Craig Baird
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For 14 years, Chez Hélène was a staple of children's programming in Canada.
Broadcast on English networks, it was the first exposure to French for many Canadian children.

Let's learn more!

Chez Hélène debuted on Oct. 26, 1959, broadcasting out of CBC's Montreal studios.
09:59 AM - May 12, 2024
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Craig Baird
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The title role of Hélène was played by Hélène Baillargeon.

Prior to joining the show, she worked with folklore researcher Marius Barbeau at the National Museum of Canada (now Canadian Museum of Civilization).
She also recorded five albums of folklore songs from 1955 to 1961.
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Craig Baird
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Joining Hélène on the show was Louise, a bilingual character portrayed by Madeline Kronby, and Suzie, a mouse puppet who spoke English. Corinne Orr was the voice of Suzie.

The show had a great time slot, running between The Friendly Giant and Mr. Dressup.
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Craig Baird
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This allowed Canadian children to be exposed to French while waiting for Mr. Dressup to come on.

The show was popular throughout its run, bringing in 500,000 viewers an episode.
The series was suddenly cancelled in 1972. CBC stated it had run its course.
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Craig Baird
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Over the course of 14 seasons, it released 4,000 episodes.

The show was replaced by Sesame Street, which included five minutes of French-language segments per episode.

Baillargeon became a Canadian citizenship court judge in 1974 and earned the Order of Canada. She died in 1997.
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Craig Baird
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