Julius Grey

By Chelsey St-Pierre
The Suburban

The Town of Kirkland held an unveiling of a photograph and commemorative plaque honouring Claire Kirkland-Casgrain in the presence of her daughter Lynne Casgrain who was moved by the speeches commemorating her late mother in the presence of her husband Julius Grey and their son Charles Grey.

The event was attended by Kirkland Councillor Paul Dufort, Kirkland Councillor Luciano Piciacchia, former provincial Minister Geoffrey Kelley, Jacques-Cartier MNA Gregory Kelley, Robert-Baldwin MNA Brigitte Garceau,Julius Grey, Lynne Casgrain, Charles Grey Kirkland Mayor Michel Gibson, Nelligan MNA Monsef Derraji, Kirkland John Morson.

When Kirkland became a municipality in 1961, it was named after Dr. Charles-Aime-Kirkland who was known for his generosity amongst the rich and the poor alike.

Following the death of her father in August 1961, five months after the City of Kirkland became a municipal corporation, Claire ran in the by-election and became the first woman to be elected to the Legislative Assembly of Quebec.

In the 1962 general election, Premier Jean Lesage made her a Minister without portfolio. She became the first female minister in Quebec’s history. In 1964, she introduced Bill 16, which ended the legal incapacity of married women and allowed them to perform legal acts without their husband’s consent.

Appointed Minister of Transport and Communications from 1964 to 1966, she made road safety her priority. She ran again in the 1966 general election, but this time in the new electoral district of Marguerite-Bourgeoys, which she represented until 1973. In 1969, as part of the Official Opposition, she had the bill concerning matrimonial regimes and the establishment of partnership of acquests adopted. She served as Minister of Tourism, Hunting and Fishing from 1970 to 1972 and prepared a white paper promoting access without discrimination or privilege to hunting and fishing territories, previously the preserve of private clubs; this measure led to the creation of Quebec’s first wildlife reserves. She also presided over the adoption of the Cultural Property Act, the cornerstone of the protection of Quebec’s heritage and cultural development, while she was Minister of Cultural Affairs from 1972 to 1973. She left politics on February 14, 1973, following her appointment as Provincial Court judge and chair of the Minimum Wage Commission. However, before leaving the National Assembly, she led Bill 63, which created the Council on the Status of Women.

“The City of Kirkland is very proud to be linked today to Claire Kirkland-Casgrain, a pioneer of women’s emancipation in Quebec politics and a symbol of the feminist cause in Canada,” Kirkland Mayor Michel Gibson stated at the unveiling. n