On Monday, February 24, the Maison de la Famille de Vaudreuil-Soulanges invited dignitaries and members of the media to unveil details of the 2nd edition of its annual Homard des îles event. The event will take place at Summerlea Golf Club on Thursday, May 15, starting at 6pm. 

The press conference was attended by the following guests: Claude DeBellefeuille, MNA for Salaberry-Suroît, Peter Schiefke, MNA for Vaudreuil-Soulanges, Guy Pilon, Pierre Séguin and Yvon Chiasson, mayors of Vaudreuil-Dorion, L'Île-Perrot and Saint-Zotique, and Mélanie Maranda, political attaché for Marie-Claude Nichols, MNA for Vaudreuil. 

"It's a pleasure to invite people to this second edition of our event, which we hope will be as unifying as the first. This event is part of our annual fundraising campaign, and will be held in the heart of Quebec Family Week. This year, the profits raised will be used to finance the deployment of some of our services in the Soulanges area, in the wake of the forthcoming opening of our Maison de la Famille in Saint-Zotique", confirms Diane Lyonnais, President of the organization's Board of Directors.

Last February, the Maison de la Famille faced a major challenge: building new premises on the Soulanges territory. "Today, the project is well advanced. We're proud to say that the worksite will be completed ahead of schedule and under budget, which is quite rare these days. Starting this spring, we'll be offering a few services before moving into the Maison de la Famille de Saint-Zotique this summer. An open house will be held this autumn for those interested in discovering this new energy-efficient building. It was a big challenge, but now we're ready to take on another one," she added, referring to the Magdalen Islands Lobster Supper. 

Over the next few weeks, the Maison de la Famille de Saint-Zotique will need to complete some exterior work. Grants could be obtained to finance this stage of the project.

Deployment of services in Soulanges 

Profits from the fundraising event scheduled for May will help finance the implementation of various services for children and their families in the Soulanges area.

"According to a recent study conducted in 2022, one-third of children in Vaudreuil-Soulanges, or one in three, will start kindergarten with an inadequate sphere of development. This equates to 30.5% in our region, which is higher than in the rest of Montérégie and in the neighboring MRC of Beauharnois-Salaberry. It's a statistic that speaks to us enormously, and it's what's prompting us to develop more services with the money raised following the Souper homard des Ïles-de-la-Madeleine," continued Ms. Lyonnais.

The services deployed will be homework help, tutoring, educational camp, early stimulation and language, as well as supervision of access rights and childcare exchanges. 

"Again according to this study, there are around 600 children in Vaudreuil-Soulanges who start kindergarten with an inadequate sphere of development. Of these, nearly 200 come from privileged backgrounds. The same number come from moderately disadvantaged backgrounds, while the remaining third are from disadvantaged backgrounds. The Maison de la Famille is for everyone, and we try very hard, on a daily basis, to reach all families in these strata. To achieve this, we need the support of the community and the municipal authorities", she confided.

In their respective speeches, Mayors Guy Pilon, Pierre Séguin and Yvon Chiasson agreed that the organization provides essential and indispensable services in the region. "This lobster dinner is the perfect opportunity to show our support for this organization and confirm its importance in the region. We hope people will attend in large numbers," they said respectively. 

For his part, Saint-Zotique mayor Yvon Chiasson said he was proud to welcome the new Maison de la Famille. "The average age of our population is 37 to 38, and many families live on our territory. So it's the perfect place to set up this facility, and I and the entire Board of Directors really wanted to facilitate its arrival on our territory. We signed an emphyteutic lease with the organization to ensure its long-term presence here.  Obviously, we'll also be well represented at the event." 

François Paquin of Desjardins Vaudreuil-Soulanges also had good things to say about the organization. "The first edition was a great success and a real happening. The special atmosphere that prevailed is promising for the return of this popular activity. I hope that people will participate in large numbers. The packages on offer show that there's something for every budget. There's something for everyone at this event. It's been a pleasure for us to support the Maison de la Famille for the past ten years.  The organization offers essential services in the region and is sensitive to and adapts to the needs of local families. Don't hesitate to take advantage of this evening to shake hands with the other guests (laughs)", he concluded, as the crowd looked on in amusement.

An honorary president well involved in her community 

The honorary presidency of the Soirée Homard des Îles-de-la-Madeleine has been entrusted to Shirley-Ann Levac-Fordham, owner of Métro Fordham in Saint-Zotique. "We've always been involved in our community, and I'm delighted with this new role. I'm always keen to support initiatives that make a difference in the daily lives of people here, and that's the case with this organization. We are a family business and this value is at the heart of all our decisions." 

On a day-to-day basis, Maison de la Famille raises $1.2 million to ensure its smooth running. This money comes mainly from fundraising activities such as the Lobster Supper, but also from other sources such as government subsidies and donations. 

Those interested in taking part in this event can purchase one or more tickets at a cost of $215 each, or $1600 for a table of eight. A VIP package is also available, at a cost of $2,000. This will allow those who have paid this amount to have an extra lobster per person around the table. Another menu is also available for non-enthusiasts of this clawed crustacean. Last year's inaugural event raised close to $78,000. 

Tickets are available on the Maison de la Famille website, in the Financing section, then Lobster Benefit Dinner