Gisèle Lalonde

Who is Gisèle Lalonde?

Gisèle Lalonde, CM OOnt was mayor of the city of Vanier from 1985 to 1991 and is a community activist.

She was born Gisèle Deschamps in Eastview, later Vanier, in 1933. She received a teaching certificate from the University of Ottawa 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 the Ministry of Education in Ontario and also chaired a council which advised Premier of Ontario on francophone matters.

She married Gilles Lalonde.

She was elected mayor of Vanier in 1985. In 1988, she founded and was the first president of l'Association française des municipalités de l'Ontario.

She was a key leader in the SOS Montfort campaign which prevented the closing of the Montfort Hospital, the only francophone hospital in Ontario.

She is also part of the Scout District d'Ottawa for five years as of 2006. She also has an autobiography.

She was made a Member of the Order of Canada in 2003 and the Order of Ontario in 2006.