success stories

David Myles, a Juno Award–winning musician from Fredericton, has built a career that not only celebrates musical excellence but also reflects a deep and lasting commitment to bilingualism in New Brunswick and across the country.

Throughout his career, David has embraced both of Canada’s official languages, using music as a bridge between communities. In 2018, he made a powerful artistic and cultural statement with the release of his first entirely French-language album, Le Grand Départ. The project showcased not only his fluency and respect for the French language, but also his belief that bilingualism strengthens identity, creativity, and connection.

David’s dedication to bilingualism extends beyond the studio. He has consistently performed in both English and French, reaching audiences across linguistic lines and demonstrating that music can unite rather than divide. His work reflects the unique linguistic fabric of New Brunswick — Canada’s only officially bilingual province — and models what it means to be proudly bilingual on a national stage.

In 2024, David represented both Canada and New Brunswick internationally when he performed at the 2024 Summer Olympics in Paris. As a featured musical representative at Canada Olympic House, he brought Canadian culture to a global audience, embodying the spirit of artistic excellence and linguistic duality.

David Myles’ journey is a powerful example of how cultural leadership and bilingualism can go hand in hand. Through his music, he continues to champion connection, celebrate identity, and inspire pride in both official languages — at home in New Brunswick and on the world stage.

The most inspiring and useful thing for me is the fact that I learned French in elementary school and daycare in Fredericton. It was a priority for my parents that their children be able to speak French and I continue to use this tool in my life, in my translations, in my life as an artist to communicate in another language. I did my Masters in Germany, so I speak German too. I know that languages are gateways to cultures that are strange to us, cultures we've grown up with. So I wanted to learn a lot of languages so that I could save more time doing my translations first and foremost, and the syntax or rhythms of a language also gives us access to a culture and it's also good for the brain.I'd like to be an example or a model for my children to be curious in life and to be inspired by sources outside our experience and to know that in New Brunswick, the only officially bilingual province in all of Canada, that's something that's really a gift. I never want to see a day when New Brunswick is no longer bilingual because I think it's a really special identity and a national identity that preserves us as a representative of the national culture. That's why I'm so proud to have been born and raised in New Brunswick.

Over the years, as Educational Supervisor of French as a Second Language in New Brunswick’s School District 6, Richard Rice worked to foster harmony between Anglophone and Francophone communities in New Brunswick. He was diligent in nurturing French language education at the national, provincial, and local levels.

At the national level, he was active in the Canadian French Second Language Teachers Association and the Association of French Immersion Teachers. At the provincial level, he led highly productive student exchanges with Quebec. During the 1980s, he served as New Brunswick’s French Second Language Consultant.

At the local level, he regularly spoke to parents and community associations about second language acquisition. He conducted information sessions about available French second language programs and recruited members of the community who were able to speak in both official languages to share their ideas and principles with others.

Richard Rice exemplified service, leadership, and commitment to the core values of linguistic harmony in the Province of New Brunswick.

Jenna Morton shares how her family went from hesitation to full confidence and why starting in Grade 1 made all the difference. If you have ever wondered whether early French immersion is worth it this parent’s story will give you all the answers

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