CENTRE FRANCOPHONE BDS CULTURAL CENTRE
Proud to serve Francophones in Bellevue, Domremy and St. Louis
Centre francophone BDS
Come find out who we are!
SERVING THE FRANCOPHONE COMMUNITIES OF BELLEVUE-DOMREMY-ST. LOUIS
OUR MISSIONABOUT
It was in 2009 that three organizations in the region, the Bellevue Cultural Association Inc, the Cœur Franc Cultural Association of St. Louis and the Fransaskois Cultural Center of Domremy developed a regional governance structure called the Centre Francophone BDS Inc.
The Center francophone BDS plays a role of support, promotion and development of the local Francophonie. The Centre’s mission is to ensure the vitality and development of all Francophones concentrated in this region with its uniquely rich historical past. The perseverance, ingenuity and Franco-Catholic values of our first pioneers laid the foundations of a large community united by a religion and a common language which has evolved over the years while preserving its identity, its culture, its values and its language.
OUR TEAMMEMBERS OF THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS AND STAFF
Jennie Baudais – President
Élizabeth Perreault – Vice-president & representative of St. Louis
Jacqueline Denis – Secretary & Domremy representative
Evelyn Cousin-Gaudet – Treasurer & Bellevue representative
Rose Marie Cearey – St. Louis representative
Shawn Madden – Domremy representative
Francine Gareau – École St-Isidore School Board
Jacqueline Denis – Club Age d’Or de Bellevue
Pauline Gaudet – Archives de Bellevue Inc.
Jeannine Gaudet – Association Bénévole de Bellevue Inc
Krystle Pratt – Les Petits Pois Educational Center
Franceline Doderai – St. Joseph Senior Club (St. Louis)
Rachel Deault – ACF MP
Soraya Ellert – Director
Germaine Gareau – Administrative Assistant
Nicolette Tournier – Activities coordinator
Proud to serve Francophones in Bellevue, Domremy and St. Louis
OUR LOCAL BUSINESSES
Entrepreneurs in the BDS region demonstrate the same spirit of innovation and resourcefulness that guaranteed the success of their ancestors. The main industry of the region is still the cultivation of cereals. Some agricultural businesses in the area go back four generations, such as the Gonzague Gaudet family farm, for example. Nothing could be more natural for a village that bears the name of Saint Isidore, the Catholic patron saint of farmers! Residents of the neighboring communities of Domremy and St. Louis are also heavily invested in the production of grains such as wheat, oats, canola, flax, and mustard. Over the years, the local economy has diversified. Bellevue counts among its successes the Belle Pulse plant which specializes in the production of peas. The region also has bison, cattle and pork breeders as well as businesses of all kinds.
Bellevue
- Belle Pulse
- Bellevue Garage
- Bureau de poste de St-Isidore de Bellevue
- Foyer de Bellevue Carehome
- SGI (Perry Gaudet Agencies)
- Prairie Mountain Farms Ltd.
- La Garderie les Petits Pois Daycare
- J3G Mechanical Inc. (Jordan Gaudet)
- Funky Moose Records
Domremy
- Domremy Coop
- Homeland Agencies
- Pratt Plumbing and Heating
- Kushneryk Funeral Service
St. Louis
- Obsession Greenhouse & Gift Shop
- St. Louis Family Restaurant
- St. Louis Gas & Convenience Store
- Nor-Pine Construction Ltd
- River’s Edge Villas Care Home
Agriculture
Most of the young farmers in the region have taken over family farms, farms that have been in the family for 3-4 generations. One thing is certain, this new generation of farmers has its work cut out for it! In the beginning, there was a farmer on each square of land.
The industrialization of farming methods has caused some farmers to buy out their neighbors to produce more. As a result, today there are a handful of large agricultural enterprises and far fewer small farmers.
Belle Pulse
Belle Pulses was started by two brothers, Francis and Tony Gaudet. This green and yellow pea processing plant is a major employer in the region. The current business was founded in 1979, but the Gaudet family has been involved in the split pea business since the 1940s.
A metal sculpture of a gigantic pea plant now stands near the center of Bellevue. In 2021, the Belle Pulse business was sold to Eat Well Investment Group Inc.
SS RIVER DESIGNS
Christine Tournier is a Métis craftswoman, entrepreneur and designer. Christine lives along the South Saskatchewan River in St Louis where she designs clothing which incorporates elements and inspiration from the earth. “I love print, beading and all things color!” She started SS River Designs to share her art and connect people, culture, art and fashion.
The company takes its name from the South Saskatchewan River (SS River Designs), a reflection of the French Metis nation’s connection to the land and the main source of inspiration for her works.
OUR LOCAL ARTISTS
Our region has produced an impressive number of artists over the years, many of whom have gone on to pursue professional careers. In Bellevue, there is a strong tradition in the field of theatre. Generations of residents have taken to the stage to perform plays by local, national and international playwrights for the simple pleasure of sharing, laughing and getting together with friends to have fun in French!
The fields of writing, visual arts and music are also well represented. Since the arrival of the first pioneers fiddlers, singers and various musicians were always ready to liven up the evenings. The parish choirs of the three churches in our respective villages have also produced talented singers who have performed on stages throughout Saskatchewan and elsewhere in Canada. Over the years, the music has become more contemporary, but we recognize the energy and the richness of the voices. In terms of writing, Bellevue has produced authors, playwrights and poets. In visual art, the region is known for its talented wood carvers and painters.
We invite you to discover below those who have reflected the Fransaskois culture of their ancestors through their art!
Laurier Gareau
Playwright, writer and historian
Laurier Gareau is one of the Fransaskois authors who has had the greatest impact on the francophone cultural landscape of Saskatchewan.
A prolific playwright, Laurier has written and directed more than 40 plays set in the francophone world of the Prairies. The history of the Métis and the Fransaskois are at the heart of the works of this native of St-Isidore-de-Bellevue. His one-act play, The Betrayal (1998), now a classic of Western Canadian literature, features Métis leader Gabriel Dumont on the eve of his death.
Laurier has also published several plays with Saskatchewan’s fransaskois publisher, Éditions de la Nouvelle Plume as well as a first novel, De poussière et de vent (2016). In 2018, Laurier received the Order of Canada for his “contribution to the historical and cultural fields at the provincial level, and for his leadership in the development of the Fransaskois identity”.
After having worked for many years with La Société Historique de la Saskatchewan, Laurier Gareau is currently president of the Fransaskois publishing company, Éditions de la Nouvelle Plume, in Regina.
The Gareau brothers
Sculptors (Euclid, Aurèle, Robert, Anatole, Germain, Rosaire and their father Médéric)
The Gareau brothers have marked the landscape of Bellevue, and indeed the entire province, with their talents as wood sculptors. It was in 1983 that three of the brothers (Robert, Aurèle and Euclid) developed a passion for wood carving. That year, the Fédération des francophones de Saskatoon had invited a renowned wood carver from St-Jean-Port-Joli (Québec) to come and give a demonstration and sculpting workshops during the Francophone pavilion at Folkfest.
The Gareau brothers then participated in a fundraising project to help raise funds for Bellevue community centre, Le Rendez Vous. In exchange for a donation, residents see their ancestors carved on wooden plaques that will form a wall of honor in tribute to the first pioneers of Bellevue.
It is during this period that Euclid Gareau sculpts characters for the new historical park which is currently located behind the Rendez-Vous. One of the sculptures produced at that time is an impressive life-size piece representation of his ancestor, Azarie Gareau, one of the region’s first pioneers.
In addition to having been artist-in-residence at Bellevue’s Rendez-Vous, Aurèle Gareau continues the family tradition and regularly presents sculpture workshops across Saskatchewan.
Solange Lavigne
Author, theater artist
Solange is the youngest child of Rosario Gareau and Laura Gaudet of Bellevue. She completed her primary studies at the Gaudet school and then at the Saint-Louis convent before heading to teacher-training school at a young age. Teaching will be one of the great passions of her life. The other will be the theatre. In Prince Albert, she became, with her sister Germaine, the soul of the Troupe de l’Épinette, a local francophone theatre troupe.
Surrounding herself with local fransaskois actors such as Jos Marchildon, Guy Masson and others, she stages plays regularly. Between 1975 and 1995, she produced at least one major production per year. We need only think of Félix Leclerc’s “L’auberge des morts subites” at the first Festival théâtral fransaskois in 1979, “Wheat City” by Ken Mitchell in 1987 and the translation and staging of the play by Geoffrey Ursell “Le Géant Beaupré” in 1990. Solange Lavigne is also the author of “Kaleidoscope, Many Cultures, One Faith”, the history of the diocese of Prince Albert (1990) and translator of “Les secretaires de Louis Riel” by Donatien Frémont (1985).
Freddie Pelletier
Musician, guitarist
Virtuoso country guitarist, Freddie Pelletier received the “Legends and Legacy” award at the Saskatchewan Country Music Awards for his contribution to country music in Saskatchewan over the years. Freddie has pursued a career as a professional musician since 1969. This St. Louis native has toured extensively as a guitarist, including alongside famed Canadian singer-songwriter, Ian Tyson. For several years, Freddie and his son Clint, who in turn became an exceptional guitarist, formed a duo and presented numerous shows across Western Canada. Freddie and his wife Sheila also created the Pelletier Guitar and Music Camp, which welcomed artists of all ages for 12 years.
For twenty years, Freddie has been performing in duo with wife Sheila in the southern United States. When they are at home, you have a good chance of seeing them on a stage in Saskatchewan or elsewhere in Western Canada.
Alphonse Gaudet
Actor
A talented actor, Alphonse Gaudet is one of the founding members of La Troupe du Jour, Saskatoon’s Francophone theater company founded in 1985 that focuses on self-exploration, self-definition, self-acceptance and self-celebration. Alphonse was the troupe’s first artistic director. Over the years, this Bellevue native has pursued a long and successful career as an actor in theater (Shakespeare on the Saskatchewan) as well as in cinema – Black Light (1999), Big Bear (1998), Black Light (1998), The Lost Daughter (1997).
Robert Gareau
Author of children's books
Retired teacher, artist, guardian of history, Robert Gareau is a true conduit of talent. Not only is his background rich, but he has been able to use his professional and artistic activities for the benefit of his community and the next generation. Passionate about youth, Robert Gareau has not finished surprising us.
(Source: Editions des Plaines)
Aurore Houle
Painter and sculptor
The eldest of nine children, Aurore Houle was born in St. Isidore de Bellevue. Her love of art inspired her to become an accomplished painter, woodcarver, bronze sculptor, and art teacher. This passion for art is expressed in her acrylic and oil paintings, her wood sculptures, her bronze sculptures and her stained-glass windows. Her works reflect her great love of landscapes, flowers, and people. Aurore also loved music and played the violin and guitar to the delight of her friends and family. In 2001, Aurore moved to Calgary to be closer to her family. She died in 2015 at the age of 83.
Liza Gareau Tosh
Painter
Of French-Canadian and Métis descent, Liza Gareau Tosh was interested in art, especially drawing, from an early age and was supervised from the age of 14 by the painter and sculptor Aurore Houle. After studying education, Liza graduated in 2006 with a Bachelor of Fine Arts from the University of Saskatchewan. Her paintings and drawings include portraits, landscapes and murals.
Her paintings have been exhibited in group and solo exhibitions in Saskatchewan and in Fernie, British Columbia, where she spends her winters. In 2009, Liza founded Routes Gallery, in Harris, Saskatchewan, where she showcases the work of visual artists, organizes performances and provides arts education opportunities to the community.
Vanessa Gaudet
Stained glass artist
Glass artist Vanessa Gaudet grew up in Bellevue, Saskatchewan. Her early years in Bellevue shaped her artistic growth by exposing her to many different mediums and influencing her creative thought process. At the age of 20, Vanessa moved to Victoria to attend college where she was introduced to the art of glass sculpture. Enthralled by this form of art, she abandoned her studies to focus on a career in glass.
Her inspiration comes from the natural environment in which she resides. She often represents the coasts of the Pacific; plant life and ocean creatures are beautifully depicted in motion, as if caught in a natural state of being.
Christie-Anne Blondeau
Singer
A talented singer with a powerful voice, Christie-Anne Blondeau was born in the Fransaskois community of Domremy (Saskatchewan). Christie-Anne Blondeau was barely four years old when she developed a passion for singing and music, a passion she inherited from her father Guy Blondeau, a long-time choirmaster at the Domremy church. From concert to concert, the exceptional young singer’s talent never ceased to increase.
Later, she will participate in the InPAC workshops and the Gala fransaskois de la chanson and will benefit from training workshops with artists such as Catherine Pinard, Jean-Guy Labelle, Mario Chénart, Maude Grenier, Suzanne Campagne, Luc de la Rochellière and Nelson. Minville. Christie-Anne twice represented Saskatchewan at the Gala Chant’Ouest and in 1996 won the audience award at the Gala fransaskois de la chanson in Prince Albert. Christie-Anne now lives in Regina where she pursues her passion as a singer with the Uptown Jazz Trio and the Resonance Duo.
Beatrice Gaudet
Singer and Producer
Native of St-Isidore de-Bellevue, Béatrice Gaudet has been involved in music since a young age. She took to the stage to sing in French in 1990 by participating in the first Gala Fransaskois de la chanson and the first Chant’Ouest. Subsequently, she created the group Mama B and the Bon Temps Playboys with which she performed classic hits of the folk and Cajun music genres. Béatrice also worked as a television producer at the Société Radio-Canada, in Regina, for more than twenty years, before moving to Winnipeg where she worked as a documentary filmmaker at Productions Rivard. Multidisciplinary artist, Béatrice currently works as a coordinator of cultural projects in Western Canada and hopes to soon develop and produce a film inspired by the life of Fransaskois author , Jean Féron.
Gerry Gareau
Singer-songwriter and performer
Gerry Gareau is a singer-songwriter from Bellevue who has been writing songs since he was a teenager. He got his first taste of touring with the rock band Tenacity, crossing Canada, then South Africa where two of the band’s compositions won first and second place on the country’s rock charts. Always interested in deepening his knowledge of song writing, he trained at the National School of Song in Granby, l’École nationale de la chanson de Granby, then went on to write country songs. More recently, Gerry went to Nashville to record his first country album in the famous Beaird Studio and placed three top 10 songs on the “Canadian Indie Country Countdown” chart. For the past three years, Gerry has devoted himself almost entirely to writing New Country songs and working as a “Staff Writer” for the Nashville American song publisher, Merf Music.
Daniel Houle
Singer-songwriter and performer
Born in Domremy, Daniel Houle left Saskatchewan for Quebec at the age of 23 in search of his roots and his mother tongue. Daniel inherited the exceptional voice of his father, Albert Houle, who was a long-time member of the Domremy church choir. In 2006 Daniel formed his first group, The Breathing Plain, with which he recorded a first CD of his folk-Americana compositions. In 2018, Daniel created a new musical project, Bison Eyes, whose name contrasts the wild beauty of the plains with the gentle introspection of this talented singer.
Keisha Gareau
Métis craftswoman
Bellevue native Keisha Gareau says that when she started beading, she learned the importance of beading in a circular pattern reflecting the “circle of life”. “Beading has helped me deal with difficult situations because it teaches me about life and how it goes on. Despite her continuous movement, she always leaves a pearl/memory, a learning moment, and an impact in her wake. »
