Former PQ minister, Jacob VP Elaine Zakaib dies of brain cancer

Elaine Zakaib, seen here in January 2014

Elaine Zakaib, who sat as a cabinet minister during the Pauline Marois administration, has died of brain cancer.

Zakaib was first elected in 2012 and served as Minister of Industry for 19 months. Following her re-election in 2014 she was named critic of the Treasury Board.

However Zakaib resigned from politics in September 2014 to take a new position as chief restructuring officer for the struggling clothing retailer Jacob.

Unfortunately that did not succeed, and Jacob liquidated its inventory at the end of that year, 35 years after the company was founded.

She then joined regional airline Pascan Aviation before becoming a strategic counsellor for Novalex in May 2017.

Before entering politics Zakaib spent two decades with the FTQ Solidarity Fund, and wiretaps heard at the Charbonneau corruption inquiry revealed that Zakaib was aware that construction company magnate Tony Accurso was receiving beneficial treatment and did nothing to stop it.

Zakaib later said the recordings did not capture her when she tried to stop the fund's directors from favouring Accurso.

Last year Zakaib was diagnosed with glioblastoma multiforme, an aggressive brain cancer which affects two to three people per 100,000 in Canada, including Gord Downie and MP Paul Dewar.

Zakaib died on Oct. 1 at age 59 in a palliative care CLSC in Sorel-Tracy.

Funeral services will take place at the Saint Pierre church in Sorel-Tracy on Oct. 13.