Monument erected in honour of former Francophone school on site of Dr. Georges -L.-Dumont UHC

Moncton, Monday, November 9, 2020 – The official unveiling of a monument recalling the presence of the École secondaire Vanier on the current site of the Dr. Georges-L.-Dumont UHC took place today before a number of guests and dignitaries. 

When it opened in 1963, the École secondaire Vanier became the first French-language public secondary school in Moncton. The facility also served as a middle school for a number of years. The school was named in honour of the Governor General at that time, General Georges P. Vanier. 

Throughout its years of service, the school was a pillar in the development of the Francophone and Acadian community in the region. In 2005, the Dr. Georges-L.-Dumont UHC acquired the school and housed various services there until the building was demolished in 2014.

The construction of the monument has been an initiative of a group of community members who wish to perpetuate the memory and recognize the importance of this former school facility in Moncton. The monument was erected not far from the main entrance to the former school. Vitalité Health Network is proud to have helped bring this project to fruition.

De gauche à droite : Paul LeBlanc, ancien directeur de l’École intermédiaire Vanier; Dianne VanDommelen, de la firme Architects 4 et finissante de l’École Vanier; Sharon Smyth-Okana, vice-présidente aux Services cliniques par intérim; Michel C Léger, président du Conseil d’administration de Partenaires Dumont; L’Honorable Daniel Allain, ministre des Gouvernement locaux et de la Réforme de la gouvernance locale, élève l’École intermédiaire Vanier; Yvon Goguen, un des instigateurs pour l’obtention d’une école secondaire francophone à Moncton; Pierre Boudreau, conseiller à la Ville de Moncton et ancien président du conseil étudiant de l’École secondaire Vanier; Ted Gaudet, conseiller à la Ville de Dieppe et premier président du conseil étudiant de l’École secondaire Vanier; Ivan Melanson, président de Ivan’s Camera et finissant de l’École Vanier; Michelyne Paulin, présidente du Conseil d’administration du Réseau de santé Vitalité; Dollard LeBlanc, premier directeur de l’École secondaire Vanier et Gilles Beaulieu, finissant de l’École Vanier

From left to right: Paul LeBlanc, former principal of École secondaire Vanier; Dianne VanDommelen, Architects 4 and a graduate of École Vanier; Sharon Smyth-Okana, Acting Vice-President of Clinical Services ;Michel C Léger, Chair of the Board of Directors of Partenaires Dumont; Hon. Daniel Allain, Minister of Local Government and Local Governance Reform and former student of École intermédiaire Vanier; Yvon Goguen, one of the instigators that worked to obtain a francophone high school in Moncton; Pierre Boudreau, Councillor-at-Large at City of Moncton and former president of the student council of École secondaire Vanier; Ted Gaudet, Councillor at City of Dieppe and first president of the student council of École Vanier; Ivan Melanson, President of Ivan’s Camera and graduate of École Vanier; Michelyne Paulin, Chair of the Board of Directors of Vitalité Health Network; Dollard LeBlanc, first principal of École Vanier; and Gilles Beaulieu, graduate of École Vanier