Sauve, Jeanne Mathilde

▪ 1994

      Canadian journalist and politician (b. April 26, 1922, Prud'homme, Sask.—d. Jan. 26, 1993, Montreal, Que.), was a respected print, radio, and television journalist before launching a political career in 1972 and trailblazing a path for women in government; she was the first Quebec woman named (1972) to a Cabinet post, the first woman speaker of the House of Commons (1980-84), and the first woman governor-general of Canada (1984-90). Sauvé, who attended the University of Ottawa and the University of Paris, had a superb command of both English and French. She was urged by her husband, Maurice (a politician himself), to enter politics, and she represented the Montreal riding (electoral district) of Ahuntsic (1972-79) and the Quebec riding of Laval-des-Rapides (1979-84). A member of the federal Cabinet, she served as minister of state in charge of science and technology (1972-74), minister of the environment (1974-75), and minister of communications (1975-79). As speaker of the House, she was taken to task by some members of that predominately male forum for not being familiar with its many rules and procedures, yet she did manage to completely reform, in less than three years, the administration of the House. Her official swearing in as governor-general was postponed for some months because of an undisclosed illness (later identified by a close family member as Hodgkin's disease). When Sauvé did take office, the diminutive, silvery-haired federalist seemed frail. In this largely ceremonial post, Sauvé adopted a more formal approach than her predecessor. She angered some when she closed to the public the gardens and lawns of Rideau Hall, the official residence; that order was revoked by her successor.

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