English Transcript SEASON 1 - EPISODE 09 « F-O QU’ON S’PARLE » WITH CÉLESTE LÉVIS 00:00:00 Hello everyone! I am Danielle Roy, one of the hosts of today’s podcast. And I am Camille Sigouin. I am the other podcast host. 00:00:11 Thank you all for being with us today. Welcome to the official podcast of l'Assemblée de la francophonie de l'Ontario. 00:00:17 F-O qu'on s'parle. F-O qu'on s'parle is an opportunity to have discussions with accessible models, influencers and people who inspire us in the Franco-Ontarian community, who really had an impact on our lives, and on the community in general. The podcast is funded by ACFO Ottawa, Ottawa bilingue program. It is a program that funds projects that focus on bilingualism in Ottawa. 00:00:48 So, today, our guest was Céleste Lévis. We had a really good conversation with Céleste ,because the three of us come from northern Ontario. 00:00:58 We mostly talked about migration from the North to Ottawa, but also moving from northern Ontario in general. And the feeling of belonging that we share. She also told us a lot about her musical career, and her time at La Voix. It was a wonderful conversation with Céleste. She certainly is an accessible model for music, and for northern Ontario. Enjoy the podcast everyone. 00:01:28 Hello Céleste, how are you today? I am well, thank you. 00:01:41 Thank you very much for being with us on episode 9 of the AFO podcast. 00:01:45 I'm really, really happy to be able to chat with you. It's an honor to have you. You know Céleste, we need to talk about the migration from Northern Ontario to elsewhere in Ontario. 00:02:01 So, tell us a bit about yourself, your background, your experiences, your expertise. 00:02:06 Oh my god, that's a pretty loose question. I'll start, I am a singer-songwriter from Timmins, ​ ​ ​ Ontario. I am now in Ottawa. 00:02:26 I left Timmins for the first time officially, to go to the University of Ottawa. It was really my first step toward the city, it was not wanted. 00:02:39 But it happened. 00:02:43 What year did you leave Timmins? 00:02:47 I graduated in 2013, so it was in the fall of 2013 that I left to begin my studies at the University of Ottawa in advanced mathematics. 00:02:55 Interesting. It doesn't really relate to what I do anymore, but I love math, I love school. We're different that way. I did two years of college, and that's it, no ambition to go back to school. 00:03:25 Just to give everyone a little context, before we begin our conversation today. We're all from the north, I'm from Iroquois Falls, which is an hour from Timmins, Camille is from Hearst, two or three hours from Timmins, and you are from Timmins. We all had different backgrounds when it came to moving from the North. And, we had different reactions to moving from the North. What affected you the most when you moved? Did you have a shock? Because I had an intense one when I moved. 00:04:08 Absolutely. Yes for me. We used to visit my family, often here in Ottawa, and in Gatineau, at least twice a year. I also have family in Toronto too. so the big city didn't scare me. I just couldn't wait to have more stuff, because you know in Timmins, you have to go to Sudbury, which is also in the North. But for us, it's a three-hour drive, to go to the mall, to go to the store we like, for example. It always has been. And I was always eager to go to London, to go to Toronto to meet family, to have different experiences. 00:04:49 But when I officially left for college, I left my family, I was really very, very close. I am also the youngest in my family, so I had seen my Brothers. Leaving for Timmins, for Guelph, and Toronto, so I was used to the idea of moving. But being alone in college for the first time without my family. 00:05:17 It was really a big shock. Did you move in with roommates? Or you moved into an apartment on your own 00:05:25 the first year? I was in student dorms at the University of Ottawa. So it helped me a lot. 00:05:33 I don't know if it's the same for the rest of you, but because I have been to school in French, the students often left for either Sudbury, to continue their studies in French or in Ottawa. So I was lucky too, since we were still a gang of friends who left every year, who went either to Sudbury or Ottawa we were not completely alone. So it sure helps, but I was in student dorms for the first year. 00:06:03 So sometimes I could go see my friends at least. At least you had your friends. I had a different experience. 00:06:13 I moved during high school. So I was all alone with my family. I ended up in a school of 1,500 people from Hearst, which has 300 people, to a school of 1500. Did you go to Thériault? 00:06:28 Yes, Thériault. 00:06:31 I remember we went to volleyball tournaments and basketball tournaments in Thériault, and we said to ourselves wow it's a big school. It's a super nice school. We hosted the music festival Quand ca nous chante for several years. So, I was really lucky to have a high school that hosted lots of events there that brought together lots of students from all over. So that was cool. 00:06:57 Yes, those activities, I never realised but things like FESFO, Quand ca nous chante, it was really something that helped me grow as a person. 00:07:11 I was looking around, there wasn't much diversity. 00:07:16 There I saw different cultures. I saw different people who came from everywhere, people who came from other countries, who came to participate. In Iroquois Falls there was no such multiculturalism. It takes us out of our isolation. 00:07:34 Even in Timmins, in the last few years, really. You see lots of different cultures, that there are restaurants opening, so it's really fun to see the North begin to develop. 00:07:52 Even Hearst, you mentioned Camille, since Hearst University. 00:07:59 Herst The university did a lot of international recruiting for their program. And Hearst University is in Timmins too. 00:08:04 You mentioned it, everyone is in Sudbury, Ottawa, especially those who want to continue in French, Sudbury and Ottawa. And in the last few years, Hearst, some stay and and the rest go to Timmins. But for me growing up it was never a question. I knew there was a time when I was going to leave, to go to school, to continue my studies, to find a job. 00:08:38 I had to leave. You grow up with this expectation 00:08:45 So it's no surprise when you move out. But once you're gone, and you're actually in that situation. Camille is a little different because you were in high school. But I got there. And I mentioned it in another episode, I think. But it was really a huge shock. My family basically said after my first semester, “You have to come back, because it's not funny anymore you're sad to death”. It was really sad, it wasn't cute. But I decided to finish my year because I wanted the credits, I wanted to finish the year well. It was during that semester, that things lined up, and I decided to stay, and to finish. I'm really glad I did, but now I'm in a situation, where, with all the jobs and opportunities. Now that I'm a little known here. A year ago I was certain I was going to move back north. Now, I am not so sure if I would move back north. Do you see yourself moving back north? 00:09:58 It's the same. It was my plan to come back because my brothers also knew they were going to return, but with the music, because we do shows, we do workshops all over Ontario and Quebec. Ottawa is really the middle, my base is here. I am fortunate to work with several school boards. And at the same time, when I go to a show, it's not too far on both sides, doesn't matter where I go. So that's important. Now, if we decide to move to the North, I don't know if I would have the same opportunities I have here in Ottawa. 00:10:39 When When you moved did you know you were going to have a career in music? Did it happen when you were in ottawa? 00:10:49 Was Was that planned? 00:10:54 That's what's funny too, My career started in the North. At home, obviously. My first opportunities, my first competitions, were competitions in northern Ontario, like La Brunante in Sudbury.