C'est la vie
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The student leaders, a year later
During Quebec's Maple Spring the student leaders became public figures. But a year later, what has become of them? And how did the events of last spring change them?
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A champion sommelier
Meet the best sommelier in the Americas, and the second best sommelier in the entire world. Also, listeners react to our program on French immersion.
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French immersion for all?
French immersion has sometimes been criticised as a kind of unofficial streaming. Now, that's starting to change. Find out how.
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Climate change in Chéticamp
Hear about the impact of climate change on the Acadians of Chéticamp, Nova Scotia, and what they are doing to face it.
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Musician Karim Ouellet
Meet one of the brightest new stars on the Quebec music scene, Karim Ouellet.
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Space for Life
Montreal's new planetarium is part of a natural sciences museum complex that's trying to do a whole lot more than show and tell. This week, C'est la vie explores the Space for Life.
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Native women's activist Michèle Audette
Michèle Audette has been an activist for native rights for more than 20 years. Hear her fascinating story of self-discovery and determination.fascinating story of self-discovery and determination.
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Edmonton's Congolese community
Find out about the beginnings of the Congolese community in Edmonton, and how the community has been officially recognized.
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French perfume with a Canadian flavour
It's sugaring off time in Quebec. But one sugar-shack owner is turning his maple sap into French perfume.
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Bilingual baby names
Choosing a name for a baby is always a challenge. But in Quebec, you also have to consider how the name will work in French, even if you're not a francophone. C'est la vie explores the name game in Quebec.
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Singer Garou returns to his roots
The musical Notre Dame de Paris launched the career of singer Garou. But now, more than a decade later, Garou is returning to his roots with an album of rhythm and blues.
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Quebec anglophones
Meet some Quebec anglophones. Some were born and raised in the province. Others have moved there. And all have different life experiences. Hear their stories.
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Downton Abbey's francophone fans
There's nothing more quintessentially British than the TV series, Downton Abbey, which is why you may be surprised to learn that it has a lot of French speaking fans. Find out why francophones love it.
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Young French citizens moving to Quebec
With tough economic times in Europe and high unemployment, some young people are looking for opportunities elsewhere. Meet two young French citizens who are taking their chances on Quebec.
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Translating Life of Pi
Yann Martel wrote the novel "Life of Pi", now a successful film. His parents translated it into French. Hear Nicole, Emile and Yann Martel talking about language, translation and the politics of working together as a family.
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Car sharing in Quebec
Communauto is the oldest car sharing service in North America. Meet the visionary who founded it in Quebec City almost 20 years ago.
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French Quarter - Part 4
C'est la vie ends its French Quarter series with a visit to Calgary.
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French Quarter - Part 3
C'est la vie is continuing its special series, crossing the country looking for places where people speak French. This week: St-Boniface.
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French Quarter - Part 2
C'est la vie is continuing its special series, crossing the country looking for places where people speak French. This week: Edmonton.
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French Quarter - Part 1
C'est la vie is starting a special series, crossing the country looking for places where you might hear people speaking French. This week: Toronto.
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Thomas Hellman's new album
Thomas Hellman introduces us to the poetry of the late Quebec painter, publisher and poet, Roland Gigure. On his latest album, Hellman sets 13 of his poems to music.
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Les Marionnettes, a French Canadian tale.
Bilingual storyteller Marylyn Peringer entertains us with the tale of Les Marionnettes. It's set in a snowy lumber camp in the Gatineau forest.
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Children's books in French
Meet a best-selling children's author who writes in French and English. You might know her character, Scaredy Squirrel. And get some gift ideas of French children's books.
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A hockey league with a difference
Discover a hockey league which is continuing on without lockouts or salary disputes, despite players earning 100 times less than in the NHL. Also, hear the music of video games like you've never heard it before.
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French books for blind people
Being able to enjoy a good book is something most of us take for granted. But if you are blind, it's not so easy, especially if you are a francophone. This week we discover a service that brings French books to people with visual impairments.
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Walking around the world
Meet two extraordinary men. One is walking around the world. He's 67 years old. The other has already done it!
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A champion sommelier
Meet the best sommelier in the Americas. She's Canadian! Find out what it takes to win the prestigious title.
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Remembering a Canadian spy
Discover the story of Allyre Sirois. He was well-known as a lawyer and judge in Saskatchewan. But as a young man, he was a spy in occupied France during the Second World War.
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Improvising en franais
Toronto Jazz vocalist Emilie-Claire Barlow is not a francophone. Yet she sells more CDs in Quebec than anywhere else in Canada. Now she has recorded an album entirely in French.
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Bridging the language divide
After the shooting on election night in Quebec, people were worried that tensions could increase between French and English speakers in the province. Meet one woman who is taking extraordinary steps to ensure that doesn't happen.
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Remembering Quebec's Maple Spring
Meet one of Quebec's top photo journalists. Jacques Nadeau wants to make sure Quebec's Maple Spring is not forgotten. Also, find out how community TV came into its own during the student protests.
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Albertans in Montreal
Meet some Albertans who have moved to Montreal. It happens more often than you might expect.
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A show to remember
What do an Acadian singer-songwriter, a Cajun fiddler and a Jamaican steel pan player have in common? More than you might expect! Hear how the three musicians got together for a concert in Cape Breton.
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Meet some Quebec federalists
What's it like being a federalist in Quebec? And how much support is there for federalism in the province?
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Meet some Quebec sovereigntists
Why do some Quebeckers believe in sovereignty? How did they develop their convictions? And just how strong is the sovereignty movement in Quebec?
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The Montreal fashion scene
Earlier this month local fashion designers unveiled their 2013 spring and summer collections in Montreal. Meet a designer and some industry insiders.
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Meet Quebec's Premier elect, Pauline Marois
Four years ago, Marois gave her first extensive English interview to C'est la vie. It was very personal and revealing. Hear it again this week.
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Summer message
We'll be back with new C'est la vie podcasts in September. Enjoy the summer!
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Serge Denoncourt and the Roma
Hear C'est la vie's award winning interview with director Serge Denoncourt. He worked with Roma youth in Serbia to create a musical called GRUBB. And find out the impact his work has had.
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They put the Q-U-E in Queen (corrected)
The Queen Extravaganza is the official Queen tribute show, created after an online competition across North America. Three of the members are Quebeckers!
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They put the Q-U-E in Queen
The Queen Extravaganza is the official Queen tribute show, created after an online competition across North America. Three of the members are Quebeckers!
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Canada's oldest theatre company changes guard
Le Cercle Molire was founded in Winnipeg in 1925. Meet the man who has been the artistic director for half of that time... and the woman who is replacing him.
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Discovering Quebec's diners
Meet the authors of a book celebrating the greasy spoons, diners and chip shacks of Quebec.
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Crossing the Atlantic on a raft
Rediscover an historic raft trip across the Atlantic. Meet a Quebecker who was on that 1956 voyage, and a Newfoundlander who intercepted the raft off the Grand Banks.
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C'est la vie - May 20 and 22, 2012
Inuit in the northernmost past of Quebec are worried about the survival of their language, Inuktitut. Hear their story.
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C'est la vie - May 13 and 15, 2012
Tuen in for a conversation with journalist, author, blogger and political strategist, Jean-Franois Lise. He's an influential and controversial figure in Quebec.
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C'est la vie - May 6 and 8, 2012
Ruth Ellen Brosseau was the NDP candidate who won a Quebec riding in last year's federal election, despite going on a trip to Las Vegas during the campaign, and having very rusty French. A year later, much has changed.
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C'est la vie - April 29 and May 1, 2012
Meet some of the last Katimavik volunteers.... and the Quebec community that has welcomed them for more than 30 years.
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C'est la vie - April 22 and 24, 2012
A special commission of Quebec's National Assembly spent two years looking into issues around end of life care, assisted suicide and euthanasia. The two women who chaired those hearings say it changed their lives. Meet them on C'est la vie.
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C'est la vie - April 15 and 17, 2012
Hear from Brazilians who are learning French with a Quebec accent. And find out why there is such a high demand for the classes.
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C'est la vie - April 8 and 10, 2012
Find out what it's like working as a broadcast journalist when you are in the minority. Getting clips in your mother tongue is a daily challenge, especially if you are an anglophone journalist working Quebec, or a francophone working in English Canada.
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C'est la vie - April 1 and 3, 2012
We hear from Montrealers who wear the hijab. And meet a woman trying to break the stereotypes associated with the veil.
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C'est la vie - March 25 and 27, 2012
Annie Deschamps was born to be funny. Her dad is Yvon Deschamps, the humorist. Her mum is Judi Richards, a humorist and a singer. Now Annie is drawing on her own bilingual and bicultural roots to bring the two solitudes together.... to laugh.
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C'est la vie - March 18 and 20, 2012
Isabelle Boulay is one of Canada's most successful francophone pop singers. She's a household name in Quebec and in France. And with her latest album, she may soon be known in the English speaking world as well. Find out why.
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C'est la vie - March 11 and 13, 2012
When you think of Montreal, you might picture cafs full of people sipping bowls of caf au lait. This week on C'est la vie, meet a man who had a different vision. More than a decade ago, Hugo Amrici opened one of the first tea houses in Montreal.
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C'est la vie - March 4 and 6, 2012
Samian raps in French and Algonquin, and has fans all over Quebec and around the world. But considering the life he has lived, his success is close to a miracle.
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C'est la vie - February 26 and 28, 2012
Loreen Pindera takes us to the Algonquin community of Lac Simon. She was there last fall when young Aboriginal filmmakers screened videos they had made with the travelling studio, Wapikoni Mobile. Loreen's report, Last Stop Lac Simon, is a story of triumph and tragedy.
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C'est la vie - February 19 and 21, 2012
Discover Quebec's own fast food chain - St-Hubert BBQ. What started out as one mom and pop rotisserie in 1951, now has more than 100 franchises. And now St-Hubert BBQ is at the heart of a new TV reality show.
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C'est la vie - February 12 and 14, 2012
Are smartphone apps making second-language learning a thing of the past? Also, English and French book publishers get together in Montreal for their own version of speed dating.
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C'est la vie, 05/02/12 - Romeo Saganash
Meet Quebec MP Romeo Saganash. He's running for the NDP leadership. But he is also a poet, a photographer, a marathon runner, and a residential school survivor.
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C'est la vie, 29/01/12 - The video game industry in...
Montreal has become a hotspot for the video game industry in Canada. Meet the creator of one of the best-selling games in the world, "Assassin's Creed."
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C'est la vie, 22/01/11 - Le Dpanneur Part 3
Elizabeth Robertson visits a dep that's been in the same hands for almost 30 years. Meet the owners... and some of the regulars, for whom the store is more than just a business!
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C'est la vie, 15/01/12 - Le Dpanneur Part 2
This week in the second part of our dpanneur series, Elizabeth Robertson takes us to a typical dep, Dpanneur Cline.
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C'est la vie, 08/01/12 - Le Dpanneur Part 1
The rest of Canada has the convenience store. But Quebec has the dpanneur. It's not just a shop, it's an institution. This month we visit some of the best deps in Montreal, and meet people on both sides of the counter.
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C'est la vie, 01/01/12 - The French Canadian songs of...
Discover some of the songs by francophone musicians that marked 2011. Bernard St-Laurent is joined by two connoisseurs of French music: Singer-songwriter and A Propos host, Jim Corcorcan; and CBC arts critic, Pierre Landry.
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C'est la vie, 18/12/11 - Sugar Sammy
Sugar Sammy is a stand-up comedian from Montreal. He performs around the world in English, French, Punjabi and Hindi. Now he's putting together a comedy show in a language you won't find in any dictionary... Franglais.
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C'est la vie, 11/12/11 - Is Canada truly bilingual?
Is Canada truly a bilingual country? Hear from the editor of a new book who questions Canada's claim to that status. Jack Jedwab also comments on the latest language debate in Quebec.
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C'est la vie, 04/12/11 - Edmonton's Congolese Community
Find out about the beginnings of the Congolese community in Edmonton, and how the community is now being recognized. Congolese immigrants make up an important part of that city's French speaking population.
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C'est la vie, 13/11/11 - Quebecor
Hear a special investigative report about Quebecor, one of the biggest media conglomerations in Canada.
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C'est la vie, 06/11/11 - Surviving Progress
Meet filmmaker Mathieu Roy. His documentary, "Surviving Progress", will make you think twice about what you consume.
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C'est la vie, 30/10/11 - Quebec's Stephen King
Meet Quebec's Stephen King, Patrick Sencal. His best-selling novels are dark, chilling, and grisly.
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C'est la vie, 23/10/11 - Le Vent du Nord on A Prairie...
Le Vent du Nord play traditional Quebec music - lots of fiddle, accordion and foot tapping. And now millions of radio listeners across North America know who they are, thanks to an appearance on A Prairie Home Companion.
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C'est la vie, 16/10/11 - Adoping from China, the film
Filmmaker Nicole Gigure adopted a baby girl from China in the early nineties. And she has made two films about the life of her daughter, and of some of her fellow adoptees. Find out what she discovered.
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C'est la vie, 09/10/11 - Quebec's Cranberry King
Did you know that Quebec is one of the best places in the world to grow cranberries? That the French-Canadian word for cranberries is "atoca"? That, contrary to popular belief, cranberries do not grow in the water? This week on C'est la vie meet Quebec's "Cranberry King"... and find out everything you ever wanted to know about cranberries but were afraid to ask
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C'est la vie, 02/10/11 - French Immersion, the movie
Learn about the latest bilingual movie from the producer of "Bon Cop, Bad Cop", Kevin Tierney. It's called "French Immersion". And hear the story of a francophone Quebecker who has made it his business to teach English to students around the world.
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C'est la vie, 25/09/11 - Two entrepreneurs making a...
Meet two ground-breaking Quebec entrepreneurs. One is a chocolate maker with a social conscience. The other is a urban farmer with a vision. Combined, they serve up a feast!
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C'est la vie, 18/09/11 - An unlikely place for romance
Leanne and Philippe met and fell in love while planting trees in northern BC. Find out how they connected, despite dirt, black flies and the language barrier.
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C'est la vie, 11/09/11 - Dancer Nico Archambault
Nico Archambault won So You Think You Can Dance Canada back in 2008. Now he's hosting his very own dance show on Radio-Canada. Find out about it. Also, hear a discussion about the French language coverage of 9/11.
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C'est la vie, 04/09/11 - Learning Haitian crole and...
Discover the first course in Haitian crole and history being taught in a Canadian university. And learn some of the basics of the language. (repeat)
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C'est la vie, 28/08/11 - Miss Arabia Montreal
This week on the Best of C'est la vie discover Montreal's first Miss Arabia contest.... and the woman behind it. Zahia Belbachir came up with the idea of holding a Miss Arabia contest, as a way of changing the image of Arab women in the Quebec media. Meet Zahia, and get a peak inside the pageant room. (repeat)
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C'est la vie, 21/08/11 - Final Resting Place
Contrary to the past, today most Quebeckers opt for cremation when they die. And many are choosing non-traditional resting places for their ashes. Find out how the catholic church is responding.
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C'est la vie, 14/08/11 - Singer-songwriter Damien...
Discover singer-songwriter Damien Robitaille. He's not your typical Quebec star. He grew up in a small town in northern Ontario. And hear some more news of Malcolm, the little boy adopted from Haiti.
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C'est la vie, 07/08/11 - News of Malcolm
A Quebec family adopted Malcolm from Haiti, just months before the earthquake. Hear Elizabeth Robertson's award winning documentary about his adoption. And find out how he's doing now.
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C'est la vie, 31/07/11 - Last Mass in Biddeford
Franco-American Jane Martin takes us to her small town of Biddeford, Maine. The French catholic church she attended when she was growing up there, is closing down. Jane goes home for the last mass, and talks to people of her generation.
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C'est la vie, 24/07/11 - Quebec's Justin Bieber
Discover 12-year-old singing sensation, Jacob. He's being called the Quebec Justin Bieber. And meet franco-Manitoban singer-songwriter Genevive Toupin. (repeat podcast)
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C'est la vie, 17/07/11 - Quebec's J.K. Rowling
Bryan Perro is Quebec's J.K. Rowling. He is the author of a best-selling fantasy series in French called Amos Daragon. Now, for the first time, one of his books is available in English in Canada.
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C'est la vie, 10/07/11 - Bringing Down the Barricades
The Oka crisis exposed the historical animosity between many French-speaking Quebeckers and the mostly English-speaking Mohawks. Hear an award winning documentary about one woman's quest to make peace with the Mohawks, after the Oka crisis. (repeat podcast)
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C'est la vie, 03/07/11 - Translating Louise Penny
Louise Penny is a New York Times best selling author. She lives in Quebec and writes in English. Until last year, her novels had not been translated in French. Hear how a Governor General award winning translator made it his personal mission to change that. (repeat podcast)
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C'est la vie, 26/06/11 - A Canadian in Belgrade
Serge Denoncourt is a well-known theatre director in Quebec. But his latest project has taken him far from home, to Belgrade, Serbia. He's been working with Roma youth, to create a musical. Find out how the experience has changed his life, and the lives of the Roma.
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C'est la vie, 19/06/11 - Helping rebuild Tunisia
Meet a Tunisian Quebecker who is making a difference. Abdou Malaoui left Tunisia more than 20 years ago. He's an expert in international cooperation. Now he is using that expertise to help rebuild his country of origin.
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C'est la vie, 05/06/11 - Radio-Canada's new talkshow host
Meet Radio-Canada`s newest star. Pnlope McQuade is the host of a nightly TV talkshow on the French network.
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C'est la vie, 12/06/11 - the DSK scandal
People on both sides of the Atlantic have been watching with interest the Dominique Strauss-Kahn scandal. Despite France and Quebec having much in common, this story has revealed some big differences between the two cultures.
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C'est la vie, 29/05/11 - A meeting of cultures
What happens when you open up a retirement home for Vietnamese Quebeckers in the heart of east end Montreal - one of the city's most francophone neighbourhoods? The francophones move in... and start learning Qi-gong! Find out how it's working out.
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C'est la vie, 22/05/11 - Bride of New France
Meet the author of a new novel about les filles du roi - the young women who sent to New France to marry the single men, to bear children and to populate the colony.
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C'est la vie, 15/05/11 - Haitian students in Rimouski
Last fall the University of Quebec in Rimouski gave 10 full scholarships to university students from Haiti, after the earthquake. One Rimouski woman welcoming three of the students into her home. Find out how it went.
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PROGRAM INFORMATION
- Montreal, QC
- Culture
- CBC
- English
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C'est la vie - CBC Radio
La Maison de Radio-Canada
1400 Boulevard Rene Levesque Est
Montreal, Quebec
H2L 2M2(514) 597-4486 -
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