Yann Herry
	
Yann Herry was born in Casablanca, Morocco and was raised in Quebec where he studied geography in university.((T.S. Gilck, “Three to receive top honours at levees.” //The Whitehorse Star// (Whitehorse), 3 January 2024.)) 

Yann came to Elsa in 1979 to work at the United Keno Hill mine and met older miners there, many of whom were other francophones. The mine closed in 1981, and Yann took the opportunity to learn more about francophone history in the Yukon and so began a lifelong project. He was part of the group that established Association franco-yukonnaise.((Leighann Chalykoff, //Heritage Conversations.// Yukon Government, ca. 2024: 62-65.)) This was the fulfillment of a dream to facilitate the transmission of the French language for francophones who decided to permanently settle in the Yukon.((T.S. Gilck, “Three to receive top honours at levees.” //The Whitehorse Star// (Whitehorse), 3 January 2024.))

After teaching French to adults, Herry returned to university to complete a B.Ed. and then returned to teach French immersion at the high school level. He coordinated a large number of cultural trips between Yukon and Quebec and places in Europe. He led the effort to twin Whitehorse with Lancieux in Brittany, the place where Robert Service lived.((T.S. Gilck, “Three to receive top honours at levees.” //The Whitehorse Star// (Whitehorse), 3 January 2024.))

Herry was involved with the creation of the //L’Aurore boréle// magazine, the Garderie du petit cheval blanc, and the Ecole francophone Emile-Tremblay. He was the first vice-president of the Association franco-yukonnaise. He created the Centre de la francophonie’s gallery of historical portraits of Franco-Yukoners. Between about 2010 and 2020, Herry was the coordinator of French programming for the Yukon Department of Education.((Marie-Helene Comeau, “Yann Herry tire sa révérence à l’éducation.” //L’aurore boréale,// 24 September 2020. Yann Herry bows out of education - January 6, 2024 (auroreboreale.ca) ))

In April 2021, Herry and some like-minded history lovers, including Sylvie Binette, founded the Societé d’histoire francophone du Yukon to collect and share stories that will keep the francophone language, culture and stories alive for future generations.((Leighann Chalykoff, //Heritage Conversations.// Yukon Government, ca. 2024: 62-65.))

In January 2024, Yann Herry was named to the Order of Yukon for his work in the development and promotion of the Yukon’s francophone history and heritage and his contribution to international relations.((T.S. Gilck, “Three to receive top honours at levees.” //The Whitehorse Star// (Whitehorse), 3 January 2024.))