize, the Yolette Lévy Award.[22] Élizabeth Larouche was the first person to receive the prize inn 2019.[23] In February 2019 a local beer is created in her memory : Yolette-du-Monde.[24]

Awards and honours

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  • 2005: Alexina-Croteau Prize, prize from the Regroupement des femmes de l'Abitibi-Témiscamingue which highlights the work of women who have distinguished themselves by their constant commitment to the cause of women in local and regional development[1]
  • 2007: Prix de la personnalité de la Chambre de commerce de Val-d'Or (Val-d'Or Chamber of Commerce Personality Award)[1][9]
  • 2007: Prix Charlie Biddle,[1][9] prize that highlights the exceptional contribution of people who have immigrated to Quebec and whose personal or professional commitment contributes to the cultural and artistic development of Quebec[25]
  • 2017: Médaille du lieutenant-gouverneur [fr] (Lieutenant Governor's Medal)[26]

References

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  1. ^ a b c d "La Valdorienne Yolette Lévy n'est plus" [The Valdorienne Yolette Lévy is no more]. Radio-Canada.ca (in Canadian French). 7 December 2018. Retrieved 28 February 2023.
  2. ^ a b Mathieu, Annie (1 March 2009). "D'Haïti à l'Abitibi" [From Haiti to Abitibi]. gazettedesfemmes.ca (in French). Retrieved 28 February 2023.
  3. ^ Gervais, Lisa-Marie (2 December 2017). "Une vie harmonieuse en Abitibi" [A harmonious life in Abitibi]. Le Devoir (in French). Retrieved 28 February 2023.
  4. ^ a b "Val-d'Or pleure Yolette Lévy" [Val-d'Or mourns Yolette Lévy]. www.lecitoyenvaldoramos.com (in French). Retrieved 28 February 2023.
  5. ^ Sarrasin, Hélène (1 March 2005). "Je ne suis pas celle que vous croyez" [I'm not who you think I am]. gazettedesfemmes.ca (in French). Gazette des femmes. Retrieved 28 September 2024.
  6. ^ Gervais, Lisa-Marie (2017-12-02). "Immigration en Abitibi: les ressources manquent pour accueillir les nouveaux arrivants". Le Devoir (in French). Retrieved 2024-09-29.
  7. ^ Vincent, Odette, ed. (1996). Histoire de l'Abitibi-Témiscamingue. Les régions du Québec (2. tirage ed.). Québec: Institut Québécois de Recherche sur la Culture. ISBN 978-2-89224-251-5.
  8. ^ "Présidences" [Presidencies]. Fseuat.ca (in French). Retrieved 28 February 2023 – via archive.wikiwix.com.
  9. ^ a b c "Yolette Lévy ou l'engagement communautaire" [Yolette Lévy or community engagement]. indicebohemien.org (in French). L'Indice bohémien. 25 February 2020. Retrieved 28 February 2023.
  10. ^ "À propos de nous. La Mosaïque, association interculturelle d'accueil et d'intégration des personnes immigrantes de l'Abitibi-Témiscamingue" [About us. La Mosaïque, an intercultural association for the reception and integration of immigrants from Abitibi-Témiscamingue.] (in French). La Mosaïque Interculturelle. 16 November 2020. Retrieved 28 February 2023.
  11. ^ a b Ville de Val-d'Or (February 2019). "Décès de Madame Yolette Lévy" [Death of Mrs. Yolette Lévy]. Le Contact (in French). p. 2. Retrieved 28 February 2023 – via archive.wikiwix.com.
  12. ^ "Fernand Trahan réélu sans surprise" [Fernand Trahan re-elected without surprise]. Radio-Canada.ca (in Canadian French). 2 November 2009. Retrieved 28 February 2023.
  13. ^ UQAT (18 August 2003). "Élection à la présidence et à la vice-présidence du conseil d'administration de l'Université du Québec en Abitibi-Témiscamingue pour l'année 2003-2004" [Election to the presidency and vice-presidency of the board of directors of the Université du Québec en Abitibi-Témiscamingue for the year 2003-2004] (PDF) (in French).
  14. ^ Conseil d'administration UQAT (16 August 1999). "Élection à la présidence et à la vice-présidence du conseil d'administration de l'Université du Québec en Abitibi-Témiscamingue pour l'année 1999-2000" [Election to the presidency and vice-presidency of the board of directors of the Université du Québec en Abitibi-Témiscamingue for the year 1999-2000] (PDF) (in French).
  15. ^ Conseil d'administration UQAT (21 August 2000). "Élection à la présidence et à la vice-présidence du conseil d'administration de l'Université du Québec en Abitibi-Témiscamingue pour l'année 2000-2001" [Election to the presidency and vice-presidency of the board of directors of the Université du Québec en Abitibi-Témiscamingue for the year 2000-2001] (PDF) (in French).
  16. ^ Conseil d'administration UQAT (19 August 2002). "Élection à la présidence et à la vice-présidence du conseil d'administration de l'Université du Québec en Abitibi-Témiscamingue pour l'année 2002-2003" [Election to the presidency and vice-presidency of the board of directors of the Université du Québec en Abitibi-Témiscamingue for the year 2002-2003] (PDF) (in French).
  17. ^ Conseil d'administration UQAT (23 August 2004). "Élection à la présidence et à la vice-présidence du conseil d'administration de l'Université du Québec en Abitibi-Témiscamingue pour l'année 2004-2005" [Election to the presidency and vice-presidency of the board of directors of the Université du Québec en Abitibi-Témiscamingue for the year 2004-2005] (PDF) (in French).
  18. ^ Conseil d'administration UQAT (29 August 2005). "Élection à la présidence et à la vice-présidence du conseil d'administration de l'Université du Québec en Abitibi-Témiscamingue pour l'année 2005-2006" [Election to the presidency and vice-presidency of the board of directors of the Université du Québec en Abitibi-Témiscamingue for the year 2005-2006] (PDF) (in French).
  19. ^ Lynch, Pierre (7 December 2018). "Décès de Yolette Levy - Présidente de l'AQDR Val-D'Or" [Death of Yolette Levy - President of the AQDR Val-D'Or]. AQDR (in French). Retrieved 28 February 2023.
  20. ^ a b "Avis de décès - Lévy, Yolette" [Obituary - Lévy, Yolette]. residence-funeraire.coop (in French). Retrieved 28 February 2023.
  21. ^ "Yolette Lévy: une grande perte pour Val-d'Or". ici.radio-canada.ca (in French). Retrieved 2024-09-29.
  22. ^ "Procès verbal de l'AGA de la MRC d'Abitibi tenue le 21 mars 2018" [Minutes of the AGM of the MRC d’Abitibi held on March 21, 2018]. MRC Abitibi - Pour les T.N.O. Lac-Despinassy et Lac-Chicobi (in French). Retrieved 28 February 2023.
  23. ^ ICI.Radio-Canada.ca, Zone Société- (2019-04-29). "Élizabeth Larouche remporte le 1er Prix honorifique Yolette-Lévy". Radio-Canada (in Canadian French). Retrieved 2024-09-29.
  24. ^ "Une bière en l'honneur de Yolette Lévy". ici.radio-canada.ca (in French). Retrieved 2024-09-29.
  25. ^ "Présentation" [Presentation]. Prix Charles-Biddle (in French). Retrieved 28 February 2023.
  26. ^ "Trouver un récipiendaire" [Find a recipient]. www.lieutenant-gouverneur.qc.ca (in French). Lieutenant-gouverneur du Québec. Archived from the original on 28 February 2023. Retrieved 28 February 2023.
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