Chantal Renaud: A generous presence

Chantal Renaud sees magic happen when people come together. Whether it be over a steaming cup of hot cocoa, in a family story circle, or while preparing a meal with fellow parents. For her, human connection is the foundation of community. And mutual support within that community is the key to village life. A consummate connector, Chantal reflected on what motivates her in her community work. “I’m a bridge kind of person,” she explained, “I always have been.” For Chantal, working with all kinds of people reveals a shared humanity. And it is by seeing one another’s humanity that we can live, and live well, together. 

The importance of seeing and being seen by the community is, in Chantal’s view, anchored in volunteerism. From a young age in Montreal, she loved how volunteering helped people. “[It] gave me a sense of responsibility, self-confidence and a sense of self-worth.” It is today a pillar in Chantal’s life because volunteering is a way to connect with the community.

In the 2010s, while living in Slovenia, Chantal came to appreciate the importance of community support from the point of view of someone in need. She and her partner had just started their family and were feeling isolated. To be closer to her family in Montreal, they decided to move back to Quebec but were looking for a quieter place to land. They arrived in Sutton in 2018 with a toddler and a new baby on the way. They had no car and very few belongings; they were starting over. People all over town helped them. They were offered an apartment near the village. Every week, one could see Chantal pushing her baby’s stroller to and from the church basement filled with clothing and household supplies. 

During their first winter in Sutton, Chantal and her toddler would wait eagerly until the sidewalks were cleared. Then they would go out to find social connection—to “feel normal.” They would make their way up the street to Le Cafetier (MO Café today), appreciating how Philippe Hébert shovelled the sidewalk, making sure to clear out a “parking spot” for her stroller by the door. She was new to town but will always appreciate the generosity that nonetheless came her way. 

In those early days, Chantal pitched in where she could. And once her eldest was enrolled in the Jardin d’enfants daycare, she volunteered and eventually joined the board. By pitching-in she met new friends, colleagues, and families. These people were, like her, in need of a community and mutual support. During the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, now with two young children, Chantal advocated for baby drop-in hours at the Centre Action Bénévole (CAB). Her advocacy was motivated by her own experience with isolation as a parent with small children. “Since I suffered from it, I didn’t want others to suffer [too]”. 

As Chantal’s life and family have grown in Sutton—she now has three children—so has her presence and her commitment to finding ways for Suttonites to help one another. For a time, she worked as the volunteer coordinator at the CAB, finding ways for community members to support one another. And since the summer of 2024, Chantal has been working with a dedicated group of parents to establish Sutton Family Village (Village Famille Sutton), a non-profit organization that aims to attend to the wide-ranging needs of local families with children ages 0–21 regardless of socio-economic background. Stay tuned to Journal Le Tour for further details!

Still in its early days, Sutton Family Village is partnering with the CAB on the cooking workshop event, Collective Kitchen. About this, Chantal shared a story of a parent who felt overwhelmed by life’s pressures. And who, upon receiving one container of chili made at the Collective Kitchen, cried at the feeling of being seen and supported. “All it took was one container of chili.” Chantal’s voice wavered as she spoke about how important these efforts are to so many, including her . She has containers of chili in her freezer, too.

Families “know what people are going through” and connections among us are “where the magic happens… where organic solutions happen.” We are “taking care of one another…” Chantal emphasized. “Together, we need to build up that village connection again to stand up and show up for the ones who are struggling.” We can, as Chantal suggests, stay connected by seeing one another and being seen, in community. 

Sharon Kivenko