Meriem Babouri

Height: 5’10
Hometown: Longueuil, QC
Languages: English, Arabic, French, Algerian dialect
Occupation:

Meriem ‘Cherine’ Babouri is a model, a singer, an actress, and an aspiring designer born in Skikda, Algeria. The oppressive gendered expectations she was subjected to before emigrating caused her a lot of grief growing up, which contributed to her family’s decision to move to Canada. Other factors in this decision were the lack of educational opportunities as well as the lack of medical facilities for her special-needs brother. Her father had an influential position in government, and the authorities wouldn’t permit him to leave, so in the dead of night they drove over the border to Tunisia, where they were hidden in a family friend’s house. From there, they flew to Morocco and then over the Pacific to Canada. She felt as though she had found her second home as soon as she stepped off the plane.

While her parents were trying to adapt to the new environment in Canada and find jobs, there were government programmes providing support as well as kind people who welcomed them with open arms. It was now that Cherine learned more about feminism, since her knowledge about this important topic was limited to what her country thought of women. She was finally free to focus on what inspires her the most: art.

People who know Cherine would describe her as artistic and fashionable. At the age of 16, she started modelling. The first time she was called a model by a respected photographer, she felt like fireworks were exploding in her stomach. This was the moment she knew she had a special connection with the fashion industry. She was exploring the different types of modelling: commercials with the fetish wardrobe, promotional work with Nissan at their car show in Montreal in 2023, runway modelling with the signature 2023 Lasalle College Fashion Show, Julia Dantas Academy, and print with Sarze magazine. At the age of 17, she started working in the hospital of Charles Lemonye in the city of Greenfield Park. This job satisfied another passion of Cherine’s, helping others. She also did a lot of volunteering, which helped her stay in touch with her community. Right now, Cherine continues exploring other forms of art, such as plastic art, cinema, and music. She released a song on her birthday, May 30th, that is about the difficulties of growing up in today’s society. She is also working on raising awareness and funds and leading a walk with Bladder Cancer Canada. She hopes to win the Miss Universe Canada 2023 pageant, not only for her own career but also to be able to donate a sizeable amount to various charities she is already working with.

What are your interests and what do you enjoy doing the most?

It is hard to pick one specific thing as my favourite. I love to draw, paint, sing, im learning the trumpet and guitar, and obviously I love fashion and modelling. If I had to pick one of these as my favourite, I’d say it was modelling.

List any special training you have had (music, art, drama, dance, etc.)

I am naturally a very talented person and someone who gets bored very easily which made me take multiple trainings. The amazing funding of school’s in Quebec offered a variety of art classes.Thanks to the music program, I learned music theory and how to play the trumpet and this is where my passion for music started, I used to be really bad as a vocalist when I was younger but with training I got better. I took a plastic art class in my last year of secondary school, which unlocked my love for designing clothes since I come from a family that is talented in sewing. Im also trained medically to work as an orderly and I was in the middle of learning to be a nurse before i took a break to focus on this competition.

In what sports, if any, have you participated?

Swimming, Iaido and archery

Name one person, other than your parents, who has had the most influence on your life. Why?

Angelina Jolie was always an inspiration for me, not only is she a talented and beautiful actress, she is a very generous philanthropist and speaks out on important issues. My grandfather used to call me Lara Croft (played by Angelina Jolie), and this made me proud, as she is a strong and independent woman.

What is your proudest personal accomplishment (other than participating in this pageant)?

The accomplishment I am most proud is being a part of the Signature 2023 Lasalle College fashion show.

What is the most interesting or unique thing that has ever happened to you and/or what is the most interesting thing about you?

Something unique that happened to me was the situation in which my family left algeria. My father was a prominent local government official and as his discontent towards the government was known when we eventually wanted to leave, we had to sneak out of the country to avoid being arrested. We drove to Tunisia under the cover of nightfall and were hidden in the house of a family friend before flying to morocco and then to canada.

What is your career ambition and what are you doing or plan to do to accomplish that goal?

I dream of becoming a model on Vogue Magazine, as that would be a marker that I had become a very successful model. Right now I am working as a model and building my career, and this beauty pageant so far is the biggest part of that.

What would be your “dream job” in life?

My dream job is to be a business owner of a clothing brand that is sustainable and free of exploitative labor.

Describe where you were raised and what your childhood was like.

I was born and raised in Skikda, Algeria. The city and its people hold a great place in my heart. I spent a large portion of my childhood travelling, which helped me learn more about diversity, which Algeria didn’t have. Algerian society is very religious and conservative. The image that they have of women is very restrictive. It was here in Canada that I learned the about feminism and women’s power. I was raised by two loving parents who gave me the entire world. I have two siblings: My sister, who’s a year and a half younger than me is my best friend. My non-verbal baby brother, who struggled with autism most of his life, was always cared for by the entire family. I had a happy childhood since I was privileged to have a father who had an important position in the Algerian government. However, my parents made sure I went to public schools so I would be among kids from all parts of society, even if they had the means to put me and my siblings in prestigious private French schools. Here in Canada my parents struggled during the first years; we relied on food stamps and donations from very kind Canadians. I am happy I got to experience both of these worlds to better understand others struggles.

List any interesting or unusual jobs you may have had.

I worked as a model for the fetish wardrobe industry a lot, which meant that i would always wear something unusual. I once wore this later suit in the mid summer, my skin was sweating since the blue latex absorbed a lot of heat from the sun. By the end of the photoshoot, the suit felt like sauna and was strangely quite relaxing.

List any volunteering you have done.

• Mission Nouvelle Generation.
• La Mosaïque, CAB (Friperie)
• CISSSMC
• La Maison Benoît Labre
• Bladder Cancer Canada

What is your most unusual talent?

Pouring liquids with no spill, no matter what’s the shape or size of the containers.

Where is the most interesting place you have been to?

I have travelled a lot during my childhood, but no place makes my jaw drop like Paris does. I love the architecture that shows the history and what the country has gone through. It is the city of fashion and love: my two favourite things in the world.

What do you hope to be doing in ten years?

I hope to start my own clothing brand with no exploitative labor and to create a onion for the different jobs at the fashion and the music industry. I also hope that I will be able to build a hospital specialized in providing care to kids/adults with special needs like autism. I see myself adopting a lot of kids from underdeveloped countries because I believe in giving a chance to children that already exist.

Is there anything you would like to add that we haven’t asked?

I’d like to talk about what I’d do if i was fortunate enough to win this years competition. Firstly I’d donate a sizeable quantity of my winnings to a local domestic abuse shelter. I’d also use the platform it would give me to talk about women’s rights and intersectional feminism.