From army officers to entrepreneurs: Success story of an expat couple in Quebec

Can you introduce yourself and tell us about your journey?

Patrick (my husband) and I (Céline) have two children who were aged 9 and 13 when we relocated to Canada in 2014. We're air force veterans, my husband served the French military forces for 21 years, and I served for 4 years. Patrick grew up in Besançon before joining the French army. I grew up in Alsace, where I completed my studies and joined the military. In 2009, the air force base in Colmar closed down, and Patrick was transferred to Istres, where we lived for 4 years. In 2014, we left France for Canada, and right when we moved to this new country, Patrick started working in the transportation of hazardous materials, and I landed a job in the aeronautical industry until we decided to set up our own business in 2019.

What brought you to Canada?

In September 2010, my husband and I took our first trip to Canada for the holidays. In 2013, my husband, my kids and I spent our two months of summer holidays visiting Quebec. After this second trip, we decided to apply for permanent residency in Canada. Our aim was to live out of France.

For how long have you now been in Canada?

We've now been living in Canada for 8 years.

From former army officers to entrepreneurs, what motivated you to change careers?

The army is a big family with great values, and it will always have a special place in my heart. My husband spent 21 years of his life there, and I gave it 4 years of my life. Four beautiful years of learning values that it's hard to be imparted with in civilian life. 

In 2009, my husband was posted in Afghanistan, and this new transfer was too much for me to deal with! I didn't want to live in the constant fear of the phone ringing to give me bad news. So when he returned from Afghanistan, we took time some time for ourselves during our 2010 trip to Canada. Peace and peace of mind, that's why I wanted for our family.

When we were moving to Canada, we didn't know that we would end up becoming entrepreneurs. We both took on jobs quite similar to the ones we had in the army, but without the strains of army life. It was only in 2019 that we embarked on our entrepreneurship journey.

Could you say that it's been a successful career transition?

Absolutely! Without any doubt, we could not have dreamed of a better transition.

Since the launch, the business developed, then came Covid. What was its impact on your business?

In 2019, I left the aeronautical industry here in Montreal, and I didn't fully know what I was getting myself on, so my husband kept working night shifts (from 1 a.m to 1 p.m, 12-hour shifts every day) while waiting for my business to take off. The start was promising, though. My new concepts piqued people's curiosity, and people were talking more and more about our services, to the point that even radio hosts talked about it for free on their shows because they were fans (at that time, we didn't know yet that we were going to revolutionize the French pancake scene in Quebec).

Then the pandemic arrived! I sat down for a second and reflected; it couldn't be that I had done all of this just to stop now. Everywhere, people were displaying drawings full of rainbows and hope on their windows to cheer children up. That's when I decided to make my first rainbow pancake cake. It was a massive success, and there have been waiting lists of one month just to buy this famous rainbow pancake cake. I couldn't believe it! Little by little, I created other pastries using pancakes, and these have been astoundingly successful; they still are now.

That's why we decided to open an eatery in April 2022, in addition to doing home catering. The pandemic was a difficult moment for us like it has been for countless others. But our motivation and determination to not give up gained the upper hand. Today, our whole family works for this business alongside our employees. So it's with a lot of pride that we overcame this terrible pandemic.

Is there an entrepreneurship culture in Quebec?

Yes, the culture is there. Many people create their own businesses but don't know how to manage them or go bust after a few years because they mistake their revenue for their salary. I must say that in Quebec, like in all of Canada, creating your own business is straightforward. You're given the opportunity to make your dreams come true, afterwards, it's up to you to stay on course and to fully dedicate yourself because, in entrepreneurship, you can't count your work hours.

What are the main challenges of starting a business in Quebec?

Finding the big concept which will make the whole difference, that's what Canadians are looking for. Speaking both French and English is a major advantage, as is being a hard worker, because everything is possible here.

There's a common misconception that Quebec and France are similar because French is spoken in both places. What are your views on this?

I don't really agree. While it's true that people in Quebec speak French, it's a completely different type of French that we don't or no longer use in France. Besides, people in Quebec are less self-centered than in France (I'm not putting all French people in the same basket, though). They have a different attitude towards life; I would say that they're more relaxed and less stressed than in some regions of France.

In your opinion, do people experience a culture shock when they first move to Canada, and more particularly to Quebec?

I don't think we can really call it a culture “shock.” True, the food is different, we have a six-hour time difference with France, and people speak with an accent that's hard to understand if you're not focusing, but I'd say it's like that everywhere. If you relocate to Marseilles or Lille, you won't encounter the same idioms, the same cuisine, the same festivals, etc. After all, when you choose to change your life, your city, or your country, do you expect to find exactly what you have just left behind?

How can expats adapt to this change?

Try to quickly integrate into society, and most importantly, do not compare everything to the life you've left behind.

What is your social life in Quebec like? 

I won't deny that the first year was the most unsettling. We second-guessed our decision, not sure if we had done the right thing for ourselves and our children. But we quickly adapted to the various changes of the new life unfolding in front of us. After all, no one had forced us into the expat life, we saw this new adventure as long-term holidays where we'd also work to meet our needs, and very soon, we felt at home.

Did you find it hard to make new friends?

Our friends are in France. In Quebec, we managed to make many new friends and acquaintances early on, thanks to our two children who were attending school, which allowed us to meet parents during birthday parties and similar events, so our social circle expanded very quickly.

Do you have any advice for people who wish to settle down in Quebec and develop a business?

Never stop believing in yourself because Quebec will believe in you and will give you the chance to make your craziest career ambitions come true. Courage, strength, and determination will make you become what you want to become, and you must at all cost NOT listen to your family and friends. Ask yourself the following question: did your friends or relatives ever give it a go before telling you that your life plans sound unreal? If we had listened to our friends, we wouldn't have been as successful as we are for quite a few years now.

What are the essential qualities for a successful life in Quebec?

It goes without saying that you need ambition and motivation. Don't think that as soon as you land in Canada, you'll be handed the keys to a fully furnished house, a four-wheel drive and a job the very next day! It's up to each person to create the life they want. Don't take anything for granted in Canada; you can become successful very quickly, but things can quickly go downhill, too, so you should always remain vigilant and keep your feet on the ground. We arrived in Canada without any specific career expectations. Today, we can say that we're living the American Dream thanks to our own hard work.

What are your plans for the future?

We have multiple work projects in the pipeline concerning our franchise and an upcoming book. But this is just the beginning of our story (we're again not counting how many hours we're working to make all of this come true). Regarding our personal plans, we travel, on average, 2 to 3 times a year, which also makes us realize how lucky we are to live this wonderful life that we wish everyone else to have.

Are you considering a return to France one day?

Right now, it's not in our plans, but we really want to invest in a small holiday home in France. We must admit that we miss French cuisine, but that's the only thing we miss, really.