Quebecers pay tribute to feminist leader
Imperial Cinema ceremony was non-religious, at her request
Politicians of all stripes, entertainers and members of the public paid tribute to Lise Payette on Saturday.
A major figure in Quebec’s feminist movement, Payette was a journalist, a radio and television host, a TV writer and a former Parti Québécois minister. She died on Sept. 5 at the age of 87.
Members of the family, Premier François Legault and former politicians attended a ceremony organized by the Quebec government at the Imperial Cinema in Montreal. The government granted Payette’s wish to hold a non-religious ceremony.
“When her death was announced, I learned that I lost my granny, but that you, you lost your Lise,” Payette’s granddaughter, Flavie Payette-Renouf, said in a tribute delivered before dignitaries and about 100 members of the public.
“It took me years to understand that on top of being this granny who I loved so much, there was Lise Payette, this determined, bold, passionate and sometimes stubborn woman. I was privileged to have her as a grandmother.”
Legault, who was the first to speak, described himself as a “big fan” of Payette when she hosted a TV program called “Appelez-moi Lise” (“Call me Lise”).
“If I’m a feminist today, it’s largely because of Mrs. Payette,” Legault said, adding he was proud to have kept a promise he made to her to name an equal number of women and men to his cabinet.
Former premier Pauline Marois became emotional during her tribute to her former boss whom Marois said she always called “Mrs. Payette.”
“Today, dear Mrs. Payette, when we say goodbye to you, I feel for the first time like calling you Lise and to say an immense ‘thank you,’ ” Marois said, her voice full of emotion.
Payette was responsible for, among other things, the “Je me souviens” motto on Quebec vehicle licence plates.
Journalist Gisèle Gallichan spoke of a friendship that developed over time with Payette. She described how Payette remained committed to the feminist cause, even when she saw her for the last time.
“We have to continue the fight. I’ll be there, we’ll get there, I’m sure,” Gallichan said were Payette’s words.
Gallichan also described how singer Félix Leclerc sent a special congratulation to Payette upon her election in 1976. “Bravo, Mrs. Payette, it took a queen of hearts to beat jacks,” he wrote.
A few years later, Payette wrote a television series called “Les Dames de coeur” (“Queens of heart”).
The ceremony ended with Ginette Reno singing “Un peu plus haut, un peu plus loin” (“A little higher, a little farther”).
Earlier in the day on Saturday, a condolence register was open to the public at Montreal city hall. Mayor Valérie Plante and Quebec Tourism Minister Caroline Proulx, representing the Legault government, were in attendance.
“When I was little, I followed her career, especially in politics,” Plante said of Payette. “It’s a world that is mostly male. To make her way during the era when Ms. Payette was in politics required courage
It was never unpleasant. If you had to negotiate something with her, it was always in a manner that was win-win.
and an enormous amount of work, too.”
Former PQ cabinet ministers Pierre Duchesne and Bertrand StArnaud also attended the register, signing along with several dozen people who showed up starting at 8:30 a.m. to pay tribute to Payette.
Evelyne Forget, who worked with Payette in television, said she had happy memories of her former colleague, who she described as a “fighter, in the good sense.”
“It was never aggressive, it was never unpleasant,” Forget said with a smile. “If you had to negotiate something with her, it was always in a manner that was winwin. On the other hand, she had a lot of difficulty with the macho attitude.”
Diane Guilbault, president of the organization Pour le droit des femmes, said women politicians owed thanks to Payette.
“She succeeded in untangling the wires for us and explaining the political system, how we the women of her generation could play a role in politics,” Guilbault said.
“Personally, I will always be grateful to her.”
Presse Canadienne