Meriem

Class Coordinator

Originally from the city of Kenitra, Morocco, Meriem pursued her studies in France to become an Engineer in Economics. In 2019, she went to Edmonton and started working at L’UniThéâtre. Apart from having a liking for cooking and sewing, she has also recently ventured into preparing Asian cuisine. Meriem became a member of the team in 2021 and has taken up the responsibility of managing all class-related issues along with overseeing general administration.

info@afedmonton.ca

Raphaël

Administrative assistant 

Originally from Abidjan, Ivory Coast, Raphael was raised in Dakar, Senegal. He just graduated from Campus Saint Jean - University of Alberta with a diploma in Business Administration. He recently joined the team as an administrative assistant with the purpose of expanding his knowledge and being part of dynamic and stimulating team. He is passionate about administration, finance and economics. 

info@afedmonton.ca

Emma

Cultural Coordinator

Emma oversees all of our cultural and social events, as well as our communication efforts. With a background in communication and press relations from her literary studies, Emma earned a Master's degree in Intercultural Management in France. Her passion for exploring new cultures and meeting new people led her to venture to Canada. Emma is an avid sports enthusiast and particularly enjoys horseback riding, cooking...

Myriam

Marketing and Communications Coordinator

Originally from Lyon, in France, Myriam joined our team in July 2024 as our marketing and communications coordinator. She has a background in Digital Marketing and Search Engine Optimization with work experience in France, Germany, the Czech Republic, and Spain. Myriam enjoys traveling (with friends, family or alone), and going to museums and sporting events.

Anastasiia

Anastasiia is originally from Ukraine , travelled, lived and worked all over the world, including several countries in Europe, South Asia and North America. She graduated university in Ukraine and continued her studies in France. She has worked with children and adult groups for the past few years. She moved to Edmonton in 2023 and became a part of our team. She likes hiking, skating and going for walks with her dog.

Camille

Camille was born in Le Mans, France.
She studied French literature and teaching and has worked in Vietnam as a french teacher before. She arrived in Canada in July 2024 to discover a new continent and meet new people. She loves to read and watch TV series, has a great passion for crocheting and likes to take walks while listening to music.

Anastasiia

Since childhood, Anastasiia has been passionate about French culture. Of Ukrainian origin, she came to France during her school years to learn the language in host families. After obtaining a Master’s degree in French as a Foreign Language in France, she taught French in several European schools. In 2024, eager to explore new horizons, she moved to Edmonton to enrich her professional experience. She enjoys reading, dancing, and chocolate.

Prudence

Prudence, born in France, holds two Master's degrees - one in Japanese language and culture and another in teaching French and English. She pursued her studies in Japan and later worked as a French teacher in both the UK and Australia. Apart from her passion for teaching, Prudence also has a keen interest in rock climbing and playing piano.

Damema

Damema, who was born and raised near Paris, arrived in Canada in 2018. As one of our French teacher, Damema takes pleasure in gathering insights from others on a diverse range of subjects, including movies, literature, fashion, and current affairs. She also enjoys practicing yoga, she loves Indian cuisine, and exploring different parts of the globe.

Charlotte

Charlotte was born in France, she taught French in China and the UK, she enjoys going for a walk and she likes to cook! She joined the Alliance Française of Edmonton in March 2022.

Nelly

Nelly's teaching journey began in Lebanon, where she taught French as a Foreign Language. She has been a teacher at the French Alliance of Edmonton since 2009, and her expertise in motivating and captivating students is unparalleled. Moreover, Nelly has a remarkable ability to customize her teaching methods according to your specific language needs.

Cynthia

Cynthia was born in France but raised on Reunion Island. After gaining 10 years of experience in early childhood and workshop facilitation, she turned to teaching. Presently, she is an assistant professor at Campus Saint-Jean, where she is also pursuing her education studies. Cynthia joined our team in September 2020. Her interests include traveling, photography, yoga, and hiking.

Jean-Luc

Jean-Luc was born in Ivory Coast, where he completed his Bachelor's degrees in Education and Marketing. He worked as a teacher there for several years before going to Edmonton in 2016. Additionally, he is proficient in German. Jean-Luc enjoys playing soccer, traveling, and relishing spicy food!

Charu

Charu, who began her career as a primary school teacher in India, shifted her focus to teaching French and joined the Alliance française of Edmonton in 2009. Her enthusiasm and vitality will undoubtedly captivate you, as she employs a friendly and effective approach to teaching French.

Aurore

Aurore was born in Normandy (France). She taught French for two years in China, then two years in Japan. She joined the team of the Alliance in July 2024.  During her free time, Aurore loves to discover the culture of the places she goes to and she also likes going to the beach and to read.

Bernadette Quémerais

President

Bernadette Quémerais was born and raised in Saint-Nazaire, Loire-Atlantique. She moved to Montreal in 1989 and has since lived in California and Toronto. Bernadette has been a member of the Alliance Française of  Edmonton since June 2012 and on the board of directors since 2016. She is the president since March 2024. She enjoys travelling, outdoor sports, gardening and drawing.

Bruce Cockburn

Vice-President

Bruce Cockburn grew up in Ottawa and moved to Edmonton in 1990 to take up a position as professor of Computer Engineering at the University of Alberta.
His first significant experience with French was as a child in the summer of 1968, when he spent six weeks at a summer camp in Villard-de-Lans near Grenoble in the French Alps. From 1969 to 1973 his father's career brought the family to Belgium, and it was there that Bruce picked up most of his French from Walloon friends. He began his involvement with Alliance Francaise of Edmonton as a student in 1991 and again in 2008. In 2008 he was first elected to the Board and since then he has since served multiple terms with some breaks. Since April 2021 Bruce has served as the Vice President of AFE. In his spare time Bruce enjoys travelling, walking & cycling, genetic genealogy and playing trombone.

Annabelle Villeneuve

Secretary

Born in Belle Isle en Mer in Brittany, Annabelle became Canadian in 2009. She lived in Quebec City, Winnipeg and Edmonton. She loves getting out in nature and has recently discovered a passion for gardening.

Sylviane Wallace

Treasurer

Born in Brittany, Sylviane was raised in the picturesque harbor of Honfleur in Normandy. She then, moved to Vancouver and Edmonton in the mid 80's. Despite the distance, France has always taken a big part in her life. Many trips and exchanges with her family in France, allowed her to keep and pass on the language and the culture she loves.

Bill Godfrey

Advisor

Bill Godfrey was a teacher and school principal in Edmonton for 33 years. One of his retirement projects has been to learn French, and he started taking classes with the Alliance Française in 2019. He has been a member of the Board of Directors since 2021.

Valérie Fonseca

Advisor

Valerie Fonseca was born in Georgetown, Guyana, and studied in France at the University of Poitiers, thanks to a scholarship from the Government of France. Having obtained a postgraduate diploma in technical and specialized translation in London, she worked as a translator, first in Kingston, Jamaica, and later in Santiago, Chile, for the United Nations. She immigrated to Canada in 1990.

Raymond Matthias 

Advisor

Originally from Edmonton, Raymond has a deep passion for language learning and spent the better part of a decade living in Japan and China. He became a member of the Alliance Française in Edmonton a few years ago as part of an effort to rekindle his French language studies.