Marie-Claire Kirkland

Marie-Claire Kirkland
Marie-Claire Kirkland-Casgrain in 1971
MNA for Jacques-Cartier
In office 1961–1966
Preceded by	Charles-Aimé Kirkland
Succeeded by	Noël Saint-Germain
MNA for Marguerite-Bourgeoys
In office 1966–1973
Preceded by	first member
Succeeded by	Fernand Lalonde
Personal details
Born	September 8, 1924 Palmer, Massachusetts
Political party	Liberal

Marie-Claire Kirkland-Casgrain, CM, CQ (born September 8, 1924) is a Quebec lawyer, judge and politician. She was the first woman elected to the National Assembly of Quebec, the first woman appointed a Cabinet minister in Quebec, the first woman appointed acting premier, and the first woman judge to serve in the Quebec Provincial Court.

Born in Palmer, Massachusetts, the daughter of Charles-Aimé Kirkland, a Quebec MNA from 1939 to 1961, and Rose Demers, she received a Bachelor of Arts in 1947 and a Bachelor of Civil Law in 1950 from McGill University. She was admitted to the Quebec Bar in 1952 and was made a Queen's Counsel in 1969. From 1952 to 1961, she practiced law in Montreal.

She was elected in a by-election as a Liberal in her father's riding of Jacques-Cartier after his death in 1961. She was re-elected in 1962. She held two cabinet posts in the government of Jean Lesage: Minister without Portfolio (1962 to 1964) and Minister of Transport and Communications (1964 to 1966). In 1966, she was elected in the riding of Marguerite-Bourgeoys and re-elected in 1970. She also held two cabinet posts in the government of Robert Bourassa: Minister of Tourism, Game and Fishing (1970 to 1972) and Minister of Cultural Affairs (1972 to 1973).

She resigned in 1973 to become a judge. She retired in 1991.

In 1985, she was made a Knight of the National Order of Quebec. In 1992, she was made a Member of the Order of Canada.

She was married to Philippe Casgrain and had three children. Her marriage ended in divorce because Philippe had an extramarital affair with the lawyer Ruth Zendel who got pregnant, had abortion and suicided after a depression. She re-married Wyndham Strover.

External links

• National Order of Quebec citation (French)
• Order of Canada citation

References

• "Marie-Claire KIRKLAND (in French)". Assemblée nationale du Québec. http://www.assnat.qc.ca/fra/Membres/notices/j-l/kirkmc.htm. Retrieved September 21, 2005. ^{[dead link]}
• "Marie-Claire Kirkland-Casgrain, C.M., C.Q., Q.C.". Library and Archives Canada. http://www.collectionscanada.ca/women/002026-258-e.html. Retrieved September 21, 2005. 
• "Anne-France Goldwater: attention à l'arbitre!". Cyberpresse. http://www.cyberpresse.ca/arts/television/201109/03/01-4431344-anne-france-goldwater-attention-a-larbitre.php. Retrieved September 05, 2011. 

Persondata
Name	Kirkland, Marie-Claire
Alternative names
Short description
Date of birth	September 8, 1924
Place of birth	Palmer, Massachusetts
Date of death
Place of death