[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":153},["ShallowReactive",2],{"activist-section-may-bouchard-forming-her-activism":3,"activist-may-bouchard":77},{"id":4,"title":5,"body":6,"description":64,"extension":69,"meta":70,"navigation":71,"oldPath":72,"path":73,"seo":74,"stem":75,"__hash__":76},"activistSections\u002Factivists\u002Fmay-bouchard\u002F01.forming-her-activism.md","Forming Her Activism",{"type":7,"value":8,"toc":63},"minimark",[9,14,26,29,35,39,54],[10,11,13],"h2",{"id":12},"building-self-confidence","Building self-confidence",[15,16,17,18,25],"p",{},"May grew up under the difficult conditions imposed by the ",[19,20,24],"a",{"href":21,"rel":22},"http:\u002F\u002Fwww.thecanadianencyclopedia.com\u002Findex.cfm?PgNm=TCE&Params=a1ARTA0003425",[23],"nofollow","Great Depression"," of the 1930s, absorbing the family value of self-reliance in finding food and employment. Depending on government help did not enter the family’s thinking in those days.",[15,27,28],{},"May attributes her self-confidence to the caring influence of two sets of grandparents who helped to raise her after her mother died in 1927 when May was just seven years old and gave her “unconditional love and acceptance”. It is this sense of self-worth and competence that she has drawn on in her 60 years of activism, and taught many other women to claim too. Standing up for her values when external social pressures were brought to bear has both drawn on and strengthened her personal sense of self-worth, keeping it intact under siege.",[30,31,32],"blockquote",{},[15,33,34],{},"No one would make me and my two sisters believe that we were not OK. Even when we made mistakes, we still felt good about ourselves. I think that is a big thing, that no one could make me believe anything different.",[10,36,38],{"id":37},"setting-priorities","Setting priorities",[15,40,41,42,47,48,53],{},"In 1980, May returned to her birthplace of Pomquet, Nova Scotia, from Montreal, where she had raised her six children, worked in a large home for seniors, and owned and managed a small group home for elders. Always proud of her Nova Scotia Acadian heritage, she quickly spotted issues that needed attention in her community, and got involved with la ",[19,43,46],{"href":44,"rel":45},"http:\u002F\u002Fwww.federationacadienne.ca\u002FWho-are-we-",[23],"Fédération acadienne de la Nouvelle-Écosse (FANE)",", the Acadian Federation of Nova Scotia. She served several times as the President of the Pomquet branch and also worked for FANE at the provincial level. Since women were not represented well in FANE, they founded ",[19,49,52],{"href":50,"rel":51},"http:\u002F\u002Fwww.ffane.ca",[23],"Fédération des femmes acadiennes de la Nouvelle-Écosse (FFAN)",", the Acadian Women's Association of Nova Scotia (AANE).",[15,55,56,57,62],{},"Then I was getting older, and we sat around the table, and I said (to members of FANE), “Are you going to recognize the seniors? When are you going to talk about the seniors in Nova Scotia?” We had nothing to represent us as far as the Acadians are concerned. So they said “OK”, and we founded ",[19,58,61],{"href":59,"rel":60},"http:\u002F\u002Fwww.rane.ns.ca",[23],"Regroupment des aînés et aînées de la Nouvelle-Écosse",", the organization for seniors in Nova Scotia.",{"title":64,"searchDepth":65,"depth":65,"links":66},"",2,[67,68],{"id":12,"depth":65,"text":13},{"id":37,"depth":65,"text":38},"md",{},true,"\u002Fmay-bouchard\u002Fforming-her-activism","\u002Factivists\u002Fmay-bouchard\u002Fforming-her-activism",{"title":5,"description":64},"activists\u002Fmay-bouchard\u002F01.forming-her-activism","xjVTemx6gVojGLTLrVUZ7IstTBQkogNcbHJLg-6MRrc",{"id":78,"title":79,"body":80,"description":130,"extension":69,"links":131,"meta":132,"navigation":71,"oldPath":133,"path":134,"pictures":135,"portrait":136,"portraitAlt":137,"province":138,"quote":139,"sections":140,"seo":149,"stem":150,"summary":151,"__hash__":152},"activists\u002Factivists\u002Fmay-bouchard\u002Findex.md","May Bouchard",{"type":7,"value":81,"toc":128},[82,91,99,104,107,116,125],[15,83,84,85,90],{},"May Bouchard’s home nestles into a glorious semi-rural landscape on the Northumberland Strait in the historic village of her birthplace, ",[19,86,89],{"href":87,"rel":88},"http:\u002F\u002Fen.wikipedia.org\u002Fwiki\u002FPomquet",[23],"Pomquet",", Antigonish County, Nova Scotia. Her awards, which fill a considerable space on the wall, include the Order of Canada, the Queen’s Golden Jubilee Medal, and various certificates of merit and appreciation. Liz Burge interviewed May in 2008 – at her kitchen table – and asked why she thought she received the Order of Canada on October 26, 2002. May’s reply was typically brisk: “You have to keep it simple… it’s being able to work with people, you don’t do things alone. It’s for what I did when I worked in education… and I worked for women’s rights, I worked for seniors.”",[15,92,93,98],{},[19,94,97],{"href":95,"rel":96},"http:\u002F\u002Fwww.gg.ca\u002Fhonour.aspx?id=6753&t=12",[23],"The Governor General’s office"," explained the award somewhat differently:",[30,100,101],{},[15,102,103],{},"A woman of action and a tireless volunteer, she is a model in her community. Known for her deep attachment to Acadian culture, she is equally well known for her pioneering efforts on behalf of the women of her province. In particular, she has served as President of the Association des Acadiennes de la Nouvelle-Écosse and Vice-President of the Fédération des femmes canadiennes-françaises. She brings the same generous dedication to other community causes, thereby promoting the region's vitality and development. Her constant availability for those in need is another example of her altruism and dedication to helping others.",[15,105,106],{},"In making May Bouchard an honorary member, the Association canadienne d'éducation de langue française indicated that she “will stop at nothing” to help develop French language and culture. The prestigious l'Ordre de la Pleiade from I'Assemblee parlementaire de la Francophonie was presented to May Bouchard on March 23, 2011 in the Legislative Assembly of Nova Scotia for her distinguished record of service to the francophones of Nova Scotia.",[15,108,109,110,115],{},"Her interest in cultural heritage extends to educating people of all ages, and to the history of her region as well. May was a founder and President of the Pomquet Historical Society, a Board member of the Pomquet Museum, and President of the ",[19,111,114],{"href":112,"rel":113},"http:\u002F\u002Fwww.parl.ns.ca\u002Faheritage\u002Fpages\u002Fdefault.htm",[23],"Antigonish Heritage Museum",".",[15,117,118,119,124],{},"In addition to other forms of community activism, May is a Board member of the ",[19,120,123],{"href":121,"rel":122},"http:\u002F\u002Fwww.pomquet.net",[23],"Pomquet Development Society",", a freelance reporter for the Courrier de la Nouvelle-Écosse, a member of the Pomquet Ladies Club, and a member of the Ste-Croix Parish choir.",[15,126,127],{},"During her interview, May’s passion for a wide skein of societal concerns was clear, but always tempered by patience, and her sense of realism.",{"title":64,"searchDepth":65,"depth":65,"links":129},[],"May Bouchard’s home nestles into a glorious semi-rural landscape on the Northumberland Strait in the historic village of her birthplace, Pomquet, Antigonish County, Nova Scotia. Her awards, which fill a considerable space on the wall, include the Order of Canada, the Queen’s Golden Jubilee Medal, and various certificates of merit and appreciation. Liz Burge interviewed May in 2008 – at her kitchen table – and asked why she thought she received the Order of Canada on October 26, 2002. May’s reply was typically brisk: “You have to keep it simple… it’s being able to work with people, you don’t do things alone. It’s for what I did when I worked in education… and I worked for women’s rights, I worked for seniors.”",[],{},"\u002Fcontent\u002Fmay-bouchard","\u002Factivists\u002Fmay-bouchard",[],"\u002Fimages\u002Factivists\u002Fmay-bouchard\u002Fportrait.jpg","Portrait of May Bouchard.","Nova Scotia","Everything starts at the kitchen table!",[141,143,146],{"slug":142,"label":5},"forming-her-activism",{"slug":144,"label":145},"practising-social-activism","Practising Social Activism",{"slug":147,"label":148},"creating-change-lessons-and-advice","Creating Change: Lessons and Advice",{"title":79,"description":130},"activists\u002Fmay-bouchard\u002Findex","For her work in defending Acadian language and culture, Mary Bouchard's many awards include the Order of Canada and the Queen’s Golden Jubilee Medal.","Fesvh3hSedSLOxT1Ljf7h8L36IK_SLdvORHS9FLsCWs",1789062651966]