ON BOARD!
In collaboration with
Inspired by the current craze for comics, literature and bilingualism, On Board! explores the evocative power of words and the unique artistic expression that occurs when French- and English-speaking students work together to make a shared creation. The project is made possible with the support of Canadian Heritage and the Festival BD de Montréal. This year, French immersion students from École Edward Murphy in Montreal and Soulanges Elementary in Montérégie worked alongside students from an intensive English program at École Sainte-Bernadette-Soubirous in Montreal and La Riveraine in Montérégie. Together, they gave free rein to their imaginations to create the interstellar adventure Les chroniques du Docteur Quand, using fictional characters of their own creation. Supported by a team of makers of graphic novels, including illustrator Sacha Lefebvre and author/screenwriter Jean-François Laliberté, the young participants worked to create heroes (and sometimes villains) ready to change things for the better and, ultimately, save the world!
The result: this graphic novel, featuring the young participants’ stories in colorful, bilingual adventures, sure to bring a breath of fresh optimism to readers. We invite you to discover this Graphic Novel highlighting the imaginative and visionary nature of the On Board! project and its young participants.
DISCOVER PROJECT’S COLLABORATORS
Jean-François Laliberté
Author, screenwriter, family man, engineer and now mangaka, Jean-François efficiently divides his time between these different roles. He draws inspiration for his stories from a wide variety of literary genres, as illustrated by the Prix de la Rivière Ouelle for detective stories awarded to him by the Société du roman policier de Saint-Pacôme in 2012. He also won the Prix Réal-Fillion at Bédéis Causa 2019 for his first professional comic book: U-Merlin – Les épreuves de l’écuyer.
Sacha Lefebvre
Professional illustrator since 2010, Sacha Lefebvre has always been passionate about manga, comics and graphic novels. He studied Illustration and Design at Dawson College, and it was manga, with its action-packed scenes and powerful emotions, that has inspired his style. He brilliantly conveys this through the artistic projects he produces in his daily life. He and Jean-François Laliberté ( screenwriter) won the Prix Réal-Fillion at Bédéis Causa 2019 for their first professional comic book, U-Merlin – Les épreuves de l’écuyer.
DISCOVER OUR COLLABORATORS’ BOOKS (In French)
Les Élus Eljun T.1, Jean-François Laliberté et Sacha Lefebre, Michel Quintin, 2023
Les Élus Eljun T.2, Jean-François Laliberté et Sacha Lefebre, Michel Quintin, 2023
Les Élus Eljun T.3, Jean-François Laliberté et Sacha Lefebre, Michel Quintin, 2023
Sire Dodoom T.1 : Le code du chevalier Rodérick, Jean-François Laliberté et Sacha Lefebre, Les Malins, 2023
Sire Dodoom T.2 : Le nid de l’aigle, Jean-François Laliberté et Sacha Lefebre, Les Malins, 2023
U-Merlin T.1 : Les épreuves de l’écuyer, Jean-François Laliberté et Sacha Lefebre, Michel Quintin, 2018
U-Merlin T.2 : Pour le roi !, Jean-François Laliberté et Sacha Lefebre, Michel Quintin, 2019
U-Merlin T.3 : Le prisonnier du tombeau, Jean-François Laliberté et Sacha Lefebre, Michel Quintin, 2021
U-Merlin T.4 : L’arène de Salamandria, Jean-François Laliberté et Sacha Lefebre, Michel Quintin, 2022
Keyhra Green au secours de la planète bleue T.1 : Le sablier du temps, Sacha Lefebre et K.J. Lavoie, Héritage jeunesse, 2022
Keyhra Green au secours de la planète bleue T.2 : L’horloge sacré, Sacha Lefebre et K.J. Lavoie, Héritage jeunesse, 2024
PARTICIPATING SCHOOLS
Edward Murphy Elementary School
Edward Murphy School is part of the English Montreal School Board, situated in Mercier-Ouest which is a French working class sector of South-East Montreal adjacent to Anjou, St. Leonard and Tetreaultville.
Our school population brings with them a richness of culture and a diversity that reflects the modern face of Canada. We are an inclusive school and consider our students with special needs as an enriching component of the Edward Murphy experience.
Edward Murphy has an English Core Program and a French Immersion Program from K-6. We have a junior and senior Speech and Language Development Class and a junior ASD class for students with autism.
Soulanges Elementary School
Soulanges is a 100-year-old school house nestled in the country side that offers bilingual instruction to anglophone and francophone families in the area.
École La Riveraine
L’école de la Riveraine est basée à Saint-Zotique et compte 17 classes regroupant 391 élèves. On y retrouve un gymnase pour les cours d’éducation physique des élèves du premier et du 2e cycle et pour les activités sportives à l’extérieur des heures de classe, un local de musique, une bibliothèque et une cafétéria.
École primaire Sainte-Bernadette-Soubirous
Située dans le très agréable arrondissement Rosemont―La Petite-Patrie, l’école Sainte- Bernadette-Soubirous est entourée d’un immense espace vert, le parc Sainte-Bernadette. Elle dispose d’une grande cour extérieure et d’un parc-école, où les enfants peuvent se dégourdir pendant les récréations, par exemple. Elle propose à ses quelque 660 élèves du préscolaire et du primaire des projets stimulants et enrichissants. Très dynamiques, ses enseignants privilégient une pédagogie active. Pourquoi? Pour maintenir le goût d’apprendre et de découvrir des enfants. Le mot « collaboration », c’est notre leitmotiv. Les valeurs que nous priorisons sont la curiosité, l’autonomie, la persévérance, la politesse et, bien sûr, le plaisir!
