Karine Desplas

Karine has so many good memories at Alliance Française Vancouver in the 6161 Cambie St location.

Karine tells us about her meeting with comic books authors Marcelina Truong and Sandrine Revel during a Comic Book Festival Month : “We were only 10 people. It was a very close exchange, and a great one. My daughter had attended a comic book creation workshop with Marcelino Truong while in France. Two years later, we had the opportunity to attend a workshop with him, here in Vancouver and live this experience together.”

She mentions, among other things, good times spent in a friendly atmosphere in particular at the event "Artisanat Chocolat", the celebration of the Black History Month and the plays.

These are the kind of events that Karine is particularly fond of – family events that create bonds between grandparents, parents and children. She was very happy to find this at Alliance Française Vancouver. Finding an Alliance Française where she could maintain her French and keep access to francophone culture was one of the first things she did when she arrived in Vancouver years ago.

For Karine, Alliance Française is a place where she meets new people everytime. Although the building demolition at 6161 Cambie St makes her a bit nostalgic, she is eagerly awaiting the construction of the new building. She tells us:
“This is good news. I was happy to write a letter of support for the new biuding project for the Rezoning’s Public Hearing in 2009 because not only francophone communities will benefit as well but the city as well. There is a lack of cultural centers in Vancouver. I see this space as a place where all the richness of the Francophonie is celebrated et where everyone is welcome. I hope to be able to meet other people and to discover the Francophonies in bigger spaces, to attend more activities and who knows, highlight projects organized by members because we too have things to share.

Even though the media library is Karine’s favorite place, she impatiently awaits the opening of the café – having a place to read quietly, attend literary cafes, exchanges with others..

Karine loves literature but also the arts. This new building is an opportunity for a cultural program rich in diversity. Creative workshops around crafts, amateur and professional theater performances, exhibitions at the art gallery, new initiatives to discover different aspects of the Francophonie – Karine is dreaming of that and to top it off, why not a community garden on the rooftop? An idea that Alliance Française Vancouver has already started thinking about!