Annual Activity Report 2017-2018

Turning the page

After 52 years with the Foundation, Janine Bombardier, Claire B. Beaudoin and Huguette B. Fontaine passed on the torch.

The Succession Committee and its Grand Seduction-style recruitment campaign constituted their final mission. Nine family members expressed an interest: four were appointed to the Board of Directors and five were invited to sit on Board Committees.

Janine Bombardier handed over the Presidency to Nicole Beaudoin.

“My dear Nicole, I am deeply moved to be passing along the responsibility I have assumed for close to 40 years. I know that it will be in good hands, because for the past 20 years you have demonstrated your leadership, competence and commitment.” Excerpt from a speech given at the 2017 annual meeting.

Roch A. Fournier also left us after 10 years of service; he was replaced by Luce Samoisette, a professor at the Université de Sherbrooke.

Although there have been many changes, one thing remains the same: the Foundation’s Board of Directors is still mostly female: 60% of its members are women!

The desire to help others is part of our DNA!

When it comes to getting involved in the community, the Foundation’s employees go all out.

Those who wish to take advantage of the Employee Volunteer Engagement Recognition Program can do so to their heart’s content – the sky is the limit! For participation in a one-time event, the Foundation donates $500, and $1,000 for long-term commitments (minimum 40 hours)! The program, which applies to registered charities, recognizes employees’ social actions and fosters a culture of helping others. It’s a popular program among our staff!

Together for La Grande Table

Every year, the Foundation’s employees adopt a cause and mobilize to raise funds.

Over the year, they come up with various methods of funding their chosen cause, such as payroll deductions, draws and a variety of activities.

In 2017, the Œuvre de Bienfaisance de Valcourt benefited from these collective efforts, receiving financial support as well as the proceeds of a food drive for Christmas baskets. In 2018, La Grande Table, a champion of food security in Sherbrooke, is the employees’ chosen organization. The campaign is in full swing, and will continue until December 2018!

Join us in supporting La Grande Table!

Yvonne L. Bombardier Scholarship in Visual Arts: a new version

The Foundation made its debut on the Montréal visual arts scene with 2016-2017 scholarship winner Véronique Ménard.

The artist’s exhibition, titled [DES]Équilibres, was orchestrated in collaboration with the Cultural Centre, and displayed at the Centre Never Apart in the heart of the Mile-Ex neighbourhood. The exhibition offered three esthetic experiences that pitted opposing elements against each other (balance and imbalance, synchronization and desynchronization, acceleration and deceleration), encouraging visitors to reflect on emerging behavioural transformations.

As the Foundation made its first foray onto the Montréal cultural scene, the Philanthropic Activities team added another feather to its cap: exhibition logistics. Luckily, colleagues from the Cultural Centre were happy to lend a hand. The results: a thoroughly modern exhibition and increased visibility for the scholarship program in the artistic community.

Partner organizations: growing through collaboration

In the world of science, where advances are being made at breakneck speed, students must acquire increasingly diverse knowledge.

In 2013, researchers from the Montreal Clinical Research Institute (IRCM) created a Master’s degree program in molecular and cellular medicine. Their goal was to offer the next generation of scientists comprehensive training in fundamental research, while developing proficiency in laboratory techniques and a solid understanding of the clinical reality.

The program, offered in collaboration with the Faculty of Medicine at the Université de Montréal, combines classroom theory with internships, using the IRCM’s multiple technological platforms. The multidisciplinary program allows students to gain experience in research and facilitates the selection of a future doctoral project.

This innovative initiative was made possible by the commitment of multiple actors, both within the IRCM and outside the organization. A scholarship program associated with the new Master’s program was established thanks to support from the J. Armand Bombardier Foundation and the Molson Foundation. The Bombardier-Molson scholarships aim to attract the top students and most promising researchers, making Montréal and Canada a destination of choice for fundamental research. In May 2018, the program won the Prix d’excellence for innovation, presented by the Université de Montréal in recognition of its innovative approach and contribution to improving the educational experience of students.

Partner organizations: growing through innovation

The Grands Ballets Canadiens de Montréal creates the National Centre for Dance Therapy (NCDT).

The NCDT is one of the company’s leading innovations in recent years. Combining clinical research, training and dance/movement therapy, the NCDT aims to improve the well-being of individuals through the benefits of dance. Dance therapy is used in the treatment of various health problems, as well as with people who have become isolated as a result of their state of health or social conditions.

In May 2018, the Grands Ballets and the NCDT presented their first ever International Symposium for dance and well-being. Over three days, participants were invited to share and expand their expertise by working with other professionals from complementary disciplines. What a wonderful example of using the arts as a tool for societal development.

The workshops: a growing demand

The Philagora program really took off in terms of number of participants, number of workshops and diversity of topics.

In September 2017, a workshop on crowdfunding, developed in collaboration with the Ulule team, was presented in Montréal and again in Victoriaville for organizations supported by the Fondation François Bourgeois.

In December, we invited the organizations to explore the connection between creativity and movement. This unusual exercise led to some very creative ideas for facilitating activities, some of which have already been tested within the organizations.

In April 2018, we collaborated with the Conseil des arts de Montréal and Culture pour tous to offer an initial workshop dedicated to the cultural sector, under the theme of innovation.

It was a wonderful year of learning and strengthening partnerships!

The cohort: building a shared vocabulary

Taking a step back to make room for innovation was the challenge taken on by participants of the 2017-2018 cohort.

The fourth cohort on the culture of change and social innovation ran from September 2017 to April 2018. A dozen nonprofit executive directors chose to reflect, learn and share their expertise on management practices.

Governance, funding, communication, impact, human resources, innovation and complexity are some of the topics that were examined through the prism of co-development and design thinking. Combining theory and interactive experiences, the cohort aims to create a space for exploration and validation that will have repercussions well beyond the program’s official end date. Indeed, participants are already planning for future meetings!

“It’s been such a privilege to be part of this co-development cohort for the past eight months. We brainstormed, laughed, formed friendships, made wonderful memories and collected very useful tools for the organization!!!”

Mélissa Marcil, Executive Director, Les Répits de Gaby

View the testimonial of Luc Massicotte, Executive Director of the Centre de prévention suicide les Deux Rives in Trois-Rivières.

Telling the Foundation’s story

Illustrating the impact of an organization is not easy, and this is equally true of funders.

While quantitative data gives a partial portrait, it does not always translate the nuance and complexity of human relationships. One method of capturing the full picture of our reality is to document our processes, results and impacts.

Within the framework of Philagora, we explored various methods, and the Foundation itself is giving them a test-run by putting them into practice.

Whether through publishing a case study in the Guide sur l’impact, graphing our survey results or creating a narrative of our activity program, we hope to demonstrate the scope of our philanthropic activities and the findings on which they are based.

Summer exhibitions 2017

From May 28 to August 26, 2017, the Cultural Centre welcomed artists France Jodoin and Kevin Sonmor, whose exhibitions were titled, respectively, L’Autre paysage and Nomades, joueurs et saints .

While their work techniques are similar, the resulting artwork is very different, both in terms of colour and composition. France Jodoin’s paintings zero in on the notion of time and the brevity of existence, while the works of Kevin Sonmor represent the struggle between the intangible and the rational. In addition to the inauguration, a must-attend event, the Cultural Centre gave guests the opportunity to participate in a collective work inspired by the artists’ expertise. Also, a small painting of a monkey by France Jodoin was awarded to a participant of the Seek and Find contest associated with the exhibition.

Fall exhibitions 2017

The exhibition Résistance by Guy Tremblay ran from September 17 to December 17, 2017.

This Sherbrooke-based artist specializes in silver photography, as well as platinum and palladium prints. He is one of the few Québec artists to use this technique. The exhibition, where black and white were the featured colours, presented several series of unpublished works, one of which demystified the reality of homeless people by focusing on the human being rather than the environment. Guy Tremblay was at the Cultural Centre on September 30, for a Journées de la culture event where participants were invited to take part in an introduction to cyanotype, a monochrome photographic process. On November 4, he gave a presentation on photography as a socially engaged discourse.

Winter exhibitions 2017

From January 21 to April 22, 2018, the Centre presented exhibitions by Vanessa Alarie and Nathalie Sanche, titled Expo Papier| Légèreté and Expo Papier | Densité .

Vanessa Alarie draws her inspiration from nature, Oriental art and daily life, making lacy creations from paper she carefully cuts with an X-acto® knife. The lacy paper creations allow light and shadows to intermingle. Nathalie Sanche manipulates paper, turning and shaping it into art. As she works, she customizes her installations according to the architectural style of the building in which they will be displayed. Their creations provided inspiration for several activities held at the Cultural Centre during spring break and at the Jeunes curieux workshops. Artist Nathalie Sanche took part in educational activities and led creative workshops for adults.

Conference given by Nicole Bordeleau: What a success!

Our conferences offer something for everyone.

The Library presents a plethora of conferences that satisfy the interests and pique the curiosity of members of the community. A wide variety of topics was covered. For example, Bill Marchesin and his talk on how to de-dramatize negative situations; an evening of storytelling with Nadine Walsh; the show Mon oncle Bébé by Isabelle Gosselin; and a meeting with the dynamic author Kim Thuy.

The most striking event was, without a doubt, the conference given by Nicole Bordeleau about reinventing oneself. It was a highly rewarding evening for the 250 audience members. The speaker gave a 75-minute presentation and very generously agreed to participate in a photo and autograph session.

Access for all

The Library team rose to the challenge of adapting to changes brought about by joining the Réseau Biblio de l’Estrie. They pulled it off brilliantly!

Personnel at the Réseau turned out to be efficient partners and, as we transitioned over the year, they were always just a phone call away and available to answer our questions and those of the public.

Subscribers can now manage interlibrary loans themselves, and have access to a larger collection of digital resources, notably “ toutapprendre.com,” a newly available resource that offers close to 760 online courses.

To diversify and meet a need expressed by residents, we added an English version of our popular story time, which has been a huge success.

And as part of the program Accès-livres, more than 12,000 pounds (5,454 kg) of books were delivered to schools in the region! Finally, 275 documents were placed in the book boxes located in two Valcourt parks.

Introduction to reading

All activities offered at the Library share a common goal: to promote a love for reading among people of all ages.

The Heures du conte en pyjama and other activities for our youngest residents at daycare; the Jeunes curieux for the slightly older ones; the Soirée loup-garou for teens; Pause lecture for adults; and the Club TD, which encourages young people to read all summer long, are among the programs that allow us to fulfill our mission.

Our activities also include meetings with authors and illustrators, which students from neighbouring schools can attend. An example is the workshop led by Daniel Brouillette, author of the popular series Bine.

Reading is at the heart of each and every one of our actions. This year, even our Christmas decorations had a literary flair!

More content published

The archives were taken out and dusted off!

The first

The first stage of the publication of the Joseph-Armand Bombardier (JAB) fonds is now complete. Thanks to our database, photos, textual documents and short videos are now available for consultation online. Documents include technical publications for Bombardier Snowmobiles (1940 to 1977) and Ski-Doo® snowmobiles , as well as production records for Bombardier vehicles (1944 to 1983).

The community of antique vehicle collectors, our most loyal group and always eager for new developments, had the privilege of attending the first presentation on how the AtoM database works last June.

Bombardier’s 75-year history through advertising

“Here it is, but what is it? It’s a Ski-Doo®!”

L’entreprise Bombardier fêtait ses 75 ans le 10 juillet 2017. L’équipe des archives a décidé de souligner l’évènement à sa façon et de mettre en valeur les archives publicitaires de la multinationale conservées par la Fondation, en réalisant une vidéo.

Pour se faire, elle a participé à chacune des étapes de réalisation du projet, de l’appel d’offres à la scénarisation, en passant par les multiples suivis avec le fournisseur, au tournage et même à la figuration !

Notre archiviste nous a invités dans la salle d’archives à découvrir les anciennes publicités de l’entreprise. Dans une présentation dynamique et originale, il nous a montré la diversité des documents conservés et la variété des types de supports : publicités imprimées, audiovisuelles et objets promotionnels, dans un survol de 1942 à 2017.

Présentée dans la vitrine des archives au Musée et diffusée sur le web, la vidéo a généré plus de 11 517 vues et 174 partages jusqu’à ce jour.

The archives are in high demand

We were very pleased with the renewed interest in history, and seized every opportunity to promote our own!

After viewing our 75^th anniversary video, the École de technologie supérieure (ÉTS) invited us to present a conference on Bombardier’s history through advertising.

Presentations on how the AtoM database works and on the history of the company were also offered to employees and directors. We gave interviews on the different aspects of our archives department and on Joseph-Armand Bombardier and his inventions.

Listen to one!

Interview at Cogeco Drummondville for the show Connecté sur l’été: Raphaël Bourgeois, archivist; Carol Pauzé, Museum Director; and Guy Pépin, Collections and Exhibitions Curator

Temporary exhibition: Pencil and Pixel – Drawing for Making

Carried out from start to finish at the Museum by a dynamic team together with active and dedicated partners, the Pencil and Pixel – Drawing for Making exhibition brought to light a fundamental step in product design: technical drawing. A large selection of drawings gave an overview of how the tools of the trade have evolved over time. The exhibition was the perfect opportunity to make connections between the conventional documents found in archives and new design technologies. From 1930 to today, the exhibition showed visitors how draftspeople gradually traded in their pencils for a mouse, moving from freehand sketches to the first computer-assisted drawing tools and then on to 3D software and modelling techniques that are getting better, more precise and faster all the time!

Cartoons from the era provided humorous portrayals of the challenges draftspeople faced daily as they adapted to new tools. The following anecdote demonstrates how remarkably dedicated our collaborators were to creating content for the exhibition: A BRP employee did not hesitate to go to the office on a Saturday morning to review the drawing software used in the 1980s so that he could explain it in detail in the exhibition video!

The highlight of the exhibition came from the invaluable contribution of Bombardier Aerospace, which gave us access to the 3D design files of a wind tunnel. Our team modified and integrated the files to create a game where visitors could don a virtual reality headset and take on the challenge of assembling parts as they appeared before their eyes in order to build a virtual aircraft.

Finally, the exhibition ended with testimonials from students currently attending professional schools in archival or technical drawing programs. A great way to inspire interest!

Temporary exhibition: Inspiring NATURE, inspired TECHNO: biomimicry & transport

The Inspiring NATURE, inspired TECHNO: biomimicry & transport exhibition was created in close collaboration with the Musée de la nature et des sciences de Sherbrooke, the Zoo de Granby and the Institut de biomimétisme. The Museum team worked on this bold topic with some 50 people from different sectors, including corporations, universities and museums. The BRP team deserves special mention for their enthusiastic participation in the creation of interactive material.

The exhibition invites visitors to draw parallels between ingenuity found in nature and solutions designed by humans inspired by nature, in particular in the area of transportation. There is no shortage of examples:

• The physical characteristics and behaviour of animals are a source of inspiration for designers who work to make vehicles attractive and efficient. The Bionic Cat (2002), a project created at BRP’s Centre Design & Innovation Laurent Beaudoin (CDI) is a good illustration: it mimics the shock-absorbing capacity of cat paws for an improved driving experience.
• In nature, nothing is left to chance. In order to survive, certain plants and insects have perfected highly effective and ingenious structures. This observation led to, among others, the development of Kevlar®, a honeycomb material used in the aeronautics industry.

The exhibition introduces visitors to the world of biomimicry, which plays a role in changing our relationship with nature and promoting the sustainable development of our societies. In recent years, in the industrial sector and at universities in Canada and abroad, engineers and biologists have been working together, paving the way for new inventions.

The exhibition highlights this sharing of knowledge, creativity and clever solutions among people from different sectors, who are all driven by the desire to contribute to a more environmentally responsible society.

Creating a buzz to the power of 10

The Foundation’s employees mobilized for the CanAm® Spyder® 10^th anniversary homecoming, Bombardier’s 75^th anniversary and the Mordus de l’hiver event.

At each of these events, our professionalism was front and centre, and we gave a warm welcome, making the Museum a host of choice in the region.

Wishing to contribute to development and leadership within its sector, the Museum plays an active role in its community by getting involved with boards of directors and industry events. Employees are also solicited for interviews by various media.

Finally, our 1968 Sea-Doo® personal watercraft took part in BRP’s Sea-Doo® Watercraft Show, celebrating its 50^th anniversary by touring America. It was also displayed at the Espace BRP for Canada’s 150^th anniversary, along with our 1970 Ski-Doo® Olympique® 399 snowmobile. It was a wonderful opportunity to show off the Museum collection!

Behind the scenes

There’s a lot going on behind the scenes, too!

With the aim of optimizing the visitor experience, a number of improvements were made to the permanent exhibition and the two multimedia presentations, in particular to improve fluidity.

Our reserve area was also optimized with a view to housing future acquisitions that will enhance our collection. We are very proud of two new and wonderful additions: Jean-Luc Bombardier’s log book for the Plaisted Polar Expedition in 1968, and a first-generation 1975 125 cc Can-Am® T’NTTM motorcycle, illustrating Bombardier’s diversification.

The Museum would also like to thank BRP, the CTA and Bombardier Transport for donating items.

Test your ingenuity

The Fab Lab is a hit with students!

The Fab Lab and the Odyssée secondary school in Valcourt formed a productive partnership. As part of the Profils scolaires program (12 extracurricular half-day workshops), 29 young people got to explore the multiple facets of digital fabrication. We also continued to work in partnership with La Chanterelle elementary school.

The team also used its creativity to target adolescents! Teens were invited to tap into their ingenuity at the Fab Lab, where they could design their own skateboards, personalized shirts or hand spinners.

Now that the Fab Lab is open Wednesday evenings, our enthusiastic community of “makers” has grown from 24 to 140 members in one year.

Finally, we are extremely proud to have earned official accreditation with the MIT (Massachusetts Institute of Technology) Fab Lab Network.

Educational activities for all

In a sector where supply is abundant, we must distinguish ourselves by continually renewing our offer.

The tablet game for families is a good example. A wonderful collaborative effort between the Archives Department and the educational activities team, the game sends families on a hunt for all kinds of objects (vehicles, artifacts, photos and archives) found in the permanent exhibition A Passion for Innovation. This crowdsourced personalized game enhances the visitor experience.

The activity In the wind and on the water, no spring break for ingenuity! was developed for spring break and sparked tremendous interest. It encourages visitors to create their own engine, either for flying or floating, and to test it in a wind tunnel or on a body of water. The activity is open to the public and is as popular as ever!

Other new offers: We developed a fun activity, Expos à décoder, for day camps, daycares and school trips. As part of a campaign aimed at the schools in the Valcourt region, 23 school principals from the Commission scolaire des Sommets attended a presentation on our various educational programs.

Finally, in addition to the activities offered at the Museum, our team took part in the Festival Eurêka!, held in Montréal in June, and the Sherbrooke Mini Maker Faire®, giving new audiences the opportunity to get excited about ingenuity!

The multi-technologists

The words that best describe the year in terms of audiovisual and IT activities are “progress” and “adaptability.”

Perfecting the new Museum exhibitions was an ongoing process carried out through the implementation of improvements and ingenious solutions adapted to our needs and those of our visitors. A victim of its own success, the flight simulator experienced recurring failures. Our audiovisual and museum technicians stepped in and found lasting solutions to the problems.

Our IT system administrator provided several teams with support as they transitioned to new, specialized software programs. In particular, he implemented a system for Museum ticket sales and reservations, and transferred our collections database to a new, customized solution designed and created internally. And let’s not forget the daily interventions required for the systems established for the other sectors of the Foundation, the Cultural Centre, Philanthropic Activities and Administration.

The juggling act of developing new projects for the long term and answering calls for help from colleagues requires remarkable agility and resourcefulness.

The multi-artisans

To operate and maintain facilities such as ours, we rely on an extraordinary maintenance team.

The team’s influence extends well beyond the maintenance of the Foundation’s buildings and grounds. From exhibitions to architectural projects, it brings our most extravagant ideas to life. This year was no exception!

The following projects in particular really got our attention:

The team reworked public access to the Museum’s reserve area, allowing visitors to view additional objects and artifacts. This involved designing a large picture window (photo) that is so discrete it is practically invisible to the naked eye!

In addition to the technical maintenance of the exhibits at the Cultural Centre, our maintenance technician used his woodworking skills to build beautiful display stands for the saddles created by artist Kevin Sonmor.

With the comfort of their colleagues in mind, the team also renovated the Foundation’s administrative office space, giving it a fresh coat of paint, changing the lighting and carpeting, and more.

Finally, in collaboration with the city of Valcourt, the team built a Trottibus pathway on the premises, allowing children to walk to school or the Library safely.