Lisa Balfour Bowen

Lisa Balfour Bowen, a former Toronto journalist, helped found French for the Future thanks to an idea conceived by internationally known author, John Ralston Saul, in the aftermath of the 1995 Quebec referendum. Mrs. Bowen organized and presided over the first French for the Future program which was held at Toronto City Hall in 1997 attended by 200 students from eight schools. Today, ten years later, Mrs. Bowen continues to maintain an active role in the operation of the organization. Thanks, in part, to her continuing efforts, French for the Future has grown dramatically over the years with annual forums now reaching almost 3,000 students in 16 major cities across Canada.

In June 2008, Laurentian University conferred an Honorary Doctorate on Lisa Balfour Bowen .  This doctorate was awarded in recognition of Mrs. Bowen's efforts to promote bilingualism - and particularly the French language - across Canada over the last 12 years.

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