Gisèle Lalonde, (; June 28, 1933 – July 26 or 27, 2022) was a Canadian politician and community activist, who served as the mayor of

Vanier, Ontario Vanier, formerly Eastview, is a neighbourhood in the Rideau-Vanier Ward of Ottawa, Ontario, Canada's east end. Historically francophone and working class, the neighbourhood was a separate city until being amalgamated into Ottawa in 2001. It no l ...

from 1985 to 1991.

Biography

She was born in Eastview (later renamed Vanier in 1969). She received a teaching certificate from the

University of Ottawa The University of Ottawa (french: Université d'Ottawa), often referred to as uOttawa or U of O, is a bilingual public research university in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada. The main campus is located on directly to the northeast of Downtown Ottaw ...

and taught in the Ottawa area from 1951 to 1973. During that time, she was also a member of the French Separate School Board for 13 years. She acted as an advisor on the subject of francophone education to

Ministry of Education An education ministry is a national or subnational government agency politically responsible for education. Various other names are commonly used to identify such agencies, such as Ministry of Education, Department of Education, and Ministry of Pub ...

Ontario Ontario ( ; ) is one of the thirteen provinces and territories of Canada.Ontario is located in the geographic eastern half of Canada, but it has historically and politically been considered to be part of Central Canada. Located in Central C ...

and also chaired a council which advised Premier of Ontario on francophone matters. She ran for the

Progressive Conservative Party of Ontario The Progressive Conservative Party of Ontario (french: Parti progressiste-conservateur de l'Ontario), often shortened to the Ontario PC Party or simply the PCs, colloquially known as the Tories, is a centre-right political party in Ontario, Canada ...

in the

1977 Ontario general election The 1977 Ontario general election was held on June 9, 1977, to elect the 125 members of the 31st Legislative Assembly of Ontario. The Progressive Conservative Party, led by Premier Bill Davis, was re-elected for an eleventh consecutive term in ...

in the riding of Ottawa East, losing to Liberal Albert Roy. She married Gilles Lalonde. She was

elected Elected may refer to: * "Elected" (song), by Alice Cooper, 1973 * ''Elected'' (EP), by Ayreon, 2008 *The Elected, an American indie rock band See also *Election An election is a formal group decision-making process by which a population ...

mayor of Vanier in 1985. In 1988, she founded and was the first president of the Francophone Association of Municipalities of Ontario. She was a key leader in the S.O.S. Montfort campaign which prevented the closing of the

Montfort Hospital Montfort Hospital (french: Hôpital Montfort), commonly shortened to Montfort in both languages, is a teaching hospital affiliated with the University of Ottawa. It offers short-term primary and secondary health care, with communications in both ...

, the largest francophone hospital in Ontario. She was also part of the Scout District d'Ottawa ( Association Scout du Canada) for five years as of 2006. She also wrote an autobiography. She was made a Member of the

Order of Canada The Order of Canada (french: Ordre du Canada; abbreviated as OC) is a Canadian state order and the second-highest honour for merit in the system of orders, decorations, and medals of Canada, after the Order of Merit. To coincide with the cen ...

in 2003 and the

Order of Ontario The Order of Ontario () is the most prestigious official Award, honour in the Provinces and territories of Canada, Canadian province of Ontario. Instituted in 1986 by Lieutenant Governor of Ontario, Lieutenant Governor Lincoln Alexander, on the A ...

in 2006. A school, L'école secondaire publique Gisèle Lalonde in Orleans, Ontario, is named in her honour.

References

* 1933 births 2022 deaths Mayors of Eastview and Vanier Members of the Order of Canada Members of the Order of Ontario Women mayors of places in Ontario Franco-Ontarian people Women in Ontario politics Ottawa-Carleton regional councillors University of Ottawa alumni Franco-Ontarian history Progressive Conservative Party of Ontario candidates in Ontario provincial elections Ontario school board trustees {{Ontario-mayor-stub