On June 30, 2023, the Conseil scolaire acadien provincial celebrated its graduates, very proud to award ten scholarships to its top students. Receiving the Méritas Award, the highest honor, a student from the Ecole secondaire du Sommet in Halifax was recognized for her exemplary leadership at school and in her Acadian and Francophone community. It is true that Daphnée de Lamirande had already distinguished herself brilliantly. In July 2022, she received the Lieutenant-Governor’s Excellence Award for Acadia and Francophonie in Nova Scotia for her commitment to youth. On June 8, 2023, the Conseil Communautaire du Grand-Havre (CCGH) awarded her the Grand Volunteer of the Year Award (Gaston-Chagnon Award) for her contribution to Francophone culture. Who is this young woman with a strong leadership presence who does not intend to stop on such a good path?
From adolescence, Daphnée’s path seemed all mapped out. Her passion for the community was first forged in her mother’s office, Véronique Legault, who was the executive director of two community institutions in the province, the Regroupement des aînés and, until 2020, the Fédération des parents acadiens. Her pride in being Francophone was then built at the Conseil jeunesse provincial, where she served as president from September 2021 to June 2023. It was at the CJP that Daphnée learned to organize her activities and exercise leadership in French. And it was at the CJP that she vigorously advocated for the skills and needs of young people and campaigned for them to be represented on the boards of community institutions.
A leader of today and tomorrow
In reality, Daphnée’s leadership for youth extends well beyond the CJP. Between 2021 and 2023, she also served on the board of directors of the CCGH and on the youth committee of the Fédération des femmes acadiennes de la Nouvelle-Ecosse. Similarly, she served at the national level on the steering committee of the Fédération de la jeunesse canadienne-française. This is how she has advanced numerous projects, such as the creation of a social enterprise managed by and for young women. And since 2023? Daphnée now represents the CJP on the board of directors of the Société Nationale de l’Acadie. She particularly has a follow-through with her ideas and the means to fulfill her ambitions. Originally from Quebec, she grew up in Nova Scotia. She is therefore an Acadian by adoption, proud of her Francophonie. She chose a bachelor’s degree from the Department of Economics at the University of Montreal, the best in French-speaking Canada. Why this choice?
What if we looked towards the father? Certainly, Daphnée is the daughter of Patrick de Lamirande, an economics professor at Cape Breton University. But her choice is primarily one of coherence. Politically engaged, she is convinced that economics is closely linked to politics. An example? Economic development supports political action in favor of official languages and its funding requests. Today, Daphnée is involved in the Association of Students in Economics at the University of Montreal, serving as academic coordinator and co-chair of the women’s committee. Recently, she is also an intern in communications at the Fédération des aînées et aînés francophones du Canada and at the Commission nationale des parents francophones. The ambitious Daphnée certainly does not count her hours. She belongs to that category of leaders of today and tomorrow that her community can be proud of.
Header photo: Daphnée de Lamirande, Gaston-Chagnon Award 2023 (Photo Lucien Comeau).
Author: Jean-Marc Agator,
Paris Region, France.