Suzanne Pinel, is a

Canadian Canadians (french: Canadiens) are people identified with the country of Canada. This connection may be residential, legal, historical or cultural. For most Canadians, many (or all) of these connections exist and are collectively the source of ...

children's entertainer and former

citizenship judge The Citizenship Commission is an administrative tribunal within Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC). The overall mandate of the Commission is to assess referred applications to ensure they meet the residence or physical-presence ...

. Using the stage name Marie-Soleil, Pinel performed for twenty years, using stories and songs to teach the

French language French ( or ) is a Romance language of the Indo-European family. It descended from the Vulgar Latin of the Roman Empire, as did all Romance languages. French evolved from Gallo-Romance, the Latin spoken in Gaul, and more specifically in Nor ...

to kids. She recorded albums, releasing her first disc in 1976, and starred in the television series ''

Marie-Soleil ''Marie-Soleil'' was a Canadian children's television show in the 1980s and early 1990s, which aired on many stations associated with the CTV Television Network.Janice Kennedy, "Suzanne Pinel wants Quebecers to catch the spirit of Marie- Soleil". ...

''. In 1991, Pinel was made a Member of the

Order of Canada The Order of Canada (french: Ordre du Canada; abbreviated as OC) is a Canadian state order and the second-highest honour for merit in the system of orders, decorations, and medals of Canada, after the Order of Merit. To coincide with the ...

for being "one of the great ambassadors of French-Canadian culture, this

Franco-Ontarian Franco-Ontarians (french: Franco-Ontariens or if female, sometimes known as ''Ontarois'' and ''Ontaroises'') are Francophone Canadians that reside in the province of Ontario. Most are French Canadians from Ontario. In 2016, the Government of On ...

teacher has helped promote bilingualism among both the younger and older members of the two language groups". In 2012, she was made a member of the

Order of Ontario The Order of Ontario () is the most prestigious official honour in the Canadian province of Ontario. Instituted in 1986 by Lieutenant Governor Lincoln Alexander, on the advice of the Cabinet under Premier David Peterson, the civilian order is adm ...

. Before embarking on her career as a children's entertainer, Pinel studied

nursing Nursing is a profession within the health care sector focused on the care of individuals, families, and communities so they may attain, maintain, or recover optimal health and quality of life. Nurses may be differentiated from other health ...

at the

University of Ottawa The University of Ottawa (french: Université d'Ottawa), often referred to as uOttawa or U of O, is a bilingual public research university in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada. The main campus is located on directly to the northeast of Downtown Ottawa ...

. The university awarded her an honorary doctorate in 2002. She was appointed a citizenship judge in 1997 and served until 2010. Since her term expired she has occasionally served as a guest presider at citizenship ceremonies.Profiles of Citizenship Judges

References

Living people Year of birth missing (living people) Canadian children's television personalities Canadian children's musicians Canadian citizenship judges Franco-Ontarian people Members of the Order of Canada Members of the Order of Ontario Musicians from Ottawa Canadian women television personalities {{Canada-gov-bio-stub

See also

References