Julie Normand, Embassy of Canada

Published: 04.09.2024

Find out how Julie Normand describes the Bernese way of life, which Swiss personality left a lasting impression, and which sledging slope she is still eager to try out.

Article published in the January 2021 infoletter.

Julie Normand...

… is originally from Louiseville, a small town in the Canadian province of Québec.

… is Counsellor and Consul at the Embassy of Canada to Switzerland and the Principality of Liechtenstein. Before being posted to Bern, she worked in Santiago, Chile, where she was responsible for consular affairs and emergency management, having to deal with many natural disasters (earthquakes, landslides, volcanic eruptions, fires, etc.).

… has been living in Bern since August 2016. She was scheduled to leave in summer 2020, but all the staff stayed put due to COVID-19 (and she admits that she was really happy to stay another year).

… is passionate about travelling. When she is not planning her next weekend (she uses all her weekends to discover new places!), she reads any book she can get her hands on. Julie is full of energy and likes practicing sports, mainly outdoors. She loves hiking, skiing, sledging, swimming and biking. During the semi-lockdown, she cycled the 22km to work and back every day.

10 Questions to Julie Normand

What are you responsible for?

Being the head of the administration and the consular section, there is never a dull moment! I am in charge of HR, finance, property, IT, emergency management and consular affairs. I particularly like helping fellow Canadians living, working or travelling in/to Switzerland and Liechtenstein.

Before COVID-19 hit us, I used to do outreach trips to the different cantons to meet local authorities in order to be better prepared in case of emergencies or issues affecting Canadians. That was always a highlight.

Which projects are you most excited about right now?

World Economic Forum: At this time of the year, I am usually working full time on WEF preparation, managing the logistics for the Canadian delegation.
Greening Embassies Network: Canada is one of the eight countries behind this greening initiative in collaboration with the City of Bern. While the pandemic has slowed the official launching of the Network, we continue to meet virtually and think green in all of our actions. We hope many countries will join so we can reduce the collective environmental impact of the diplomatic community in Bern. Stay tuned!
Consular Corps: Together with amazing colleagues, we established the Consular Corps Group of Bern in May 2019. It has not only organised a series of events, but was also a key player during the current crisis: since March 2020, the steering committee of the Consular Coprs Group has been acting as a link between the Swiss authorities and the consular communities. It has proven to be a great network to share information and best practices.

“Summer or winter, in my free time or at work meetings during the pandemic, I can often be found on the Minster terrace.”

Julie Normand

What surprised you most when you arrived in Bern?

I arrived in August and was surprised to see so many people in bathing suits, or suit and tie walking around town with waterproof bags. From young students to older folks, from politicians to families, they all seemed to be heading to the same place. I soon found out they were all going to take a dip in the River Aare… and I followed.

What do you appreciate about Bern?

Its quality of life. Nature is at its doorsteps. I enjoy being able to bike everywhere, wander in the Dählhölzli forest at lunchtime (particularly around the zoo) or take a swim in the river running through the city.
I really appreciate the various festivals that regulary take place in the streets of Bern, like the Buskers Music Festival, the Christmas Market and the "Zibelemärit", the Onion Market, to name but a few. In the summertime, the pop-up bars, the Minster terrace and the numerous outdoor swimming pools around town are great places to be!

Tell us about your favourite place(s) in Bern.

Definitely the River Aare. I am an avid swimmer and take every opportunity to go swimming as early as May until the end of September. I am such an Aare lover that I even bought the poster "Aareschwumm Bärn" made by Bernese Artist Kaspar Allenback. It will come with me everywhere I go in the world as a great souvenir of my posting here.

“The Bernese take their work-life balance very seriously. They are easy going and laid back. ”

Julie Normand

How would you describe the Bernese attitude and way of life?

Laid back. I appreciate that the Bernese take their work-life balance very seriously. They are easy going and uncomplicated.

What do you already know you will miss when you leave Bern?

Schweizmobil! An App that shows the 65'000 km of hiking/biking paths in the country. We have done parts of it, but we will need to come back to do the rest. I will also miss the numerous ski resorts, the mountains, the cable cars/train/funiculars, the lakes and the cows!

My kids will miss the cheese and chocolate. They are already asking if we could bring some in our shipping container!

What is still on your Bern Bucket list?

We had the opportunity to explore all the 26 cantons and I had many "coups de coeur", so it will be hard to go back to all of them. I am hoping to return to Appenzell and to be able to admire the Matterhorn again, a truly majestic mountain. And I still have to try the longest sledging slope in Europe on the Bussalp!

The picture is a portrait of Julie Normand in the forest.

The picture is a portrait of Julie Normand in front of the Minster Library in the city of Bern

What was one of your most significant encounters during your time in Switzerland?

I will always remember the very warm welcome of Bruno Bagnoud, Founder and Honorary President of Air-Glaciers. I visited their facilities in Sion and Mr. Bagnoud had many great stories to tell, notably on various rescue operations and the making of the James Bond movie "On Her Majesty's Secret Service" which was filmed in Switzerland.