Mr. Speaker, October being Women's History Month and this year's theme “The Business of Women: An Evolving Story”, I would like to acknowledge the courage and imagination of all the women who made it into our history books, these repositories of our collective memory, as well as the many other women who did not.
Longueuil has a rich tradition of women who made their mark, including Simone Monet-Chartrand in the fields of human rights and literature, Jeanine Lavoix-Picard, the first woman elected municipal councillor, and the famous hat marker Yvette Brillon in the entrepreneurship category, to name but a few.
Women in business are nothing new, but today we can say they have become leaders in terms of job creation and economic growth. The “business of women” means entrepreneurship, of course, but also all the work done by women in their own homes and communities.
October is the month to remember all the women who have contributed to our evolution.