Of course they look alike, they are twins. Born in Magog 33 years ago, there was nothing to suggest they would one day work in collision repair. Their dream was music, performing together as a guitar and vocal duo.

Valérie and Marie-Hélène Roberge are identical in looks, yet complement each other in personality and skills. They ended up in the same trade by chance after following different paths for several years. That chance was COVID, which also brought them both to All-Star Magog.

The washer and the hammer

Life-changing moments can appear in unexpected ways. For Valérie, it happened after a minor accident when she was just 17. Energetic, resourceful and always ready for a challenge, she decided to fix the damage herself using nothing more than a hammer and a washer to bring her 2006 Mitsubishi back into shape. At the time, she was considering a career in criminology while working nights at La Banquise, managing at Walmart in Fleurimont, and detailing vehicles in Windsor. Her first choice was carpentry, but the wait to enroll was 18 months. Looking for another trade, she chose one she knew nothing about, a trade rarely mentioned to girls.

That is how she discovered the professions of collision repair technician and painter, and that the basics were taught at the CFP 24-Juin. She enrolled in the vocational diploma program, which combined classroom learning with work placements. As expected, she quickly realized that mastering the craft required learning from an experienced mentor, someone she met while working for one of her employers.

She was ready for the challenge, having already rebuilt one of her 15 vehicles from the ground up, a Ford Escape she customized with great care. Her list of vehicles is impressive: Audi, Dodge Colt RAM, Ford Escape, Honda Civic, Lexus, Mazda, Mitsubishi Lancer, Toyota Corolla, Highlander, Tercel, and VW Jetta, sometimes more than one of each. Even more remarkable is that she did not collect them out of a passion for cars, except for pickup trucks, but to understand the unique features of each model. By 2024 and 2025, her reputation had grown so much that the CFP 24-Juin invited her to teach collision repair. Despite her skills, she admits that electrical work is not her favourite, recalling the time she tried to replace her sister’s car radio and the dashboard went completely dark. Tireless, she is proud to have completed her training while working up to 80 hours a week, including shifts at La Banquise in Magog.

From cabinetmaking to collision repair

Unable to pursue a career in music, her twin sister Marie-Hélène chose a different path, studying cabinetmaking, a craft very different but still artistic. She thought this would lead to carpentry while quietly preparing for a career in the military or police, fields that fascinated her even more. With a love for sports and adrenaline, she trained twice a day and ran 24 kilometres a week. Life eventually led her into collision repair, starting with washing and detailing vehicles while also working various shifts at Walmart, day, evening, and night. Her talent for detailing caught the attention of one of the shops where Valérie was already working. Just as meticulous as her sister, she was seen as a promising collision repair tech and was trained in all aspects of the work, including finishing, though not welding. After more than five years working in a different trade, she earned her vocational diploma through recognition of prior learning.

An unexpected privilege

The Roberge twins never miss the chance to restore special vehicles, especially classics like the three Cobras, the Camaro, and the three Westfalias their boss David Brodeur has entrusted to them. They have worked on these projects in the quiet early morning hours from 3 a.m. to 7 a.m., then gone straight into a regular workday. It is no surprise to learn that these mothers of three each had to take on other roles during the pandemic and were delighted to return to their trade.They went their own ways after high school, only for life to bring them back together unexpectedly.