Hélène Baillargeon

Hélène Baillargeon, born on August twenty-eight, nineteen sixteen, in Saint-Martin, Quebec, was a multifaceted Canadian singer, actor, and folklorist. She is perhaps best remembered as the beloved host of the CBC Television show Chez Hélène, which aired from nineteen fifty-nine to nineteen seventy-three. Her passion for music led her to study singing in Quebec City, New York City, and later in Montreal under the guidance of Alfred La Liberté.

In addition to her performing career, Baillargeon made significant contributions to the preservation of Canadian culture. She worked as a researcher alongside Marius Barbeau at the National Museum of Canada in Ottawa, which is now known as the Canadian Museum of Civilization in Gatineau. Her dedication to the arts and culture was further exemplified through her hosting of various CBC Radio and Television shows, including Le réveil rural from nineteen fifty-one to nineteen fifty-five, Songs de chez nous from nineteen fifty-two to nineteen fifty-five, and Cap aux sorciers from nineteen fifty-five to nineteen fifty-eight.

In nineteen forty-four, she married André Côté, a Crown attorney in Montreal, and together they shared a life enriched by the arts. Baillargeon's contributions to Canadian culture were recognized when she was appointed to the Order of Canada in nineteen seventy-three. The following year, she took on the role of a Canadian citizenship court judge, further showcasing her commitment to her country.

Throughout her career, Baillargeon recorded numerous collections of French-Canadian folk songs, leaving a lasting legacy in the realm of music. She passed away in Montreal on September twenty-five, nineteen ninety-seven, but her influence continues to resonate in the Canadian cultural landscape.