The Mayor of the Town of Bonnyville Elisa Brosseau has been named one of the Top 10 Influential Canadian Francophones of the 2022 year.
FrancoPresse released the list that includes other Canadian Francophones like Michelle O’Bonsawin who made history this year by becoming the first Indigenous justice on the Supreme Court of Canada and Jonathan David the star striker of the Canadian soccer team who participated in the World Cup.
Elisa Brosseau has been recognized because of her role as the Mayor of the Town of Bonnyville and the Chair of the Alberta Bilingual Municipality Association. Both the town and the M.D. are two of the 19 municipal members with the purpose of showcasing bilingualism. Brosseau says it took her by surprise.
“I was really surprised that someone at a national level thinks the work I do influences others. I was definitely surprised and humbled by the nomination.”
Brosseau says there are many benefits for a town and M.D. being bilingual.Â
“When we talk about investment or tourism it is really marketing and showcasing our municipalities that we have bilingualism in our business and shows our residents are bilingual.”
One of the benefits of being bilingual Mayor Brosseau highlights is the ability to attract Francophone investors and workers from outside the province.