PRESS AND MEDIA
Dr André M. Levesque appointed to the Order of Ontario
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An eminent historian and distinguished veteran, Dr. Levesque served part-time as a citizen soldier with the Canadian Armed Forces Reserves for 35 years, entering as a Private and retiring at the rank of Lieutenant Colonel (Kernel).
Hailed as a pioneer, veterans’ advocate, and leading world expert of memorialogy, the study of memorials and commemoration, he continues to preserve the memories of veterans and their sacrifices. He was appointed to manage Operation MEMORIA – the repatriation of Canada’s Unknown Soldier from Vimy, France to the National War Memorial in Ottawa.
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Dr. Levesque is also a former visiting scholar with the Royal Military College of Canada. He has penned 150 articles to highlight the importance of remembering our heroes and created a national inventory of Canadian military memorials, which includes 8,000 memorials across Canada, 3,000 of which are in Ontario.
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Dr. Levesque was admitted into the Canadian ‘Who’s Who’ and an Officer of the Order of Military Merit, and a Knight of the National Order of the Legion of Honour from France.
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(Translated from the French)
The Finistère native Christophe Raisonnier brings Franco-Canadian friendship to the pinnacle
In Carantec, Christophe Raisonnier, 55 years old, was named Knight of the National Order of the Legion of Honor on July 13, 2022. His rich professional career alone would no doubt be enough to explain this distinction. But it is not the only reason. His civic commitment to Franco-Canadian friendship also weighed in the balance.
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The young retiree from Carantec (Finistère), Christophe Raisonnier, who will benefit from the dual French-Canadian nationality, chose, in 2017, to bring the friendship between the two countries to the highest level. He took the initiative to create, in Ottawa (Canada), a monument dedicated to this friendship.
Christophe Raisonnier now has plenty of time to enjoy the beautiful sites of Caranté, here the Chaise du Curé. | OUEST-FRANCE
The unveiling of the monument, erected at Beechwood National Cemetery, is scheduled for September 2022, in the presence of the sponsors, Hélène Conway-Mouret, Vice-President of the French Senate, and Serge Joyal, Canadian Senator.
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The official inauguration by Emmanuel Macron and Justin Trudeau, Prime Minister of Canada, will take place later.
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Why this initiative?
Installed in Ottawa since 2010 as head of operational security for the French embassy and its consulates in Canada, Christophe Raisonnier deplored the absence of a dedicated monument: "There was no monument, neither in France nor in Canada, celebrating the Franco-Canadian friendship, despite more than 400 years of common history.
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A daring project
Founding president of the 1,846th chapter of the Société nationale d'entraide de la médaille militaire du Canada and delegate general of the Souvenir français in Canada, the Breton met, in 2017, the Canadian André Levesque, who was very committed to the duty of remembrance.
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The two men, along with three presidents of French associations in Ottawa, Sylvie Bragard, Yann-Alexandre Girard and Jacques Janson, then created the association Monument Amicitia France-Canada.
They set out to raise funds to erect a monument at Beechwood National Cemetery, where the eponymous foundation offered them a plot of land.
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400,000 dollars were raised and entrusted to the foundation for the construction and perpetual maintenance of the monument, an intergenerational vehicle for French and Canadian citizens and authorities to carry out cultural, social and educational activities, as underlined in 2021 by José Miguel Real, president general of the Société nationale d'entraide de la médaille militaire.
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The Frenchman Christophe Raisonnier and the Canadian André Levesque, with three presidents of French associations in Ottawa, Sylvie Bragard, Yann-Alexandre Girard and Jacques Janson, created the association Monument Amicitia France-Canada. | OUEST-FRANCE
A beautiful journey
Today, Christophe Raisonnier and his wife have returned to Carantec.
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Their first trip abroad was in 1999, when he was appointed head of security at the French Embassy in Wellington, New Zealand.
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He was then appointed head of the foreign section at the Gendarmerie de l'Outre-Mer in Paris, after having worked at the central office of the fight against itinerant delinquency.
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This journey is not over yet, as Canada is waiting for their visit again.
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Christophe Raisonnier has been named Knight of the National Order of the Legion of Honour
The members of the Monument Amicitia France-Canada association are pleased to announce that Christophe Raisonnier has been named Knight of the National Order of the Legion of Honour by decree of the President of the French Republic on July 13th, 2022. This decoration rewards the exceptional associative work of our friend who makes France gleam in the duty to remember. At the origin of the idea of this beautiful national monument project and co-initiator in the implementation and the realization of the latter, our friend, through his functions as president of the Médaillés militaire au Canada and general delegate of the Souvenir français au Canada, contributes in a remarkable way to the unique bilateral memorial relationship between France and Canada. France has just paid tribute to Christophe's incredible investment.
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Dr. André M. Levesque appointed Chancellor for the Priory of Canada
OTTAWA, ON (June 27, 2022) – St. John Ambulance Canada installed Dr. André M. Levesque as the new Chancellor for the Priory of Canada of the Most Venerable Order of the Hospital of St. John of Jerusalem (Order of St. John) at its annual National Investiture Ceremony held on Saturday, June 18, 2022 in the Senate Building of Canada. His term as Chancellor began on June 25, 2022.
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La communauté française se mobilise au cimetière national du Canada de Beechwood
Juin 2022 – La direction du cimetière national historique du Canada à Ottawa et les associations francophones locales ont accueilli récemment deux événements mémoriels importants : la visite du grand chancelier de la Légion d’honneur sur le site accueillant le premier monument national dédié à l’amitié franco-canadienne, « Amictia France-Canada » et la 4e cérémonie du Souvenir de la communauté francophone et francophile.
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AFTER MORE THAN four centuries of shared history and 90 years of official diplomatic relations between France and Canada, a new monument celebrating Franco-Canadian friendship will soon be unveiled at Beechwood Cemetery in Ottawa.
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Gérard Poupée fait chevalier de l’Ordre national du Mérite
Le 8 novembre, Gérard Poupée a été fait Chevalier dans l’Ordre national du Mérite.
Membre d’Amicitia France-Canada, Gérard Poupée s’est engagé pour mener à bien l’édification d’un monument commémoratif de l’amitié franco-canadienne à Ottawa.
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Celebrating Stories of Ontarians: André Levesque, Member of the Order of Ontario
October 29, 2021 - Whenever André Levesque walks by the National War Memorial in his native Ottawa, he lays his hands on the tomb of the Unknown Soldier. “My body feels warm and glowing,” he says, “like I’m going through something very emotional. It’s amazing.”
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Sculpteur d'amitié franco-canadienne
17 juin 2021 - Le Plouganiste Christophe Raisonnier est à l’origine du projet de construction d’un monument dédié à l’amitié franco-canadienne. Il sera érigé au cimetière national de Beechwood, à Ottawa.
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Christophe Raisonnier, Carantécois d’origine plouganiste, est à l’origine du projet de construction d’un monument dédié à l’amitié
franco-canadienne, au cimetière de Beechwood, à Ottawa. Résident permanent canadien, il aura bientôt la double nationalité.
Photo Gwendal Hameury