A life at the heart of the books and homework help

Photo courtesy, Kimura-Lemoine
Johanne Coulombe flipping through one of the last books published by its publishing house, which it launched with professor Dominique Bourque.

Emmanuelle Grill

Saturday, 24 February, 2018 01:00

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Saturday, 24 February, 2018 01:00

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The confession of Johanne Coulombe, 61 years, his retirement gives him the chance to have a life full of passion ! For the past three years, she was co-director of a publishing house that puts forward the authors are rarely published.

Before his retirement five years ago, Johanne Coulombe has worked in the field of education for nearly a quarter of a century.

“I made the tour of Quebec more than once. I went in the school boards of the different regions in order to train the secretaries on the software dedicated to the preparation of the ballots.

Over time, some of them have even become my friends, ” recalls she.

At the same time, Johanne was working also in the collective of authors of the quarterly review Amazons of yesterday, lesbians of today.

Photo Courtesy

Johanne Coulombe with professor Dominique Bourque.

“Unfortunately, we had to cease publication for lack of resources. In 2015, we have therefore decided, professor at the University of Ottawa Dominique Bourque and me, to launch The Editions without end, ” she explains. A great adventure that allows him to continue to support his convictions and of having a retirement to the fullest.

“The primary goal of the Editions without end is to make known the texts written by lesbians, the authors are little known and that we find interesting spread,” says Johanne Coulombe. So far, three books have been published — a comic book and two books and a number of other projects are already on the table.

These books are only sold on the website of the publishing house (leseditionssansfin.wixsite.com/home) or from the bookstore montreal The Euguélionne (https://librairieleuguelionne.com/). Each work is fired to approximately 250 to 300 copies. “Since some of our authors are French, I’ve had the opportunity to make several trips to the launches of our books, including Paris and Lyon. “

Support and homework help

But Johanne Coulombe has also been committed to help his neighbor.

For this, it has been doing since many years of using homework with youth who are experiencing difficulties at school.

“I took care of three children in the same family. I met once a week in the library and we had math, French, etc .. It gives me a lot. I can give, but I also get a lot ! ” she said.

She also leads free of charge sick people to their medical appointments.

“My spouse provides her personal self and the essence, and I drive the car. Some time ago, a patient that I was taking for the past four years died. It is sure that it comes in search of us, but at least I was able to help and contribute in my own way “, she says.

How she is funding her retirement ?

REEGOP: 75 %

GOVERNMENT ANNUITIES: 25 %

• Former employee of the ministry of Education, Johanne Coulombe lives mainly of the pensions paid by the pension Plan for employees of the government and public bodies (REEGOP). Pensions from other public pension plans supplement his income.
• It has also sold a small apartment that belonged to her, and has placed this money in an RRSP. It does not use these sums for the moment.
• The publishing house does not generate further profits. The sale of the books only allows you to go into the charges and publish a new book. It takes about $ 4000 to publish a book. Johanne Coulombe and Dominique Bourque have funded the first draw out of their pocket.