On December 20, the Musée régional de Vaudreuil-Soulanges will turn an important page in its history. The museum will say goodbye to its General Manager of the past 38 years, Daniel Bissonnette, as he retires after 40 years of service to the cultural institution.

" This new stage in my life became more concrete this week, as the selection process for my successor was officially launched. Interested candidates have until May 31 to express their interest. In June, the selection committee will review the applications received and make a shortlist of those who will be interviewed. We're aiming for a September start date. As for me, I'll be leaving on December 20, so that means I'll be in place this autumn to ensure a smooth and seamless transition with the person who will replace me," he begins.

Making the most of every moment before D-Day

What is Mr. Bissonnette's state of mind a few months away from retirement? " I'm serene about my decision.It's been well thought out and planned at the Museum for several months now.It's the result of careful thought.I've been with the museum for 40 years, 38 as general manager and two as exhibition manager.I'm enjoying every day and every week between now and then. I'll be leaving with a happy heart and a sense of accomplishment .

A full mandate

What does he consider to be the greatest asset of the Musée régional, where Mr. Bissonnette has worked for a good part of his life? " It's really the human resources - the team I work with, as well as the volunteers and members of the Board of Directors. I'm really well supported. We also have good partners in the field with whom we've often been able, in the past, to pool our skills, particularly when it comes to heritage and cultural tourism promotion. Personally, I'm very interested in these two areas. Together, we've been able to rise to some great challenges and help the Museum become firmly rooted in its community."

One of the major challenges faced by the Musée régional de Vaudreuil-Soulanges was the global health crisis of 2020. During this crisis, many cultural institutions were closed, and had to implement numerous sanitary measures to be able to welcome visitors back into their walls.

By his own admission, when Daniel Bissonnette was hired at the Musée in the 1980s, he didn't expect to stay there as long as he did." Time went by quickly.You can achieve a lot when you have the same common goal in mind.Over the years, the Museum has shown a great deal of creativity, thanks to the commitment of our team and Board of Directors.While many NPOs are experiencing difficulties in recruiting new board members, this is not the case for us.We're lucky. People with complementary expertise have been added to our Board."

As he prepares to leave, looking back, what achievement makes Mr. Bissonnette proudest?" I'd say it's having put in place the Museum's current team, which has interesting expertise to put to good use for the region.This gives us a great deal of freedom to get out into the field and carry out projects.My greatest joy is knowing that the Museum has a solid team in place."

A new stage in life

What will Mr. Bissonnette's retirement look like?"These days, retirement doesn't have the same meaning as it used to. Mine will be an active one, in the sense that I've been a grandfather since November 2023, so I'll definitely be spending time with my family.I'll also be taking some time off in the first few weeks to think about what's next and take some time for myself.I intend to stay involved, part-time no doubt, in other projects in fields other than culture.I also enjoy manual work and gardening, two skills I intend to put to good use now that I'll have more free time."

In closing, what message does he have for the Vaudreuil-Soulanges community?" I'd like to thank everyone who sent me messages wishing me a happy retirement.Even though they were sent in anticipation, they made me very happy. But before we get to that stage, we still have a lot ofwork to do," he concluded with the same passion in his voice.