Claire Kirkland-Casgrain, the first woman elected to Quebec’s National Assembly, first named to its cabinet, and first female provincial judge achieved another first on Saturday, when she became the first woman to receive a state funeral from the province.
Kirkland-Casgrain died in March at the age of 91.
The dignitaries who attended the service, at Mary Queen of the World Cathedral in Montreal, said that Kirkland-Casgrain helped make Quebec more equal.
Former Quebec premier Jean Charest called Kirkland-Casgrain’s life a “marker of history.”
“She really was very courageous to open the way for a lot of other women who would follow behind, and to work in an environment where she wasn’t always accepted,” he said.
Justice Minister Stephanie Vallee said Kirkland-Casgrain “traced the way for all of us.”
“She was a great inspiration,” Vallee added. “She went forward and decided to change things for the better.”
NDP Leader Tom Mulcair said she “opened doors her whole life and she’s opening doors again today, at the end of her life.”
Veronique Boudreau, 14, was among a small group of feminists who showed up outside the funeral to say thanks. “It’s really important what she did for us,” she said.
Kirkland-Casgrain was elected to Jean Lesage’s Liberal government in a 1961 by-election. She went on to hold a number of cabinet positions, including transport and culture.
She once said that a 1964 bill awarding married women the power to open bank accounts or sign leases without their husbands’ consent was her greatest achievement.
In 1973, she became Quebec's first female judge, and served until retirement in 1991.
With files from The Canadian Press
