Andrée Boucher facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Andrée P. Boucher
|
|
|---|---|
 |
|
| 39th Mayor of Quebec City | |
| In office November 19, 2005 – August 24, 2007 |
|
| Preceded by | Jean-Paul L'Allier |
| Succeeded by | Jacques Joli-Coeur (interim) |
| Personal details | |
| Born | January 31, 1937 Sainte-Foy, Quebec |
| Died | August 24, 2007 (aged 70) Quebec City, Quebec |
| Political party | Independent |
| Spouse | Marc Boucher |
Andrée Plamondon Boucher (born January 31, 1937 – died August 24, 2007) was an important Canadian politician from the province of Quebec. She made history as the first woman to become the mayor of Quebec City, serving from November 2005 until her passing in 2007. Before that, she was the mayor of Sainte-Foy, a city that later became part of Quebec City, from 1985 to 2001. She was also the first woman to lead a city political party in Quebec.
Her Journey in Politics
Andrée Plamondon was born in Sainte-Foy. She studied at Université Laval and earned a degree in education. For several years, she worked as a teacher.
Andrée Boucher started her political career in Sainte-Foy in 1968. She often spoke out about city issues. Later, she became the leader of a local political group called Action Sainte-Foy. In 1984, she was elected as a city councillor. The next year, in 1985, she became the mayor of Sainte-Foy. She held this position until 2002. At that time, Sainte-Foy and other nearby towns joined together to become part of Quebec City. From 1995 to 1999, she was also a vice-president for the Union des Municipalités du Québec. This is a group for mayors from different cities across Quebec.
In 2001, when Quebec City and its suburbs merged, Andrée Boucher ran for mayor of the new, larger Quebec City. She was a candidate for the Action civique de Québec party. However, she lost to Jean-Paul L'Allier, who was the current mayor. During that election, Boucher was against the idea of merging Quebec City with its suburbs.
Throughout her time in politics and media, Andrée Boucher often disagreed with big projects planned for Quebec City. For example, she opposed the Rendez-vous '87 ice hockey tournament. She also spoke against building a new hockey arena for the Quebec Nordiques team. She even opposed Quebec City's bid to host the 2002 Winter Olympics.
After working briefly as a radio host, Boucher decided to run for mayor again in 2005. This time, she ran as an independent candidate, meaning she didn't belong to a specific political party. She ran a very simple campaign, spending only about $5,000 and not even putting up campaign signs. Despite this, she won the election on November 6, 2005. She officially became mayor on November 19, making her the first female mayor in Quebec City's history. As mayor, she started planning many projects and events for the city's 400th anniversary in 2008. Quebec City was founded by Samuel de Champlain in 1608.
A Sad Farewell
Andrée Boucher passed away in the early afternoon of August 24, 2007, at her home. Her husband, Marc Boucher, called for emergency help after finding her motionless. Her death was confirmed at Laval hospital. Doctors said she died from a heart attack. After her passing, city councillor Jacques Joli-Coeur became the interim mayor. A special election was held in December, and Régis Labeaume was then chosen as the new mayor.
