By Marie-Christine Monty of Servir

Simon Bélanger is the Training Coordinator at Saint-Jean Garrison. Photo credit: Zone 3

Editor's Note: This new column will highlight the accomplishments of NPF employees outside the workplace. Send us articles about one or more NPF employees so we can discover their hidden talents as actors, woodworkers, volunteers, athletes, etc. We look forward to hearing from you!

By Marie-Christine Monty of Servir with additional information by DGPFSS

Simon Bélanger is the Fitness Coordinator at Saint-Jean Garrison. Him and his spouse Marie-Pier have been together for nearly seven years and have three young children. They wanted a house of their own, but were planning to wait five years before purchasing one. When it was suggested to sign up as contestants on the television show Ma Maison RONA, they saw this as an opportunity to fulfil their dream of becoming homeowners. So why not give it a try? They resolved to embark on this great adventure together.

In case you don't know about the show, it's pretty simple. To be eligible, you must be a couple and the parents of at least one child, be able to make payments on a $160,000 mortgage, have never owned a condo or house, and lastly, under no circumstances can you be a construction worker.

Naturally, for Simon and Marie-Pier, the prospect of appearing on a television show watched by over a million viewers was a bit stressful. And bear in mind that a shoot involves very technical elements (cameras, retakes, etc.) which they, like most people, know little about. In time, they got accustomed to it, and the taping became part of their weekly experience.

The couple consider their professional studio photo shoot and television appearances as wonderful life experiences. "It's fascinating to see things from the other side," remarks Simon. When we watch TV now, we no longer see the shows the same way."

At the conclusion of the show, Simon and Marie-Pier were not the big winners, but they are far from losing: Desjardins offered them a $25,000 down payment (the assessed value of the house is $160,000) and they also got to keep all the accessories included with the house. The show’s finalists won a house, located in Vaudreuil-Dorion, completely furnished.

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MW Team Updates • Director General Personnel & Family Support Services
July 2009 • Serving Those Who Serve • www.cfpsa.com