Jeanne-Mathilde Sauvé b. 26 Apr 1922, Prud'homme, Saskatchewan d. 26 Jan 1993, Montréal, Québec Title: Governor General and Commander-in-Chief of Canada = Gouverneur général et Commandant en chef du Canada Term: 14 May 1984 - 29 Jan 1990 Chronology: 28 Jan 1984, appointed by Commission under the Great Seal of Canada [1] 14 May 1984, took an oath of allegiance and an oath of office as Governor-General and Commander-in-Chief of Canada, public ceremony, Senate Chamber, Parliament Buildings, Ottawa, Ontario [2] 29 Jan 1990, appointment superseded by the Commission of a successor effective on taking the prescribed oaths [3] Names/titles: née Jeanne-Mathilde Benoît; surname changed to Sauvé on her marriage (24 Sep 1948) Biography: Studied at Collège Notre-Dame-du-Rosaire in Ottawa, universities of Ottawa and Paris; served as national president of the Young Catholic Students Group (1942-1947); married Maurice Sauvé (1948), who later was a member of Parliament (1962-1968) and forestry minister (1964-1968); began her career as a free-lance journalist; was elected to Parliament, representing the Montréal riding of Ahuntsic (1972-1979) and the riding of Laval-des-Rapides (1979-1984); was one of the founders (1972) of the Institute of Political Research, a government-sponsored agency formed to advise the federal cabinet; occupied the posts of minister of state in charge of science and technology (1972-1974), minister of the environment (1974-1975), minister of communications (1975-1979) in the federal government; assumed the role as adviser to the secretary of state for external affairs, before she was elected as the first woman Speaker of the House of Commons (14 Apr 1980 - 1984); was actively engaged in the reform of the administration of the House; as Governor General, adopted a more formal approach than her predecessor; angered some when she closed to the public the gardens and lawns of Rideau Hall, the official residence. Biographical sources: Canadian Encyclopedia; Globe and Mail, No. 44,659, 27 Jan 1993, pp. (A1)-A2 (obituary). [1] Canada Gazette, Part I, No. 12, Extra, 14 May 1984, p. 3. [2] Canada Gazette, Part I, No. 12, Extra, 14 May 1984, pp. (1)-2; Globe and Mail, No. 41,946, 15 May 1984, pp. (1)-2. [3] Canada Gazette, Part I, No. 1, Extra, 29 Jan 1990; Globe and Mail, No. 43,729, 30 Jan 1990, pp. (1)-2. Last updated on: 07 Jun 2023 07:25:46
