Collège Boréal has conferred an honorary diploma in Health upon Mr. Yves Berthiaume at a graduation ceremony held on June 6th, in Sudbury.
Collège Boréal may confer an honorary diploma to an exceptional individual who meets one of more of the following criteria:
- has made a contribution to the advancement of one of the disciplines taught at the College;
- has made a significant contribution to the advancement of the Francophonie on the territory served by the College;
- has demonstrated a particular commitment to the establishment and the development of the College;
- has achieved or is about to achieve notoriety in their field or discipline.
A staunch defender of the French language and co-owner of a funeral services enterprise, Mr. Berthiaume has sat on the boards of several funeral services industry organizations such as the Ontario Funeral Association, the Funeral Services Association of Canada and the Board of Funeral Services where he has influenced and ensured the provision of material in French. When he was President of the Board of Funeral Services and during the transition to a new regulatory regime under the Bereavement Authority of Ontario, he ensured that Francophones were represented and that services in French would be available.
Mr. Berthiaume has also contributed to the translation of several documents which have served not only in the delivery of the College's Funeral Director program (the only French-language program of its kind in Ontario), but have also been used to provide services to Francophones throughout the province. He also contributes to students' learning by providing them with placements in a learning environment that allows them to flourish and to learn about all aspects of the funeral services industry, in addition to having been a member of the Program Advisory Committee for the College's program since 1996. He is currently President of the Funeral Services Association of Canada.
Quotes
"The members of the Board of Governors join me in offering our warmest congratulations to Mr. Berthiaume. His efforts to ensure that French has a place in an industry where superior and sensitive client service and respect are primordial, as well as his invaluable contributions to Collège Boréal, are examples for our students to follow."
Georges Ansell, Chair of Collège Boréal's Board of Governors
"Collège Boréal and its students have of course benefitted from Mr. Berthiaume's strong sense of community responsibility and his contributions to a unique and vital French-language program, but the benefits extend beyond the College and to the province as a whole, if not the entire country. It is an honour for College Boréal to be conferring this honorary diploma on Mr. Berthiaume."
Daniel Giroux, President, Collège Boréal
Photo Credit : Daniele Prato, School Photography and Yearbooks
