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Jeanne Sauvé was a Canadian politician and journalist who became the first female Speaker of the House and Governor General of Canada. Learn about her life, career, achievements, and controversies in this comprehensive biography.
- Early Life, Family and Education
- Journalism
- Federal Politics and Cabinet
- Speaker of The House
- Governor General
Jeanne-Mathilde Sauvé (née Benoît), was born 26 April 1922 in Prud’homme, Saskatchewan, the fifth of seven children of Charles and Anna Benoît. Her father, a contractor, was originally from Ottawa and the family moved to Ottawa in 1926. Sauvé said that her father would take her to visit Parliament Hill, show her the sculpture bust of Agnes Macphail...
After returning to Canada in 1952, Sauvé began a career as a freelance journalist and broadcaster, working for CBC and its French-language sister Radio-Canada, CTV, several American broadcasting networks and major Canadian newspapers. Soon after her arrival at CBC and Radio-Canada, she began to cover the traditionally male preserve of politics. Amo...
Having established a strong reputation as a political commentator, Sauvé was approached by the Liberal Party of Canada to run in the Montrealriding of Ahuntsic in the 1972 federal election. She found campaigning difficult, noting, “I felt uneasy for the first time in my life when I was campaigning. I felt people were taking a second look at me and ...
With the Liberal defeat in 1979, Sauvé served a short stint as communications critic for the opposition. When the Liberals returned to power with a majority in 1980, Trudeau asked Sauvé to be speaker of the House of Commons— the first woman to have the role. He thought she was a logical choice because she had the right temperament, was a good publi...
Sauvé’s term as speaker ended on 30 November 1983, and on 23 December she was appointed the first woman governor generalof Canada. She called the appointment “ . . . a magnificent breakthrough for women.” The following month, however, Sauvé was hospitalized for several weeks with what was believed to be a serious illness. Ed Schreyer, her predecess...
Learn about the life and achievements of Jeanne Sauvé, the first woman to serve as governor general of Canada. She was a pioneer for women in politics, a champion of youth and peace, and a symbol of national unity.
Jeanne Mathilde Sauvé PC CC CMM CD (née Benoît) (April 26, 1922 – January 26, 1993) was a Canadian journalist, politician, and stateswoman. She was the first woman in Canadian history to become Governor General.
Learn about Jeanne Sauvé, the first woman from Quebec to become a federal politician and the Governor General of Canada. Discover how she broke barriers for women in media, politics and society.
Learn about the life and achievements of Jeanne Sauvé, the first woman to serve as Speaker of the House of Commons and Governor General of Canada. Explore her biography, photos and historical context on this web page.
Learn about the life and achievements of Jeanne Sauvé, a Canadian feminist and journalist who became the first woman to hold the prestigious office of governor-general in 1984. Discover how she overcame the challenges of being a Francophone woman in a predominantly Anglophone society and how she influenced Canadian politics and culture.
