Taylor Clark

LJI Reporter

Aylmer’s longest-serving mayor will be honoured with a namesake in the heart of the community.

The future building at the corner of rue Principale and rue Park that will house the Aylmer service centre and the Lucy-Faris library will be known as the Constance Provost building.

President of the Toponymy committee and Lucerne district councillor Gilles Chagnon said the designation demonstrates Gatineau’s recognition of a figure whose political and social imprint profoundly shaped the community.

“The Constance Provost building will be much more than a simple geographical location; it will become a living symbol of the heritage and memory of this great lady who devoted her life to the service of her community,” Chagnon wrote in a press release.

Born Constance Morin in 1924 in Aylmer, Provost dedicated 20 years of her life to municipal politics. Provost got her first taste of politics as a municipal councillor in the Municipality of Lucerne in 1973. She would later serve as a municipal councillor for the City of Aylmer from 1979 to 1983 before being elected mayor of Aylmer in 1983.

Provost was re-elected to the position in 1987 and in 1991, making her the longest-serving mayor of Aylmer with 12 years under her belt. Famous for her slogan ‘Aylmer has it all,’ Provost’s work in the political realm gained her the utmost admiration and respect. Her passing in 2021 struck a particular chord with the community.

The Toponymy committee found that the namesake embodied the committee’s commitment to promoting women’s contribution to the City’s urban heritage. The construction of the building, formerly known as Place des Pionniers, is still underway and expected to open by the end of 2025.

Photo caption: The construction at the corner of rue Principale and rue Park will now be known as the Constance Provost building as a tribute to the former Aylmer mayor.

Photo credit: Taylor Clark