Hélène LeBlanc (born March 27, 1958) is a

Canadian Canadians () are people identified with the country of Canada. This connection may be residential, legal, historical or cultural. For most Canadians, many (or all) of these connections exist and are collectively the source of their being ''C ...

politician. She served in the

House of Commons of Canada The House of Commons of Canada () is the lower house of the Parliament of Canada. Together with the Monarchy of Canada#Parliament (King-in-Parliament), Crown and the Senate of Canada, they comprise the Bicameralism, bicameral legislature of Ca ...

from 2011 to 2015, representing the riding of

LaSalle—Émard LaSalle—Émard was a federal electoral district in the Canadian province of Quebec that was represented in the House of Commons of Canada from 1988 to 2015. Its population in 2001 was 99,767. The MP from 1988 to 2008 was Paul Martin, who serv ...

as a member of the

New Democratic Party The New Democratic Party (NDP; , ) is a federal political party in Canada. Widely described as social democratic,The party is widely described as social democratic: * * * * * * * * * * * * * The Editors of ''Encyclopædia Britann ...

. In the official opposition shadow cabinet, she was critic for Industry.

Early life and career

LeBlanc was born on March 27, 1958, in

Lyster, Quebec Lyster is a municipality in the Centre-du-Québec region of the province of Quebec in Canada Canada is a country in North America. Its Provinces and territories of Canada, ten provinces and three territories extend from the Atlantic Oc ...

. Her father was a doctor and her mother was a school trustee and mayor of Lyster, sparking her interest in politics. LeBlanc received a Bachelor of Arts degree in 1979 from

Université Sainte-Anne Université Sainte-Anne is a French-language university in Pointe-de-l'Église, Nova Scotia, Canada. It and the Université de Moncton in New Brunswick are the only French-language universities in the Maritime Provinces. History Université Sa ...

and a Bachelor of Education degree from the

University of Ottawa The University of Ottawa (), often referred to as uOttawa or U of O, is a Official bilingualism in Canada, bilingual public research university in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada. The main campus is located on directly to the northeast of Downtown Ot ...

in 1983. LeBlanc worked as an educator, teaching French in

Vancouver Vancouver is a major city in Western Canada, located in the Lower Mainland region of British Columbia. As the List of cities in British Columbia, most populous city in the province, the 2021 Canadian census recorded 662,248 people in the cit ...

and

Ottawa Ottawa is the capital city of Canada. It is located in the southern Ontario, southern portion of the province of Ontario, at the confluence of the Ottawa River and the Rideau River. Ottawa borders Gatineau, Gatineau, Quebec, and forms the cor ...

. She also served as an interpreter and guide for the Canada Museums of Science and Technology Corporation in Ottawa and the

Canada Agriculture Museum The Canada Agriculture and Food Museum () is a national agricultural museum in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada. Occupying several buildings within the Central Experimental Farm, the museum operates as a "working farm", and provides public programs and e ...

. LeBlanc later received a Bachelor of Science degree in agriculture and environment from

McGill University McGill University (French: Université McGill) is an English-language public research university in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. Founded in 1821 by royal charter,Frost, Stanley Brice. ''McGill University, Vol. I. For the Advancement of Learning, ...

in 2004. An agronomist by training, she served as a project manager for the ''Conseil d'assainissement et d'aménagement du ruisseau Lacorne'' prior to her election as MP. LeBlanc also worked as an assistant to persons suffering from Alzheimers Baluchon Alzheimer and as an agro-environment officer with the ''Fédération de l’Union des producteurs agricoles de l’Outaouais-Laurentides''. LeBlanc is an avid cyclist and a member of ''

Vélo Québec Velo or Vélo may refer to: * A bicycle, a two-wheeled, single-track vehicle People * , Danish footballer * Carlos Velo (1909–1988), Spanish film director * Christian Nestor Velo, Malagasy politician * Maks Velo (1935–2020), Albanian pain ...

''.

Member of Parliament

LeBlanc first entered politics in 2009 with

Projet Montréal Projet Montréal (officially Projet Montréal - Équipe Luc Rabouin) is a progressive, environmentalist municipal political party in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. Founded in 2004, it is led by Luc Rabouin and holds a majority of seats on Montre ...

, seeking the position of borough councilor for the district of Saint-Paul-Émard. Although her campaign was unsuccessful, she gained the attention of the

(NDP) and was chosen as their nominee in the 2011 federal election to represent the riding of

. LeBlanc was elected on May 2, 2011, defeating freshman incumbent Lise Zarac of the

Liberal Party The Liberal Party is any of many political parties around the world. The meaning of ''liberal'' varies around the world, ranging from liberal conservatism on the right to social liberalism on the left. For example, while the political systems ...

with 42.2% of the vote. She assumed office on May 30, 2011. On May 26, 2011, then-leader of the NDP

Jack Layton John Gilbert Layton (July 18, 1950 – August 22, 2011) was a Canadian politician and academic who served as the leader of the New Democratic Party (NDP) from 2003 to 2011 and leader of the Official Opposition in 2011. He previously sat on T ...

named LeBlanc to his shadow cabinet as critic for Science and Technology. She was later promoted to critic for Industry in 2012 by Layton’s successor,

Thomas Mulcair Thomas Joseph Mulcair (born October 24, 1954) is a Canadian lawyer and retired politician who served as the leader of the New Democratic Party (NDP) from 2012 to 2017 and leader of the Official Opposition from 2012 to 2015. He was elected to ...

. In these roles, LeBlanc played a role in the development of policy on science, technology, industry, and innovation for the NDP. She defended the right of government scientists to speak freely to the media and public, worked to reform Canada’s research and development programs, and advocated for green initiatives in Canadian research. LeBlanc became an active figure in the arena of science and technology, bringing visibility to the NDP in these areas. In 2011, she attended the annual conference of the

American Association for the Advancement of Science The American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) is a United States–based international nonprofit with the stated mission of promoting cooperation among scientists, defending scientific freedom, encouraging scientific responsib ...

Conference as the official delegate of the NDP. Also in 2011, LeBlanc was part of a keynote panel at the Canadian Science Policy Conference. She met to discuss science policy with foreign diplomats including the

Ambassador of the United States Ambassadors of the United States are persons nominated by the president to serve as the United States' diplomatic representatives to foreign nations, international organizations, and as ambassadors-at-large. Under Article II, Section 2 of th ...

and the Ambassador of Mexico. In the 2015 federal election, LeBlanc was defeated in the redistributed riding of

LaSalle—Émard—Verdun LaSalle—Émard—Verdun is a federal electoral district (Canada), electoral district in Montreal, Quebec. It was created by the Canadian federal electoral redistribution, 2012, 2012 federal electoral boundaries redistribution and was legally ...

by Liberal

David Lametti David T. Lametti (born August 10, 1962) is a Canadian politician and lawyer who was the member of Parliament for LaSalle—Émard—Verdun from 2015 to 2024. A member of the Liberal Party, Lametti served as minister of justice and attorney g ...

Electoral record

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Leblanc, Helene 1958 births Living people New Democratic Party MPs Members of the House of Commons of Canada from Quebec Women members of the House of Commons of Canada University of Ottawa alumni McGill University Faculty of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences alumni 21st-century members of the House of Commons of Canada 21st-century Canadian women politicians