Amélie Renouf joined Héritage Montréal in 2007. She held a number of positions before becoming Director of Programs and Activities in 2019. Having just returned from maternity leave, it's her turn to answer a few questions.
1. What does your job involve? What's a typical day like at Héritage Montréal ?
My days are usually filled with discussions with all the people who contribute to our educational activities - our funding partners, our volunteers, my colleagues, the members of the Activities and Services Committee. In order to implement our various programs, I have to keep track of many programs simultaneously, so I often have my eyes glued to calendars and timelines! All this planning work allows us to present our activities and, in the end, the best part is meeting the participants on the ground.
2. When did you join Heritage Montreal?
My first mandate at Héritage Montréal dates back to 2007! I was first hired as Logistics Agent for the Lessons on Renovation for a short period of three months. I was then lucky enough to be selected as Project Manager for the development of Phase 2 of Montréal en quartiers in 2007-2008. Through this project, I quickly got to know many of the organization's partners and immersed myself in the content. At the end of the project in summer 2008, I was given the job of activities coordinator. Since then, I've been lucky enough to be part of the permanent team!
After several years at Héritage Montréal, what continues to motivate me to rise to the many challenges is the passion and tenacity of all those around me. Their energy is contagious! Not only can we count on a team of committed employees, but Héritage Montréal is much more than just these eight enthusiasts. It's also the board members who are actively involved in the success of the organization, the volunteers and a multitude of partners who contribute in every way to make our programming possible. In fact, my favorite part of my job is working with the hundred or so volunteers who give their time and energy to support our projects.
3. What activities have made the biggest impression on you?
The Silo #5 guided tours are definitely memorable. Unprecedented in popularity, these tours offered between 2010 and 2012 were quite an adventure. With record levels of participation, we had to work hard to adapt and meet the demand. Initially, these tours were scheduled for one year only, but they were presented for three consecutive years and reached over 3,500 participants! From that point on, the tours became more and more popular and our team of volunteers has been growing ever since.
Realizing a growing appetite for our guided tours, we added a new program, Heart of the City tours in 2014 through a partnership with Ivanhoe Cambridge. These tours are now part of our regular programs. Since then, we have presented three series of three tours to discover the downtown area. I always find it fascinating to visit places that are regularly traveled to rediscover them through heritage and architecture. You learn so much from preparing your tours and following them with your audience. We look forward to finally presenting our4th edition this spring!
4. Do you have a favorite to share?
I would like to end this portrait with a special mention for the volunteers who join us at our activities or support us in our daily work at the office. Our team of volunteers is numerous and energetic! It's a pleasure to start a new collaboration as new volunteers join us, as well as to meet up with our faithful members, some of whom I've been lucky enough to work with since 2007! Thank you to all of you!
