QUEBEC - Quebec City Mayor Andree Boucher, known for inviting voters into her home and for her flamboyant, outspoken style, has died of a heart attack. She was 70.
Boucher died at her home on Friday, said Jacques Perron, a spokesman for the City of Quebec.
She was elected mayor of Quebec City in 2005 and was known for running a simple, down-to-earth campaign that cost about $5,000 and included inviting voters into her home to talk about issues.
The colourful mayor was preparing for celebrations of the 400th anniversary of Quebec City and had recently complained about the event's poor planning.
Boucher wasn't afraid to speak her mind and opposed Quebec City's candidature for the 2002 Winter Olympics and was against forced municipal mergers in 2000.
She was elected as mayor of Quebec City in 2005 after an unsuccessful attempt at the job four years earlier.
Boucher was also mayor of suburban Ste-Foy for 15 years and served as a radio host. She was a teacher by training.
Boucher also had to defend her colourful fashion sense after being criticized at home for her choice of dress on a political trip to France in July 2006.
She was photographed in the outfit in front of the Eiffel Tower and the picture was carried in several newspapers in Quebec, prompting unflattering editorial cartoons.
