Francophone Outreach

Xavier Brassard-Bédard is the CEO of Télévision française de l’Ontario (TFO) and a journalist by training. He began his media career at Radio-Canada in Ottawa and Toronto, and later spent 15 years as an executive with TVA, including four years as general manager. Since first engaging with Franco-Ontarian culture as a student and young writer for a Francophone heritage organization, Brassard-Bédard has remained a strong advocate for French-speaking communities across Canada. He has led efforts to preserve their access to relevant news by maintaining regional Francophone news stations and launching projects that celebrate Francophone diversity.

Driven by personal tragedy and empathy, Winnie Muchuba has spent the past 10 years breaking down language barriers to help francophones and non-English-speaking newcomers establish themselves in Canada. After fleeing from the Democratic Republic of Congo following the assassination of her husband, she endured a three-year separation from her children to build a new life for them. She has used her bilingualism and humanitarian background to support organizations such as the Canadian Red Cross and continues to volunteer, drawing on her lived experience to help remove language barriers to community services.