Multicultural Day: the CNF introduces its team

June 27 is National Multiculturalism Day, an opportunity to celebrate Canada's rich cultural diversity. For the Collège Nordique, this event is particularly significant as it reflects our core values of equity, diversity and inclusion (EID).  

The only French-language post-secondary institution north of the 60th parallel, CNF is located on Chief Drygeese's territory, where approximately 50% of the population is Indigenous, and the other half is made up of people from around the world. 

Our team reflects Canada's cultural diversity. 

The diversity of our team is a true reflection of our environment. Érika Cairo-Luce, Director of Operations, tells us that the Collège Nordique has 18 peoples from France, Belgium, England, the Republic of Guinea, Mexico, Colombia, Canada ( (from across the country, including Tłı̨chǫ) and Cameroon. Érika emphasizes the importance of this diversity in the process of integration of team members: 

"A diverse team allows new employees to feel supported and accompanied from the moment they arrive. For the Collège, this enriches its development prospects, particularly within the DEI committee, where every voice counts," she explains.  

Testimonials from our team members perfectly illustrate the impact of this multicultural environment: 

Valérie Lobe Manga, Administration and Finance Coordinator, originally from Cameroon, describes her arrival at the Collège: 

"Things happened so simply, so naturally, that I integrated right away. I immersed myself in my professional life, taking ownership my work environment, my space, and making the people and what surrounded me my reality"

Photo of some team members in traditional dress

Our initiatives and community recognition.

Collège Nordique is not only a place of learning, it is also distinguished by its initiatives in favour of equity, diversity and inclusion. Thanks to the rich diversity of its team, the CNF has been able to develop educational resources such as the French workbook "Rendez-vous Nordiques : langue et culture (Garcia, 2021)", which integrates Indigenous culture into the learning of French, the tłı̨chǫ workbook "Tłı̨chǫ Yatı̀ eyıts'ǫ Dǫ Nàowoò" (Benning & Franki, 2022) for Tłı̨chǫ language learning and the English workbook "Meet Me Up North" (Galarneau & Gonzalez, 2023). These efforts were recognized with the 2020 Minister's Circle Award for Culture and Heritage and the 2019 IRCC Employer Recognition Award for Newcomer Employment. 

Marie-France, Director of Training and Student Success

"As Director of Training and Student Success at Collège Nordique, integrating people from other countries, whether they are students or employees, is a top priority. It helps ensure their academic success and overall well-being. This is achieved through a warm welcome to international students and employees, providing them with an orientation to the Collège, its services, and the resources available to help them adapt to their new environment". 

We are also committed to using inclusive communication and supporting people with disabilities. By participating in and funding various cultural events, such as the multicultural festival on June 30, the Collège demonstrates its commitment to diversity. 

The words of our team members

Natalia, Spanish and French teacher, originally from Colombia:

"The cultural diversity of our student community is a great source of inspiration when planning and delivering our courses. Dialogue and exchange are always at the heart of learning. In class, we help students revisit their own cultural identity, stimulate their curiosity and encourage them to be open-minded towards multiple horizons (while learning a language)". 

Tamlin Gilbert, LINC teacher, originally from England:

"I very much appreciate the multicultural nature of Collège Nordique: It's fascinating to see the mix of backgrounds and cultures and, above all, to know that people are only human. It may sound trite to say it, but working with people of different nationalities helps you discover that we have more in common than we have differences." 

Celebrating the cultures of our team members. 

We present a traditional Carribean dish from Guadeloupe, where Érika, French, is originally from: Chicken Colombo. In the photo, Érika is wearing a Madras, a traditional outfit.

Now we're going to Colombia, where Natalia is originally from, to introduce you to :  Colombian arepas. 

In Colombia, arepas can be enjoyed at any time of day and are incredibly versatile. They can be filled with any combination of foods, the most common choices being seasoned meat, fresh cheese, guacamole, vegetables and scrambled eggs. 

Feel free to make these recipes and share your photos with us! 

Collège Nordique is always on the lookout for new talent from around the world to join our team on our Northern adventure. Check out our job offers on the Careers page.