Bienvenue / Welcome

Originally from Ville‑Émard, Jean‑François Guay moved to Verdun on July 1, 1984, at age six, settling on Boulevard Champlain. He recalls wondering which city he was in and what future lay ahead.

He began his involvement in Verdun with the Verdun Minor Hockey Association, playing from 1984 to 1998—14 years in total. He claimed a scoring championship in novice A intercity. In 1995, as a member of the Verdun Leafs, he won the Châteauguay midget tournament. He became part of the inaugural Verdun‑LaSalle Cobras midget‑BB team in 1995–96, helping them win the league championship. Often serving as team captain or assistant, Jean‑François was a natural leader—motivating teammates in the locker room before games. He also originated the Verdun AHM’s mascot name, “Palouf,” winning a contest in 1998 during his final junior year. Since October 2023, he has refereed over 250 matches from MAG level to Junior.

Also starting in 1984, he attended École primaire Chanoine‑Joseph‑Théorêt from Grade 1. He volunteered alongside his mother and brother, preparing milk cartons for morning classes. He stood out as a theatre narrator at the school’s Christmas play, host of the honour and merit gala, and as presenter on the 100th edition of “Au jeu” on Radio‑Canada. Finalist in a Desjardins credit union drawing contest and in a “Mayor for a Day” oratory contest where he replaced Councillor Claude Ravary for a day! In Grade 6, he scored 100 % on an oral project about soccer—his teacher, Monique Brunet, said it was the first time she gave a perfect score for an oral presentation. His Grade 5 teacher, Alain Lacharité, wrote him a note (which he kept) saying Jean‑François doesn’t like losing, cares deeply, and that someday he’d learn to embrace it. Before COVID‑19, he returned to host the school’s classic CJT charity fun run, fundraising to restore the playground.

In high school, he participated in enriched classes and was known for his personality. In 1994, he won "M. Elegance" during the school’s 19th annual elegance day—a tradition over 25 years. He modeled in the school’s fashion show and enjoyed it so much that from 1998 to 2005, he worked at the school as a leisure technician.

After high school, his non‑traditional journey began. He wanted to study leisure intervention to become a leisure technician at Mgr‑Richard Secondary School, which he loved. A teacher suggested teaching instead, so he began a DEC in humanities at CÉGEP André‑Laurendeau. Meanwhile, he volunteered often at ESMR as a technician and stagehand, and met his mentor Laurent Dugas, who became school director in 1996. When a leisure technician position opened in 1998, Laurent hired him despite the lack of formal credentials—appointing him as a Class II office agent with extracurricular animation tasks. He left CÉGEP to pursue his dream. From 1998 to 2005, Jean‑François led the school's activities—community‑focused events such as wine & cheese evenings, youth galas, and lobster dinners. He built his network early, co‑creating pride in the school’s slogan of excellence in Verdun. He organized key school events—welcome parties, elegance days, year‑end shows, honor galas—and even delivered gala speeches. He directed cultural trips, staged shows, and in 2001—only his third year—received the school’s highest honor: the 60th Grand Prix Honneur et Mérite for exceptional contribution. The CSMB later recognized his position and seniority.

At ESMR, he discovered two passions: singing and cuisine. Working long hours at school and dining in fine Montreal restaurants with Laurent spurred his culinary interest. In 2009–10 he earned a DEP in Culinary Arts with honors for both achievement and involvement. For singing, it began in December 2000, when Laurent asked him to fill in at a Christmas event singing “Minuit chrétien.” Friends encouraged him to study voice. He enrolled at Prochant School in Montreal under France Frenette, studying from 2004–06. He won the Public Prize at "Les découvertes de la chanson" of Magog in 2005. In 2006, he won second prize in performance (Charles‑Émile Gadbois category) at the “Chante en Français” competition, and was a finalist at the St‑Ambroise Song Festival. He opened for France D’Amour, Daniel Bélanger, and Gregory Charles. He won Verdun’s “Coup de Chapeau” award in 2006 and 2007 for external influence. He took master classes with Daniel Boucher, Patsy Gallant, and Jean‑Sébastien Lavoie. His musical theatre training earned him lead roles in semi‑professional productions: Billy Flynn in Chicago, Christian in Moulin Rouge, and Bartok in Noémia (performed at CÉGEP André‑Laurendeau in June 2008 with Verdun’s borough).

He left ESMR in June 2005 to devote himself to music and care for his ill mother. Summer 2005–06, he worked as director of the “En‑ballon Nous à Verdun” festival—he also named it. It succeeded the Rendez‑Vous Mondial du Cerf‑Volant, celebrating all things balloon: entertainment, sport, spectacle, and hot air balloons. From 2005 to 2008 he worked for Cirque du Soleil near his home with Laurent, under Aldo Giampaolo (a Verdun native and former Céline Dion manager). They built an intranet site to assist producers in planning international tours of Cirque shows, regularly meeting with producers to demonstrate its progress and global site listings.

Afterward he pursued culinary education at Calixa‑Lavallée Hotel School in Montréal‑Nord.

Upon completing his culinary DEP, he joined Transcontinental on November 11, 2010 as an internal sales coordinator. On July 4, 2011, he accepted a sales representative role at La Voix Populaire—and excelled. The publication earned “L’Hebdo de l’année” and he received second‑place Rookie of the Year for Quebec and Ontario sales reps in 2012, winning a car at the 2012 Gala des Folios for being best salesperson in the national Québec‑Ontario competition “Tout à gagner avec vos marchands locaux.” He gained Verdun territory as a client base. In 2012, he volunteered to produce 40 tableau panels for the 100th anniversary exhibition of Le Messager de Verdun at Notre‑Dame‑des‑Sept‑Douleurs Church. Recognized for performance, in July 2015 he became Sales Director for southwest Montreal at TC Média, helping launch specialized publications like Rendez‑Vous and overseeing printing and design of the book Verdun: 25 Years of Development 1992–2017 under the direction of Alain Laroche and Laurent Dugas.

In January 2021, Isabelle Melançon, Verdun’s MNA, recruited him as a political attaché. With strong local knowledge, he felt at ease in his daily responsibilities. He supported the 70+ population during the COVID‑19 crisis, worked with organizations on the Volunteer Action Support Program, contributed to school perseverance programs, and participated in numerous representative activities.

As an active member of Verdun’s southwest community, he joined many boards. In 2017, he became Vice‑President for Verdun on the Southwest Montreal Chamber of Commerce board, a director for Réseau Affaires Verdun, a board member of the Champlain Foundation and Verdun Manor, and President of the Verdun Richelieu Club since September 2017. Notably, in 2019 the Verdun Richelieu Club received the title of Most Outstanding Club of the Year internationally at the 75th Richelieu International Congress in Ottawa—he also hosted the 2018 international Richelieu Congress in Montreal. In 2017, he served as honorary co‑chair of the Verdun Hospital Foundation Ball, raising over $67,000. In early 2020 he completed a DEC in Commerce Management via distance learning at CÉGEP Limoilou to finish what he started in 1998.

Other Verdun involvements include youth baseball, volunteer roles at the kite festival, race course director for the Verdun Triathlon, camp animator at Animaction day camp, Festival En‑ballon coordinator, and volunteer for Verdun’s 125th anniversary celebrations at the Auditorium of Verdun.

Personally, Jean‑François loves hockey, travel, and gourmet dining. For 19 years he’s organized “Le National,” a team of former Verdun minor hockey players who play Thursday night games. In 2014, he organized a hockey trip to Switzerland, and for the past 3 years he’s run an annual winter classic at Verdun’s Bleu Blanc Rouge rink. He’s also the proud father of three young boys—Émile, Antoine, and Rémy.

Since December 2022, he founded Auxilium – Home Assistance, providing front‑line support services with warmth and friendliness to those in need, building meaningful relationships through his work.

Over the years, Jean‑François fell in love with Verdun—and remains ever-grateful to the city and its people for giving him a voice. He hopes to continue serving his community here, now and always—from 1984 and beyond.