Community Liaisons
An Ear to the Ground for Y4Y Québec
Funded by Community Health and Social Services Network (CHSSN), the Community Liaisons project functioned as an ear to the ground for Y4Y Québec to hear from a diverse variety of regions about what matters to youth, about their communities, and how we can better support their mental health. This project was unique because it reached a variety of regions, including the Bas-Saint-Laurent, the Laurentians, the Mauricie, Québec City, and of course, Montréal.
Y4Y’s Community Liaisons published two blog posts per month about mental health, their communities, and their experiences as English-speakers. Sharing these stories allows us to connect to the broader community of English-speaking Quebecers. The Community Liaisons also hosted two events in their communities, one artistic and one outdoors, to provide an opportunity for community members to connect while doing activities that are positive for their well-being. Part of liaising, of course, includes the French-speaking majority. Our Community Liaisons conducted outreach to Francophone community organisations and attend Francophone events. Finally, Community Liaisons left a lasting legacy of their work by installing community exchange boxes in their regions!
As an outcome, community members in various regions of Québec now feel more connected to the French majority, and to other English-speakers, which improves the collective well-being.
Meet the Team
Community Liaison Lead
Chloe Merritt
(She/Her)
Chloe recently completed a B.A. in Political Science and International Development from McGill University and has plans to pursue a law degree in 2023. After growing up in Vancouver, Chloe moved to Montréal and fell in love with Quebecois politics, language, and culture. She is inspired by her own experience exploring Montréal and immersing herself in her community to coordinate the Community Liaison Program with Y4Y Québec. Chloe is passionate about sharing all that her city has to offer. When she is not planning community projects, Chloe can be often be found playing Ultimate Frisbee or trying out a new café
Community Liaisons
Flora Janos
(She/Her)
Québec City, Capitale-Nationale
Flora is a Hungarian-Canadian dual citizen who temporarily moved to Québec City from Ottawa, Ontario. She obtained a B.F.A. in Acting degree from the University of Windsor. She regards theatre as a powerful tool for social change and building community. Flora has a passion for language; she speaks English, French, Hungarian and a bit of Spanish. And she loves exploring new cultures.
Nadine Steinley
(They/Them)
Amqui, Bas-Saint-Laurent
Saskatchewan born, Nadine has their bachelors of Secondary education from the University of Regina with a major in Social Studies and a minor in French. Nadine spends their time with their two bunnies Ginger and Paprika, knitting and crocheting. They also like to cook, and during the summer months they roller skate and during the winter months they figure skate. They began to learn French seriously during their high school career and continued in their university degree. They enjoy learning a second language and the culture that comes along with it. They have a passion for human rights and advocating for those who may not have a voice. They are excited to work for Y4Y this year, and to build meaningful relationships within their community.
Savannah Leroux
(She/Her)
Nicolet, Mauricie
Hello! My name is Savannah and I come from what we call a small town back home, in Chilliwack, British Columbia. I currently work at a secondary school in Nicolet, Québec as an assistant language teacher in English. I have completed my bachelor's degree with a major in French and a minor in English and hope to one day be teaching my own classes; I'm just unsure if I want to live in Québec to teach English, or live back in British Columbia to teach French. I am excited to meet the people here and hope to connect soon!
Y4Y Community Exchange Boxes
In culmination of Y4Y’s Community Liaisons project, our 4 Liaisons have created, decorated and installed 4 beautiful community boxes throughout the province! Intended to serve as sites of gathering and exchange across linguistic communities, we are thrilled to announce our 4 locations:
Games & Puzzles Box at Gerts Bar & Café
3480 Mc Tavish St,
Montréal, QC H3A 1X9Little Free Library at the Madeleine-Gagnon Library
24, promenade de l'Hôtel-de-Ville
Amqui, QC G5J 3E1Little Free Library at La Maison Girardin
600, avenue Royale
Québec, QC G1E 6Y9Games & Puzzles Box at the Centre communautaire LGBTQ de Montréal
2075, rue Plessis, bureau 110
Montréal, QC H2L 2Y4
Planning to visit a box? Bring your own game or book to exchange!
