By Maychai Brown

In the final days of last winter, BCA-Qc’s first executive director, Rosanne Cohen, left her position and handed over a strong organization to her successor, Jennifer Beeman.

When she became the Director in July 2011, the organization had already decided to work on reaching a younger population of women—those whose exposures to toxicants would impact their health throughout their lives. Rosanne moved ahead with that mandate by breathing new life into FemmeToxic, an established BCA-Qc initiative that had been created to alert young women about toxicants in cosmetics. In addition, she helped design a new programme3i (Influence, Initiate, Impact)—that promotes young women’s leadership roles in health and environmental issues within the community as well as at the civic and political levels. 3i came into being through a grant she secured from Status of Women Canada.

Networking with like-minded community groups and NGOs was one of Rosanne’s particular talents; she joined hands with three national groups to draw attention to hormone-disrupting chemicals in the work place. A grant she procured from the Catherine Donnelly Foundation led to a partnership with the national group Environmental Defence to stimulate environmental advocacy among marginalized populations. With this grant, BCA-Qc developed the PACT project to create and pilot workshops, which will be used nationally. Locally, she worked with two prominent women’s health and environment groups to initiate Les loupes actives, a public awareness campaign about environmental toxicants.

Three new staff members—Naïké Ledan, Darshanna Dhunno, and Anaïs Lagacé—brought experience, enthusiasm and energy to these projects. Because they had been mandated to interact with greater numbers of people, Rosanne spearheaded BCA-Qc’s move to a larger office space in the St-Henri district where the enlarged staff comfortably functions and where evening meetings can be held for as many as 25 people.

In her three short years as BCA-Qc’s first executive director, Rosanne brought the organization to a new level of visibility. Her sincerity, informal manner and wicked sense of fun were always evident whether she was speaking from a podium, meeting workers in other community groups or working with staff. Colleagues reflecting on her tenure have noted her creativity, energy and vision in the tributes that follow:


Patricia Kearns (Research and Networking Advisor)

I will never forget the way Rosanne expressed herself at the forum, "Preventing Environmental and Occupational EDC [endocrine disrupting chemical] Exposures: A Strategic Collaboration," in Toronto, a couple of years ago. As the forum was drawing to a close, people took turns summing up their experience of the day and stated their intentions to bring this work back to their communities.

Rosanne stood up and directly addressed Vanessa Gray, a youth activist from the Aamjiwnaang First Nation, in Chemical Valley. That morning, Vanessa presented a slide show of the work she does with youth in her community to respond to the frustration of living with high levels of asthma, stillbirths, and spills from the Shell plant. The images and anecdotes she shared with us told the story of living in a hellish, toxic environment and why Vanessa calls this environmental racism.

Rosanne spoke to her from a deep place, a place of clarity and horror, of recognition and heart. She told Vanessa that her words had changed Rosanne in a profound way and thanked her for her work.

Rosanne has the ability to speak the truth in an uncomplicated way. She brought this talent to BCA-Qc on so many occasions. I hope we will have many new opportunities to hear her again. 


Viorica Lorcencova, Administrator

I have had the pleasure of working with Rosanne for three years, two of which were in a small office on Monkland Avenue. We developed this goofy routine of her bothering me on a daily basis, which was essentially me expressing how overly happy it made me feel when she had to work outside of the office. In fact though, I can hardly think of another person in my entire life experience who could light up the space the way she does with her presence. I would always feel her warmth whenever she was around and I would always anticipate her arrival at work.

Her sense of humour is what made everybody in the organization feel relaxed and we would share opinions in a very open way, which resulted in strong ideas and grounded actions. You get to know a person by seeing them do the work they are passionate about, seeing what inspires or frustrates them. I was blessed to discover Rosanne in so many ways and will always be thankful to her for teaching me things she’s not even aware she taught me. Of course, when Rosanne announced she was leaving BCA-Qc, I was supposed to announce my ultimate joy at the news—which I did, through tears.


Anais Lagacé, Project Coordinator

Working with Rosanne was pleasant and the days were filled with humor and anecdotes. I will miss her warm energy.


Naike Ledan, Project Coordinator

Rosanne: Generous with her energy, her humour and her compassion.
Best Rosanne moment: The day I had my interview, she was obviously—I mean obviously—pleased, showing that she’s so spontaneous.


Jennifer Beeman, BCA-Qc’s new executive director

I have never been welcomed into a new organization with such warmth as the welcome I received from Rosanne at BCA-Qc. The confidence she expressed in me gave me courage over the first weeks as I entered into my new position, and I will be forever grateful for her generosity and openness in helping me with the transition.