Claudette Proulx believes the recognition she received goes beyond her own hard work and dedication to the Francophone community.
“I‘m receiving this in honour of everyone else, because I'm not the only one volunteering,” she said.
On Nov. 11, Proulx accepted the Senate Sesquicentennial Medal from Alberta Senator Claudette Tardif.
The medal was given to 12 volunteers in Francophone communities across Alberta, as recognition for their work in their area.
“It's recognition for continuous engagement and generous contributions towards the development and expansion of the community,” explained Proulx.
Senators across Canada were each given the opportunity to recognize specific groups of volunteers. Tardif chose a collection of people that are near and dear to her heart.
“She chose to give her medals to 12 Francophone communities, one person in each community that contributed to the development of the Francophone community,” Proulx explained.
For over 40-years, Proulx has been volunteering in one way or another. In some cases, it was through Francophone events and organizations, and in others it was for the community as a whole.
Proulx was a teacher at Notré Dame Elementary School for 30 years. She then taught at École Voyageurs for three years, followed by three years at École des Beaux-Lacs.
She was the first female president of the local Francophone association, has volunteered at the Bonnyville Health Centre hospital auxiliary for over 30 years, and with the St. Louis Catholic Church.
The Bonnyville resident said she is receiving the medal not only on her own behalf, but also those who have volunteered alongside her over the years.
“I felt very honoured and very special. I kind of think that I have worked for it yes, but I wish everyone else who worked as hard as I did could have one too,” she expressed.
Proulx was nominated by Thérèse Dallaire of the Bonnyville region ACFA.
“Everybody deserved it, but she is the one that they picked. She has spent years volunteering, and she was a teacher,” explained Dallaire. “She deserved it because of all of the work that she did for the French association and for other organizations.”
Proulx continued, “When you volunteer you're never doing it because you think you will be recognized, you're doing it because you want to, because you're giving back to the community. You enjoy meeting the people you work with, and it gives you satisfaction meeting those people and doing something for those people.”
For Proulx, the recognition carries an even deeper meaning.
Her ancestors were some of the colonists of early Canada.
“I think this is a way of honouring them too, because they were here before us and they did a lot of stuff before us.”
