ON THIS DAY

December 23, 1983

Jeanne Sauvé was named Canada’s first female governor general. A trailblazer for women in politics, Sauvé was also the first female francophone cabinet member and the first female Speaker of the House of Commons. During her political career, she filled the roles of minister of state for science and technology, minister of the environment, and minister of communications. In 1989, Sauvé established the Jeanne Sauvé Foundation, with the goal of empowering a new generation of public leaders.