Former Quebec deputy premier Lise Bacon dies at 91

Bacon, a trailblazer in provincial politics, served as a cabinet minister under Robert Bourassa.

Lise Bacon, former minister and former deputy premier of Quebec, has passed away.

She was 91 years old.

Her death was confirmed on the National Assembly website.

Born in Salaberry-de-Valleyfield in 1934, Bacon became the second woman to be elected to the National Assembly after Claire Kirkland-Casgrain in 1973, having served as president of the Quebec Liberal Party (QLP) from 1970 to 1973.

She immediately took up ministerial duties in Robert Bourassa’s cabinet, first becoming Minister of State for Social Affairs before holding various ministerial positions until her defeat in the 1976 elections.

She was re-elected in 1981, then in 1985 and 1989. In 1985, she became Quebec’s first female deputy premier, a position she held until 1994. During this period, she successively held the positions of Minister of Cultural Affairs (December 1985 to October 1989), Minister responsible for the Charter of the French Language (December 1985 to March 1988), Minister of the Environment (December 1988 to October 1989), and Minister of Energy and Resources (October 1989 to January 1994).

She resigned from her position as minister and MNA in January 1994 and was appointed Senator for the La Durantaye division by Jean Chrétien that same year, a position she held until her mandatory retirement in 2009.

Bacon was appointed Officer of the National Order of the Legion of Honour of France in October 2003 and Grand Officer of the National Order of Quebec in June 2004. She was awarded the Order of Canada on June 30, 2010.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published in French on Oct. 29, 2025.