On Thursday, October 3, the City of Vaudreuil-Dorion's Camp Franco-fun was awarded the OTIUM trophy by the Association québécoise du loisir municipal in the category for municipalities or boroughs with a population of 25,000 to 74,999, at the Prix Excellence ceremony held at Montreal's Hôtel Bonaventure. This recognition follows that received last June at the Gala Nomina, which celebrates excellence and innovation in the field of recreation and sport in Montérégie.

“What a wonderful recognition for our team and all our partners in this project! Camp Franco-fun transforms the summer of Vaudreuil-Dorion's allophone children into a unique learning and cultural integration experience. Once again this year, the camp was a resounding success with participants. This program not only strengthens their French skills, it also creates strong ties within our community, facilitating access to local resources and helping immigrant families put down roots,” says Vincent Bastien, Director of the City of Vaudreuil-Dorion's Service des loisirs et de la culture.

Offered for the first time in 2022, Camp Franco-fun is a day camp program designed for allophone children in Vaudreuil-Dorion, enabling them to continue developing their French language skills during the summer months, through a specially dedicated day camp. The program is designed to promote social and linguistic integration through leisure activities.

The program is the fruit of a collaborative effort between the town, Animation Jeunesse and the Centre de services scolaires des Trois-Lacs. Two other partners joined the project in 2024: Réseaux and the Fondation des enfants de Vaudreuil-Soulanges. This summer, 50 children aged between 5 and 12 benefited from this two-week service.

“Camp Franco-fun is a perfect example of an initiative aimed at developing mechanisms for welcoming, integrating and supporting our residents. In fact, it's one of the objectives behind our policy of living together. Over the years, Vaudreuil-Dorion has undergone significant change. Many of our new citizens are immigrants. It is essential for our organization to participate in the development of a welcoming and inclusive community life. I would like to thank and congratulate all the employees and partners who contributed to the success of the Camp Franco-fun project. I'm delighted with the visibility this award gives Camp Franco-fun, and I hope it will inspire other municipalities to offer such services in their communities,” concluded Mayor Guy Pilon.