Skip to main content
Go back

Paulette Cossette (1968)

Photograph of Paulette Cossette from an article published in Le Nouvelliste on June 10, 1968.
Le Nouvelliste (June 10, 1968). Article by Jean Naud.

Paulette Cossette’s story is not well-known in most of Quebec, and even in her own region. She was the first woman to serve on a municipal council in the Mauricie and in Quebec. In 1966, she replaced Alphonse Tremblay, when he was no longer able to carry out his duties on the Village Council of Saint-Georges-de-Champlain. Seeking to promote justice and gender equality, she retained her seat for several years.

By 1968, several women were serving on Quebec school boards. For instance, Gisèle Cossette sat on the Shawinigan School Board from 1965 to 1968.