Jeanne Sauvé
Encyclopedia
Jeanne Mathilde Sauvé was a Canadian journalist, politician, and stateswoman who served as Governor General of Canada
, the 23rd since Canadian Confederation
.
Sauvé was born in Saskatchewan
and educated in Ottawa
and Paris
, prior to working as a journalist for the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation
(CBC). She was then elected to the House of Commons
in 1972, whereafter she served as a minister of the Crown
until 1980, when she became the Speaker of the House of Commons
. She was in 1984 appointed as governor general by Elizabeth II, Queen of Canada, on the recommendation of Prime Minister of Canada
Pierre Trudeau
, to replace Edward Richard Schreyer
as vicereine
, and she occupied the post until succeeded by Ray Hnatyshyn
in 1990. She was the first woman to serve as Canada's governor general and, while her appointment as the Queen's representative was initially and generally welcomed, Sauvé caused some controversy during her time as vicereine, mostly due to increased security around the office, as well as an anti-monarchist attitude towards the position.
On November 27, 1972, Sauvé was sworn into the Queen's Privy Council for Canada
, giving her the accordant style of The Honourable
; however, as a former governor general of Canada, Sauvé was entitled to be styled for life with the superior form of The Right Honourable
. She subsequently founded and worked with the Sauvé Foundation until her death, caused by Hodgkin's lymphoma
, on January 26, 1993.
community of Prud'homme, Saskatchewan
, to Charles Albert Benoît and Anna Vaillant, and three years later moved with them to Ottawa
, where her family had previously lived and her father would take her to see the bronze bust on Parliament Hill
of Canada's first female Member of Parliament
(MP), Agnes Macphail
. Sauvé studied at Notre Dame du Rosaire Convent in Ottawa, becoming head of her class in her first year, and continued her education at the University of Ottawa
, working for the government of Canada
as a translator in order to pay her tuition. At the same time, Sauvé actively involved herself in student and political affairs; at the age of 20, she became the national president of the Young Catholic Students Group, which employed her in 1942, necessitating her move to Montreal
.
It was there that Sauvé met Maurice Sauvé
, and the two married on September 24, 1948, the same year the couple moved to London
; Maurice had obtained a scholarship to the London School of Economics
and Sauvé worked as a teacher and tutor. Two years later, they moved to Paris, where Sauvé was employed as the assistant to the director of the Youth Secretariat at UNESCO
, and in 1951 she enrolled for one year at the Sorbonne
, graduating with a degree in French civilization
. Sauvé and her husband returned to Canada near the end of 1952, where the couple settled in Saint-Hyacinthe, Quebec
, and in 1959 had one child, Jean-François. Sauvé then became a founding member of the Institute of Political Research and was hired as a journalist and broadcaster with the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation
's French language broadcaster, Radio-Canada.
After success on her first radio
programme, Fémina, Sauvé was moved to CBC television
and focused her efforts on covering political topics on both radio and television, in both English and French. She soon drew attention to herself and was frequently invited by her friend Gérard Pelletier
as a panellist on the controversial show Les Idées en Marche, there revealing her left-wing political ideologies. This absorption of a woman into the traditionally male world of political journalism and commentary was unusual, and Sauvé managed to be taken seriously, even having her own television show, Opinions, which covered "such taboo subjects as teenage sex, parental authority, and student discipline." On air from 1956 to 1963, "it was the show that made Jeanne famous." However, Sauvé also attracted negative attention due to her husband's eventual elevation as a Crown minister
; in a piece in The Globe and Mail
, Progressive Conservative
MP Louis-Joseph Pigeon
expressed concern over the wife of a minister being paid "fabulous sums by the CBC," calling the circumstances a "shame and a scandal."
that wooed Sauvé into politics, asking her to run as a candidate in the Montreal riding of Ahuntsic
during the 1972 federal election
. Though she found campaigning arduous saying: "I felt uneasy for the first time in my life when I was campaigning... I must say I had qualms about it myself" Sauvé won, becoming one of five woman MPs, and was subsequently was sworn into the Queen's Privy Council
and appointed as Minister of State
for Science and Technology in the Cabinet chaired by Pierre Trudeau. She was thus the first woman from Quebec to become a minister of the Crown, and was the sole female in that Cabinet. Sauvé ran again in the election two years later
, re-winning Ahuntsic, and was given the environment portfolio
before replacing it in 1975 with that for communications
.
In the 1979 election
, Sauvé won the riding of Laval-des-Rapides
, but the Liberals lost their majority in the commons to the Progressive Conservative Party
, and Sauvé thus lost her cabinet position. She remained MP for her riding after the federal election of 1980
, which saw the Liberals returned to power and Trudeau reappointed as prime minister, and he pointed to her as the candidate for the Speaker of the House of Commons
. Because she strongly desired to campaign for the "No" forces in the weeks leading up to Quebec's 1980 referendum on separation from Canada, Sauvé initially refused the offer of running for the non-partisan position, but eventually acquiesced after Trudeau convinced her that she was the right person for the job and she received permission from the leaders of all the parties in the House of Commons to engage in the federalist campaign in Quebec.
In her early days as speaker, Sauvé often made mistakes with the names of MPs or the ridings they represented once calling on the Prime Minister as the "leader of the opposition" and occasionally miscarried procedural rulings, which led to MPs addressing her with increasing curtness. Further, all 32 of the New Democratic Party
MPs in the house walked out in protest of what they viewed as a bias on Sauvé's part; they felt she allowed Liberal MPs to ask more questions than those from any other party. In a CBC interview, Sauvé conceded that the NDP members may have been right that the Liberals may have been allowed more questions over two or three days, but, on the whole, each party received an equal number of opportunities. It was also speculated that MPs had taken to showboating for the television cameras that had recently been installed in the chamber.
Sauvé did, however, find success in implementing reforms that professionalised the speaker's tasks of managing expenses and staff for the House of Commons, cutting back on the excess bureaucracy, personnel, overtime waste, and costs she discovered upon her installation. Once the changes were made, Sauvé had reduced the commons' support personnel by 300 and saved $18 million out of the annual expenses, all of which, to some, actually improved overall service. Sauvé was lauded, by MPs and the media alike, for her courage in challenging the establishment. Other MPs, though, stated that she had gone too far and balked at the resulting inconveniences, such as having to clear their own plates in the commons cafeteria. At the same time, Sauvé also established the first daycare
for Parliament Hill staff, MPs, and senators.
She also presided over debates on the constitution
, dealing with filibuster
s and numerous points of order
, as well as discussions over the proposed Energy Security Act
, against which the loyal opposition
mounted a counter-campaign that culminated in a two week bell-ringing episode when the Conservatives' Whip refused to appear in the Commons to indicate that the opposition was ready for a vote. Despite pressure from the government that she intervene to break the deadlock, Sauvé maintained that it was up to the parties to resolve it themselves through negotiation.
, and only the second woman amongst all the Commonwealth realm
s both previous and contemporary to the time to assume the equivalent office, after Elmira Minita Gordon
, who was in 1981 appointed Governor-General of Belize.
that Trudeau had put forward Sauvé's name to Buckingham Palace
as his recommendation on who should succeed Edward Schreyer as the Queen's representative. In the national media, the reception was generally positive, with Sauvé's elegance, refined nature, and bilingualism viewed as an asset to such a posting, despite speculation regarding her ability to remain non-partisan, as would be expected of the vicereine. However, by January 15, of the following year Sauvé resigned as an MP, and thus as speaker, and two days later she was hospitalised; rumours circulated that it was due to cancer
, but the official story was that the she had contracted a respiratory virus, which was further complicated by an allergy to antibiotics.
Still, Queen Elizabeth II, by commission under the royal sign-manual
and Great Seal of Canada
, approved on January 28, 1984, Trudeau's recommendation that she appoint Sauvé as her representative. However, the latter remained in hospital, and her illness only worsened, leading colleagues to believe that she would die, and the Canadian Press and CBC to draft preliminary obituaries
. Sauvé did recover, and was released from care on March 3, though the illness had delayed her installation ceremony, which had been scheduled to take place that month. Sauvé remained secretive about the exact nature of the illness, and did not pay attention to rumours that she had developed Hodgkin's lymphoma
, stating in interviews that it was a private matter, and that she was well enough to uphold her responsibilities.
The Governor General kept up to date with cabinet papers and met every two weeks with her successive prime ministers. She would not speak openly about her relationship with these individuals, but there was reported friction between Sauvé and Brian Mulroney
, whom she had appointed as her chief executive adviser in 1984. It was speculated that Sauvé disapproved of the way Mulroney elevated the stature of his office with more presidential trappings and aura, and his insistence that he alone greet American president
Ronald Reagan
upon his arrival at Quebec City
for the colloquially dubbed "Shamrock Summit
" was taken by the media as a snub against Sauvé, who, as the head of state's direct representative, would otherwise have welcomed another head of state to Canada.
She did, however, greet a numbers of Canada's Royal Family, including the Queen and her husband, Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh
; The Queen Mother
; and Prince Andrew
and Sarah, Duchess of York
. Prince Edward
met with Sauvé at Rideau Hall on June 4, 1988, to present the Governor General with royal Letters Patent
permitting the federal viceroy to exercise the Queen's powers in respect of the granting of heraldic arms
in Canada, leading to the eventual creation of the Canadian Heraldic Authority
, of which Sauvé was the first head. Among foreign visitors welcomed by Sauvé were King Carl XVI Gustav of Sweden, Queen
Beatrix of the Netherlands
, King Hussein of Jordan
, Pope John Paul II
, Secretary-General of the United Nations Javier Pérez de Cuéllar
, French president François Mitterrand
, Chinese president
Li Xiannian
, Romanian president
Nicolae Ceauşescu
, Mother Teresa
, and, eventually, President Reagan. A number of these state visit
s were reciprocated when Sauvé travelled to represent the Queen in Italy
, the Vatican
, the People's Republic of China
, Thailand
, France
, Uruguay
, and Brazil
.
Also in her capacity as vicereine, in 1986 Sauvé accepted on behalf of the "People of Canada" the Nansen Medal, and, two years later, opened the XV Olympic Winter Games
in Calgary
, Alberta
. But, one of her favourite events that she hosted was the annual Christmas
party for the Ottawa Boys & Girls Club
and its French-language counterpart, the Patro d'Ottawa; the children came to Rideau Hall to visit with Santa
and attended a lunch in the Tent Room, which Sauvé personally hosted and wore a paper party hat to celebrate the special occasion.
Ironically, as with the speculations about Sauvé's standing in protocol vis-a-vis Mulroney, the Governor General herself was accused of elevating her position above its traditional place; she was criticised for her own presidentialisation of the viceregal post, with pundits at the time saying she occupied "Republican Hall". For instance, it was revealed that Sauvé's staff had meddled in Lieutenant Governor of Saskatchewan
Frederick Johnson's plans to host a dinner at Government House
, at which the Governor General was to be a guest. Further, municipal event organisers were told that singing of the Royal Anthem
was not allowed and the loyal toast
to the Queen was to be replaced with a toast to the Governor General, all of which not only disregarded precedent but also grated on prairie sensitivities.
In her final address as vicereine, at Christmas
, 1989, some of Sauvé's words were perceived as veiled warning about the failure of the Meech Lake Accord
and she was criticised for this suspected breach of neutrality. The Premier of Newfoundland
at the time, Clyde Wells
, said it was "inappropriate for the Crown to be intruding in political affairs that way," and Bill Dawson, a law professor at the University of Western Ontario
, described Sauvé's use of the word "pact" as "injudicious." Sauvé, though, always held that she had been speaking about Canadian unity in general, and not the Meech Lake Accord in particular, or any side of the debate around it.
, which was dedicated to the cause of youth excellence in Canada and is today headed by Jean-François. For sporting endeavours, Sauvé formed the Jeanne Sauvé Trophy, for the world cup championship in women's field hockey
, and the Jeanne Sauvé Fair Play Award, to recognise national amateur athletes who best demonstrate fair play and non-violence in sport. Further, Sauvé encouraged a safer society in Canada by establishing the Governor General's Award for Safety in the Workplace.
Though there was some criticism in the final evaluations of her performance as governor general, mostly for a perceived aloofness and sense of self-importance which her closing of the Rideau Hall estate to the public came to symbolise Sauvé was also described as having been elegant, charming, and a person who could mingle well with common Canadians especially children while also maintaining a sense of the dignity of state. She was said to have enjoyed both entertaining and ceremony, two necessary parts of the role of the Queen's representative. However, she was pointed out unfavourably by Canadian monarchists
for her republican attitudes, as illustrated in her stated opinion that the monarchy should be abolished.
in Montreal, and, one year following her death, Canada Post
issued a postage stamp
bearing an image of Sauvé.
Sauvé's style and title as governor general was, in full, and in English
: Her Excellency the Right Honourable Jeanne Mathilde Sauvé, Chancellor and Principal Companion of the Order of Canada, Chancellor and Commander of the Order of Military Merit, Governor General and Commander-in-Chief in and over Canada, and in French
: Son Excellence la très honorable Jeanne Mathilde Sauvé, chancelière et compagnon principal de l'ordre du Canada, chancelière et commandante de l'ordre du mérite militaire, gouverneur générale et commandante en chef du Canada.
In her post-viceregal life, Sauvé's style and title was, in English: The Right Honourable Jeanne Mathilde Sauvé, Companion of the Order of Canada, Commander of the Order of Military Merit, Member of the Order of New Brunswick, and in French: la très honorable Jeanne Mathilde Sauvé, compagnon de l'ordre du Canada, commandante de l'ordre du mérite militaire.
Sauvé's post-nominal letters
are, in order according to the Oxford University Calendar Notes on Style: PC, CC, CMM, CD, BA Ott, BA Paris, LLD(hc) Queen, LLD(hc) Reg, DPSci(hc) Chulalongkorn
Appointments January 4, 1973 January 15, 1984: Member of Parliament (MP) November 27, 1972 January 26, 1993: Member of the Queen's Privy Council for Canada
(PC) May 14, 1984 January 28, 1990: Chancellor and Principal Companion of the Order of Canada
(CC)
Medals 1967: Canadian Centennial Medal
1977: Queen Elizabeth II Silver Jubilee Medal
May 14, 1984: Canadian Forces Decoration
(CD) 1992: Commemorative Medal for the 125th Anniversary of the Confederation of Canada
Foreign honours 1989: Médaille de la Chancellerie des universités de Paris
May 14, 1984 January 28, 1990: Colonel of the Regiment of the Governor General's Foot Guards
May 14, 1984 January 28, 1990: Colonel of the Regiment of the Canadian Grenadier Guards
, Doctor of Laws (LLD) 1987: Chulalongkorn University
, Doctor of
Political Science
(DPSci) 1991: University of Regina
, Doctor of Laws (LLD)
, Edmonton
: Jeanne Sauvé Fair Play Award: Governor General Jeanne Sauvé Fellowship: Jeanne Sauvé Trophy
Geographic locations: Jeanne-Sauvé Park, Montreal
: Jeanne-Sauvé District, Outremont
Buildings: Fort Sauvé
, Kingston
Schools: Collège Jeanne-Sauvé, Winnipeg
: École publique Jeanne-Sauvé, Subury: Ecole Jeanne-Sauvé, Orléans
: Jeanne Sauvé Catholic School, Stratford
: Jeanne Sauvé French Immersion Public School, London
Organisations: Jeanne Sauvé Family Service: Sauvé Foundation
: Jeanne Sauvé House
Events: Jeanne Sauvé Lecture Series
Governor General of Canada
The Governor General of Canada is the federal viceregal representative of the Canadian monarch, Queen Elizabeth II...
, the 23rd since Canadian Confederation
Canadian Confederation
Canadian Confederation was the process by which the federal Dominion of Canada was formed on July 1, 1867. On that day, three British colonies were formed into four Canadian provinces...
.
Sauvé was born in Saskatchewan
Saskatchewan
Saskatchewan is a prairie province in Canada, which has an area of . Saskatchewan is bordered on the west by Alberta, on the north by the Northwest Territories, on the east by Manitoba, and on the south by the U.S. states of Montana and North Dakota....
and educated in Ottawa
Ottawa
Ottawa is the capital of Canada, the second largest city in the Province of Ontario, and the fourth largest city in the country. The city is located on the south bank of the Ottawa River in the eastern portion of Southern Ontario...
and Paris
Paris
Paris is the capital and largest city in France, situated on the river Seine, in northern France, at the heart of the Île-de-France region...
, prior to working as a journalist for the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation
Canadian Broadcasting Corporation
The Canadian Broadcasting Corporation, commonly known as CBC and officially as CBC/Radio-Canada, is a Canadian crown corporation that serves as the national public radio and television broadcaster...
(CBC). She was then elected to the House of Commons
Canadian House of Commons
The House of Commons of Canada is a component of the Parliament of Canada, along with the Sovereign and the Senate. The House of Commons is a democratically elected body, consisting of 308 members known as Members of Parliament...
in 1972, whereafter she served as a minister of the Crown
Minister of the Crown
Minister of the Crown is the formal constitutional term used in the Commonwealth realms to describe a minister to the reigning sovereign. The term indicates that the minister serves at His/Her Majesty's pleasure, and advises the monarch, or viceroy, on how to exercise the Crown prerogatives...
until 1980, when she became the Speaker of the House of Commons
Speaker of the Canadian House of Commons
The Speaker of the House of Commons of Canada is the presiding officer of the lower house of the Parliament of Canada and is elected at the beginning of each new parliament by fellow Members of Parliament...
. She was in 1984 appointed as governor general by Elizabeth II, Queen of Canada, on the recommendation of Prime Minister of Canada
Prime Minister of Canada
The Prime Minister of Canada is the primary minister of the Crown, chairman of the Cabinet, and thus head of government for Canada, charged with advising the Canadian monarch or viceroy on the exercise of the executive powers vested in them by the constitution...
Pierre Trudeau
Pierre Trudeau
Joseph Philippe Pierre Yves Elliott Trudeau, , usually known as Pierre Trudeau or Pierre Elliott Trudeau, was the 15th Prime Minister of Canada from April 20, 1968 to June 4, 1979, and again from March 3, 1980 to June 30, 1984.Trudeau began his political career campaigning for socialist ideals,...
, to replace Edward Richard Schreyer
Edward Schreyer
Edward Richard Schreyer , commonly known as Ed Schreyer, is a Canadian politician, diplomat, and statesman who served as Governor General of Canada, the 22nd since Canadian Confederation....
as vicereine
Viceroy
A viceroy is a royal official who runs a country, colony, or province in the name of and as representative of the monarch. The term derives from the Latin prefix vice-, meaning "in the place of" and the French word roi, meaning king. A viceroy's province or larger territory is called a viceroyalty...
, and she occupied the post until succeeded by Ray Hnatyshyn
Ray Hnatyshyn
Ramon John Hnatyshyn , commonly known as Ray Hnatyshyn, was a Canadian politician and statesman who served as Governor General of Canada, the 24th since Canadian Confederation....
in 1990. She was the first woman to serve as Canada's governor general and, while her appointment as the Queen's representative was initially and generally welcomed, Sauvé caused some controversy during her time as vicereine, mostly due to increased security around the office, as well as an anti-monarchist attitude towards the position.
On November 27, 1972, Sauvé was sworn into the Queen's Privy Council for Canada
Queen's Privy Council for Canada
The Queen's Privy Council for Canada ), sometimes called Her Majesty's Privy Council for Canada or simply the Privy Council, is the full group of personal consultants to the monarch of Canada on state and constitutional affairs, though responsible government requires the sovereign or her viceroy,...
, giving her the accordant style of The Honourable
The Honourable
The prefix The Honourable or The Honorable is a style used before the names of certain classes of persons. It is considered an honorific styling.-International diplomacy:...
; however, as a former governor general of Canada, Sauvé was entitled to be styled for life with the superior form of The Right Honourable
The Right Honourable
The Right Honourable is an honorific prefix that is traditionally applied to certain people in the United Kingdom, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, the Anglophone Caribbean and other Commonwealth Realms, and occasionally elsewhere...
. She subsequently founded and worked with the Sauvé Foundation until her death, caused by Hodgkin's lymphoma
Hodgkin's lymphoma
Hodgkin's lymphoma, previously known as Hodgkin's disease, is a type of lymphoma, which is a cancer originating from white blood cells called lymphocytes...
, on January 26, 1993.
Early life, youth, and first career
Sauvé was born in the FransaskoisFransaskois
Fransaskois are francophones or French Canadians living in the Prairie province of Saskatchewan. The term franco-saskatchewanian may also be used on occasion, although in practice it is rare due to its length and unwieldiness.-Population:...
community of Prud'homme, Saskatchewan
Prud'homme, Saskatchewan
-Notable Prud'hommers:*Jeanne Sauvé- former Governor General of Canada*George Viczko - World War II vet- See also :* List of communities in Saskatchewan* Villages of Saskatchewan-External links:********...
, to Charles Albert Benoît and Anna Vaillant, and three years later moved with them to Ottawa
Ottawa
Ottawa is the capital of Canada, the second largest city in the Province of Ontario, and the fourth largest city in the country. The city is located on the south bank of the Ottawa River in the eastern portion of Southern Ontario...
, where her family had previously lived and her father would take her to see the bronze bust on Parliament Hill
Parliament Hill
Parliament Hill , colloquially known as The Hill, is an area of Crown land on the southern banks of the Ottawa River in downtown Ottawa, Ontario. Its Gothic revival suite of buildingsthe parliament buildings serves as the home of the Parliament of Canada and contains a number of architectural...
of Canada's first female Member of Parliament
Member of Parliament
A Member of Parliament is a representative of the voters to a :parliament. In many countries with bicameral parliaments, the term applies specifically to members of the lower house, as upper houses often have a different title, such as senate, and thus also have different titles for its members,...
(MP), Agnes Macphail
Agnes Macphail
Agnes Campbell Macphail was the first woman to be elected to the Canadian House of Commons, and one of the first two women elected to the Legislative Assembly of Ontario...
. Sauvé studied at Notre Dame du Rosaire Convent in Ottawa, becoming head of her class in her first year, and continued her education at the University of Ottawa
University of Ottawa
The University of Ottawa is a bilingual, research-intensive, non-denominational, international university in Ottawa, Ontario. It is one of the oldest universities in Canada. It was originally established as the College of Bytown in 1848 by the Missionary Oblates of Mary Immaculate...
, working for the government of Canada
Government of Canada
The Government of Canada, formally Her Majesty's Government, is the system whereby the federation of Canada is administered by a common authority; in Canadian English, the term can mean either the collective set of institutions or specifically the Queen-in-Council...
as a translator in order to pay her tuition. At the same time, Sauvé actively involved herself in student and political affairs; at the age of 20, she became the national president of the Young Catholic Students Group, which employed her in 1942, necessitating her move to Montreal
Montreal
Montreal is a city in Canada. It is the largest city in the province of Quebec, the second-largest city in Canada and the seventh largest in North America...
.
Maurice Sauvé
The Honourable Maurice Sauvé, PC, CC was a Canadian economist, politician, cabinet minister, businessman, and husband of Jeanne Sauvé, 23rd Governor General of Canada....
, and the two married on September 24, 1948, the same year the couple moved to London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
; Maurice had obtained a scholarship to the London School of Economics
London School of Economics
The London School of Economics and Political Science is a public research university specialised in the social sciences located in London, United Kingdom, and a constituent college of the federal University of London...
and Sauvé worked as a teacher and tutor. Two years later, they moved to Paris, where Sauvé was employed as the assistant to the director of the Youth Secretariat at UNESCO
UNESCO
The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization is a specialized agency of the United Nations...
, and in 1951 she enrolled for one year at the Sorbonne
Sorbonne
The Sorbonne is an edifice of the Latin Quarter, in Paris, France, which has been the historical house of the former University of Paris...
, graduating with a degree in French civilization
Culture of France
The culture of France and of the French people has been shaped by geography, by profound historical events, and by foreign and internal forces and groups. France, and in particular Paris, has played an important role as a center of high culture and of decorative arts since the seventeenth...
. Sauvé and her husband returned to Canada near the end of 1952, where the couple settled in Saint-Hyacinthe, Quebec
Saint-Hyacinthe, Quebec
Saint-Hyacinthe is a city in southwestern Quebec east of Montreal on the Yamaska River. The population as of the Canada 2006 Census was 55,823. The city is located in Les Maskoutains Regional County Municipality of the Montérégie region, and is traversed by the Yamaska River which flows...
, and in 1959 had one child, Jean-François. Sauvé then became a founding member of the Institute of Political Research and was hired as a journalist and broadcaster with the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation
Canadian Broadcasting Corporation
The Canadian Broadcasting Corporation, commonly known as CBC and officially as CBC/Radio-Canada, is a Canadian crown corporation that serves as the national public radio and television broadcaster...
's French language broadcaster, Radio-Canada.
After success on her first radio
Radio
Radio is the transmission of signals through free space by modulation of electromagnetic waves with frequencies below those of visible light. Electromagnetic radiation travels by means of oscillating electromagnetic fields that pass through the air and the vacuum of space...
programme, Fémina, Sauvé was moved to CBC television
Television
Television is a telecommunication medium for transmitting and receiving moving images that can be monochrome or colored, with accompanying sound...
and focused her efforts on covering political topics on both radio and television, in both English and French. She soon drew attention to herself and was frequently invited by her friend Gérard Pelletier
Gérard Pelletier
Gérard Pelletier, PC, CC worked as a journalist for Le Devoir, a French-language newspaper in Montreal, Quebec. In 1961 he became editor-in-chief of the Montreal daily and North America's largest French circulating newspaper, La Presse...
as a panellist on the controversial show Les Idées en Marche, there revealing her left-wing political ideologies. This absorption of a woman into the traditionally male world of political journalism and commentary was unusual, and Sauvé managed to be taken seriously, even having her own television show, Opinions, which covered "such taboo subjects as teenage sex, parental authority, and student discipline." On air from 1956 to 1963, "it was the show that made Jeanne famous." However, Sauvé also attracted negative attention due to her husband's eventual elevation as a Crown minister
Minister of the Crown
Minister of the Crown is the formal constitutional term used in the Commonwealth realms to describe a minister to the reigning sovereign. The term indicates that the minister serves at His/Her Majesty's pleasure, and advises the monarch, or viceroy, on how to exercise the Crown prerogatives...
; in a piece in The Globe and Mail
The Globe and Mail
The Globe and Mail is a nationally distributed Canadian newspaper, based in Toronto and printed in six cities across the country. With a weekly readership of approximately 1 million, it is Canada's largest-circulation national newspaper and second-largest daily newspaper after the Toronto Star...
, Progressive Conservative
Progressive Conservative Party of Canada
The Progressive Conservative Party of Canada was a Canadian political party with a centre-right stance on economic issues and, after the 1970s, a centrist stance on social issues....
MP Louis-Joseph Pigeon
Louis-Joseph Pigeon
Louis-Joseph Pigeon was a Progressive Conservative party member of the Canadian House of Commons...
expressed concern over the wife of a minister being paid "fabulous sums by the CBC," calling the circumstances a "shame and a scandal."
Parliamentary career
It was the Liberal PartyLiberal Party of Canada
The Liberal Party of Canada , colloquially known as the Grits, is the oldest federally registered party in Canada. In the conventional political spectrum, the party sits between the centre and the centre-left. Historically the Liberal Party has positioned itself to the left of the Conservative...
that wooed Sauvé into politics, asking her to run as a candidate in the Montreal riding of Ahuntsic
Ahuntsic (electoral district)
Ahuntsic is a federal electoral district in Quebec, Canada, that has been represented in the Canadian House of Commons from 1968 to 1979 and since 1988...
during the 1972 federal election
Canadian federal election, 1972
The Canadian federal election of 1972 was held on October 30, 1972 to elect members of the Canadian House of Commons of the 29th Parliament of Canada. It resulted in a slim victory for the governing Liberal Party, which won 109 seats, compared to 107 seats for the opposition Progressive...
. Though she found campaigning arduous saying: "I felt uneasy for the first time in my life when I was campaigning... I must say I had qualms about it myself" Sauvé won, becoming one of five woman MPs, and was subsequently was sworn into the Queen's Privy Council
Queen's Privy Council for Canada
The Queen's Privy Council for Canada ), sometimes called Her Majesty's Privy Council for Canada or simply the Privy Council, is the full group of personal consultants to the monarch of Canada on state and constitutional affairs, though responsible government requires the sovereign or her viceroy,...
and appointed as Minister of State
Minister of state (Canada)
A Minister of State is a junior cabinet minister in the Canadian Cabinet, usually given specific responsibilities to assist a senior cabinet minister in a specific area....
for Science and Technology in the Cabinet chaired by Pierre Trudeau. She was thus the first woman from Quebec to become a minister of the Crown, and was the sole female in that Cabinet. Sauvé ran again in the election two years later
Canadian federal election, 1974
The Canadian federal election of 1974 was held on July 8, 1974 to elect members of the Canadian House of Commons of the 30th Parliament of Canada. The governing Liberal Party won its first majority government since 1968, and gave Prime Minister Pierre Trudeau his third term...
, re-winning Ahuntsic, and was given the environment portfolio
Minister of the Environment (Canada)
The Minister of the Environment is the Minister of the Crown in the Canadian Cabinet who is responsible for overseeing the federal government's environment department, Environment Canada...
before replacing it in 1975 with that for communications
Minister of Communications (Canada)
The Minister of Communications of Canada is a now-defunct cabinet post which existed from 1969 to 1996, when it was abolished. Its telecommunications policy functions were transferred to Industry Canada and its cultural role was assumed by the Minister of Canadian Heritage.The post was...
.
In the 1979 election
Canadian federal election, 1979
The Canadian federal election of 1979 was held on May 22, 1979 to elect members of the Canadian House of Commons of the 31st Parliament of Canada. It resulted in the defeat of Liberal Party of Canada after 11 years in power under Prime Minister Pierre Trudeau. Joe Clark led the Progressive...
, Sauvé won the riding of Laval-des-Rapides
Laval Centre
Laval Centre was a federal electoral district in Quebec, Canada, that was represented in the Canadian House of Commons from 1979 to 2004....
, but the Liberals lost their majority in the commons to the Progressive Conservative Party
Progressive Conservative Party of Canada
The Progressive Conservative Party of Canada was a Canadian political party with a centre-right stance on economic issues and, after the 1970s, a centrist stance on social issues....
, and Sauvé thus lost her cabinet position. She remained MP for her riding after the federal election of 1980
Canadian federal election, 1980
The Canadian federal election of 1980 was held on February 18, 1980 to elect members of the Canadian House of Commons of the 32nd Parliament of Canada...
, which saw the Liberals returned to power and Trudeau reappointed as prime minister, and he pointed to her as the candidate for the Speaker of the House of Commons
Speaker of the Canadian House of Commons
The Speaker of the House of Commons of Canada is the presiding officer of the lower house of the Parliament of Canada and is elected at the beginning of each new parliament by fellow Members of Parliament...
. Because she strongly desired to campaign for the "No" forces in the weeks leading up to Quebec's 1980 referendum on separation from Canada, Sauvé initially refused the offer of running for the non-partisan position, but eventually acquiesced after Trudeau convinced her that she was the right person for the job and she received permission from the leaders of all the parties in the House of Commons to engage in the federalist campaign in Quebec.
In her early days as speaker, Sauvé often made mistakes with the names of MPs or the ridings they represented once calling on the Prime Minister as the "leader of the opposition" and occasionally miscarried procedural rulings, which led to MPs addressing her with increasing curtness. Further, all 32 of the New Democratic Party
New Democratic Party
The New Democratic Party , commonly referred to as the NDP, is a federal social-democratic political party in Canada. The interim leader of the NDP is Nycole Turmel who was appointed to the position due to the illness of Jack Layton, who died on August 22, 2011. The provincial wings of the NDP in...
MPs in the house walked out in protest of what they viewed as a bias on Sauvé's part; they felt she allowed Liberal MPs to ask more questions than those from any other party. In a CBC interview, Sauvé conceded that the NDP members may have been right that the Liberals may have been allowed more questions over two or three days, but, on the whole, each party received an equal number of opportunities. It was also speculated that MPs had taken to showboating for the television cameras that had recently been installed in the chamber.
Sauvé did, however, find success in implementing reforms that professionalised the speaker's tasks of managing expenses and staff for the House of Commons, cutting back on the excess bureaucracy, personnel, overtime waste, and costs she discovered upon her installation. Once the changes were made, Sauvé had reduced the commons' support personnel by 300 and saved $18 million out of the annual expenses, all of which, to some, actually improved overall service. Sauvé was lauded, by MPs and the media alike, for her courage in challenging the establishment. Other MPs, though, stated that she had gone too far and balked at the resulting inconveniences, such as having to clear their own plates in the commons cafeteria. At the same time, Sauvé also established the first daycare
Day care
Child care or day care is care of a child during the day by a person other than the child's legal guardians, typically performed by someone outside the child's immediate family...
for Parliament Hill staff, MPs, and senators.
She also presided over debates on the constitution
Constitution of Canada
The Constitution of Canada is the supreme law in Canada; the country's constitution is an amalgamation of codified acts and uncodified traditions and conventions. It outlines Canada's system of government, as well as the civil rights of all Canadian citizens and those in Canada...
, dealing with filibuster
Filibuster
A filibuster is a type of parliamentary procedure. Specifically, it is the right of an individual to extend debate, allowing a lone member to delay or entirely prevent a vote on a given proposal...
s and numerous points of order
Point of order
A point of order is a matter raised during consideration of a motion concerning the rules of parliamentary procedure.-Explanation and uses:A point of order may be raised if the rules appear to have been broken. This may interrupt a speaker during debate, or anything else if the breach of the rules...
, as well as discussions over the proposed Energy Security Act
National Energy Program
The National Energy Program was an energy policy of the Government of Canada. It was created under the Liberal government of Prime Minister Pierre Trudeau by Minister of Energy Marc Lalonde in 1980, and administered by the Department of Energy, Mines and Resources.-Description:The NEP was...
, against which the loyal opposition
Official Opposition (Canada)
In Canada, Her Majesty's Loyal Opposition , commonly known as the Official Opposition, is usually the largest parliamentary opposition party in the House of Commons or a provincial legislative assembly that is not in government, either on its own or as part of a governing coalition...
mounted a counter-campaign that culminated in a two week bell-ringing episode when the Conservatives' Whip refused to appear in the Commons to indicate that the opposition was ready for a vote. Despite pressure from the government that she intervene to break the deadlock, Sauvé maintained that it was up to the parties to resolve it themselves through negotiation.
Governorship general
Sauvé was the first female governor general in Canada's historyHistory of Canada
The history of Canada covers the period from the arrival of Paleo-Indians thousands of years ago to the present day. Canada has been inhabited for millennia by distinctive groups of Aboriginal peoples, among whom evolved trade networks, spiritual beliefs, and social hierarchies...
, and only the second woman amongst all the Commonwealth realm
Commonwealth Realm
A Commonwealth realm is a sovereign state within the Commonwealth of Nations that has Elizabeth II as its monarch and head of state. The sixteen current realms have a combined land area of 18.8 million km² , and a population of 134 million, of which all, except about two million, live in the six...
s both previous and contemporary to the time to assume the equivalent office, after Elmira Minita Gordon
Elmira Minita Gordon
Dame Elmira Minita Gordon, GCMG, GCVO was Governor-General of Belize from its independence in 1981 to 1993. She was the first woman in a Commonwealth Realm to assume the position of Governor General. As Governor General she also held the title of Patron to the Scout Association of Belize and the...
, who was in 1981 appointed Governor-General of Belize.
As governor general-designate
It was in December 1983 announced from the Office of the Prime Minister of CanadaOffice of the Prime Minister (Canada)
In Canada, the Office of the Prime Minister , located in the Langevin Block, on Parliament Hill, in Ottawa, is one of the most powerful parts of the government. It is made up of the prime minister and his or her top political staff, who are charged with advising the prime minister on decisions,...
that Trudeau had put forward Sauvé's name to Buckingham Palace
Buckingham Palace
Buckingham Palace, in London, is the principal residence and office of the British monarch. Located in the City of Westminster, the palace is a setting for state occasions and royal hospitality...
as his recommendation on who should succeed Edward Schreyer as the Queen's representative. In the national media, the reception was generally positive, with Sauvé's elegance, refined nature, and bilingualism viewed as an asset to such a posting, despite speculation regarding her ability to remain non-partisan, as would be expected of the vicereine. However, by January 15, of the following year Sauvé resigned as an MP, and thus as speaker, and two days later she was hospitalised; rumours circulated that it was due to cancer
Cancer
Cancer , known medically as a malignant neoplasm, is a large group of different diseases, all involving unregulated cell growth. In cancer, cells divide and grow uncontrollably, forming malignant tumors, and invade nearby parts of the body. The cancer may also spread to more distant parts of the...
, but the official story was that the she had contracted a respiratory virus, which was further complicated by an allergy to antibiotics.
Still, Queen Elizabeth II, by commission under the royal sign-manual
Royal sign-manual
The royal sign manual is the formal name given in the Commonwealth realms to the autograph signature of the sovereign, by the affixing of which the monarch expresses his or her pleasure either by order, commission, or warrant. A sign-manual warrant may be either an executive actfor example, an...
and Great Seal of Canada
Great Seal of Canada
The Great Seal of Canada is a seal used for official purposes of state in Canada such as the certification of Acts of Parliament that have been granted Royal Assent....
, approved on January 28, 1984, Trudeau's recommendation that she appoint Sauvé as her representative. However, the latter remained in hospital, and her illness only worsened, leading colleagues to believe that she would die, and the Canadian Press and CBC to draft preliminary obituaries
Obituary
An obituary is a news article that reports the recent death of a person, typically along with an account of the person's life and information about the upcoming funeral. In large cities and larger newspapers, obituaries are written only for people considered significant...
. Sauvé did recover, and was released from care on March 3, though the illness had delayed her installation ceremony, which had been scheduled to take place that month. Sauvé remained secretive about the exact nature of the illness, and did not pay attention to rumours that she had developed Hodgkin's lymphoma
Hodgkin's lymphoma
Hodgkin's lymphoma, previously known as Hodgkin's disease, is a type of lymphoma, which is a cancer originating from white blood cells called lymphocytes...
, stating in interviews that it was a private matter, and that she was well enough to uphold her responsibilities.
As governor general
Sauvé was on May 14, 1984, sworn in as governor general in a ceremony in the Senate chamber, during which Trudeau said: "It is right and proper that Her Majesty should finally have a woman representative here," though stressing that the Queen had not appointed Sauvé simply because she was a woman. Almost immediately, Sauvé made it clear that she would use her time as vicereine to promote issues surrounding youth and world peace, as well as that of national unity.The Governor General kept up to date with cabinet papers and met every two weeks with her successive prime ministers. She would not speak openly about her relationship with these individuals, but there was reported friction between Sauvé and Brian Mulroney
Brian Mulroney
Martin Brian Mulroney, was the 18th Prime Minister of Canada from September 17, 1984, to June 25, 1993 and was leader of the Progressive Conservative Party of Canada from 1983 to 1993. His tenure as Prime Minister was marked by the introduction of major economic reforms, such as the Canada-U.S...
, whom she had appointed as her chief executive adviser in 1984. It was speculated that Sauvé disapproved of the way Mulroney elevated the stature of his office with more presidential trappings and aura, and his insistence that he alone greet American president
President of the United States
The President of the United States of America is the head of state and head of government of the United States. The president leads the executive branch of the federal government and is the commander-in-chief of the United States Armed Forces....
Ronald Reagan
Ronald Reagan
Ronald Wilson Reagan was the 40th President of the United States , the 33rd Governor of California and, prior to that, a radio, film and television actor....
upon his arrival at Quebec City
Quebec City
Quebec , also Québec, Quebec City or Québec City is the capital of the Canadian province of Quebec and is located within the Capitale-Nationale region. It is the second most populous city in Quebec after Montreal, which is about to the southwest...
for the colloquially dubbed "Shamrock Summit
Shamrock Summit
The Shamrock Summit was the colloquial name given to the 1985 meeting between Canadian Prime Minister Brian Mulroney and US President Ronald Reagan in Quebec City. So-named because of the Irish background of the two leaders, and due to the meeting being held on St...
" was taken by the media as a snub against Sauvé, who, as the head of state's direct representative, would otherwise have welcomed another head of state to Canada.
She did, however, greet a numbers of Canada's Royal Family, including the Queen and her husband, Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh
Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh
Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh is the husband of Elizabeth II. He is the United Kingdom's longest-serving consort and the oldest serving spouse of a reigning British monarch....
; The Queen Mother
Elizabeth Bowes-Lyon
Elizabeth Angela Marguerite Bowes-Lyon was the queen consort of King George VI from 1936 until her husband's death in 1952, after which she was known as Queen Elizabeth The Queen Mother, to avoid confusion with her daughter, Queen Elizabeth II...
; and Prince Andrew
Prince Andrew, Duke of York
Prince Andrew, Duke of York KG GCVO , is the second son, and third child of Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh...
and Sarah, Duchess of York
Sarah, Duchess of York
Sarah, Duchess of York is a British charity patron, spokesperson, writer, film producer, television personality and former member of the British Royal Family. She is the former wife of Prince Andrew, Duke of York, whom she married from 1986 to 1996...
. Prince Edward
Prince Edward, Earl of Wessex
Prince Edward, Earl of Wessex KG GCVO is the third son and fourth child of Elizabeth II and The Duke of Edinburgh...
met with Sauvé at Rideau Hall on June 4, 1988, to present the Governor General with royal Letters Patent
Letters patent
Letters patent are a type of legal instrument in the form of a published written order issued by a monarch or president, generally granting an office, right, monopoly, title, or status to a person or corporation...
permitting the federal viceroy to exercise the Queen's powers in respect of the granting of heraldic arms
Heraldry
Heraldry is the profession, study, or art of creating, granting, and blazoning arms and ruling on questions of rank or protocol, as exercised by an officer of arms. Heraldry comes from Anglo-Norman herald, from the Germanic compound harja-waldaz, "army commander"...
in Canada, leading to the eventual creation of the Canadian Heraldic Authority
Canadian Heraldic Authority
The Canadian Heraldic Authority is part of the Canadian honours system under the Queen of Canada, whose authority is exercised by the Governor General. The Authority is responsible for the creation and granting of new coats of arms , flags and badges for Canadian citizens, permanent residents and...
, of which Sauvé was the first head. Among foreign visitors welcomed by Sauvé were King Carl XVI Gustav of Sweden, Queen
Monarchy of the Netherlands
The Netherlands has been an independent monarchy since 16 March 1815, and has been governed by members of the House of Orange-Nassau since.-Constitutional role and position of the monarch:...
Beatrix of the Netherlands
Beatrix of the Netherlands
Beatrix is the Queen regnant of the Kingdom of the Netherlands comprising the Netherlands, Curaçao, Sint Maarten, and Aruba. She is the first daughter of Queen Juliana of the Netherlands and Prince Bernhard of Lippe-Biesterfeld. She studied law at Leiden University...
, King Hussein of Jordan
Hussein of Jordan
Hussein bin Talal was the third King of Jordan from the abdication of his father, King Talal, in 1952, until his death. Hussein's rule extended through the Cold War and four decades of Arab-Israeli conflict...
, Pope John Paul II
Pope John Paul II
Blessed Pope John Paul II , born Karol Józef Wojtyła , reigned as Pope of the Catholic Church and Sovereign of Vatican City from 16 October 1978 until his death on 2 April 2005, at of age. His was the second-longest documented pontificate, which lasted ; only Pope Pius IX ...
, Secretary-General of the United Nations Javier Pérez de Cuéllar
Javier Pérez de Cuéllar
Javier Pérez de Cuéllar y de la Guerra is a Peruvian diplomat who served as the fifth Secretary-General of the United Nations from January 1, 1982 to December 31, 1991. He studied in Colegio San Agustín of Lima, and then at Pontificia Universidad Católica del Perú. In 1995, he ran unsuccessfully...
, French president François Mitterrand
François Mitterrand
François Maurice Adrien Marie Mitterrand was the 21st President of the French Republic and ex officio Co-Prince of Andorra, serving from 1981 until 1995. He is the longest-serving President of France and, as leader of the Socialist Party, the only figure from the left so far elected President...
, Chinese president
President of the People's Republic of China
The President of the People's Republic of China is a ceremonial office and a part of State organs under the National People's Congress and it is the head of state of the People's Republic of China . The office was created by the 1982 Constitution...
Li Xiannian
Li Xianniàn
Li Xiannian was President of the People's Republic of China between 1983 and 1988 and then chairman of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference until his death. He was an influential political figure throughout the PRC, having been a member of the Politburo of the Communist Party of...
, Romanian president
President of Romania
The President of Romania is the head of state of Romania. The President is directly elected by a two-round system for a five-year term . An individual may serve two terms...
Nicolae Ceauşescu
Nicolae Ceausescu
Nicolae Ceaușescu was a Romanian Communist politician. He was General Secretary of the Romanian Communist Party from 1965 to 1989, and as such was the country's second and last Communist leader...
, Mother Teresa
Mother Teresa
Mother Teresa , born Agnes Gonxha Bojaxhiu , was a Roman Catholic nun of Albanian ethnicity and Indian citizenship, who founded the Missionaries of Charity in Calcutta, India, in 1950...
, and, eventually, President Reagan. A number of these state visit
State visit
A state visit is a formal visit by a foreign head of state to another nation, at the invitation of that nation's head of state. State visits are the highest form of diplomatic contact between two nations, and are marked by ceremonial pomp and diplomatic protocol. In parliamentary democracies, heads...
s were reciprocated when Sauvé travelled to represent the Queen in Italy
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
, the Vatican
Vatican City
Vatican City , or Vatican City State, in Italian officially Stato della Città del Vaticano , which translates literally as State of the City of the Vatican, is a landlocked sovereign city-state whose territory consists of a walled enclave within the city of Rome, Italy. It has an area of...
, the People's Republic of China
People's Republic of China
China , officially the People's Republic of China , is the most populous country in the world, with over 1.3 billion citizens. Located in East Asia, the country covers approximately 9.6 million square kilometres...
, Thailand
Thailand
Thailand , officially the Kingdom of Thailand , formerly known as Siam , is a country located at the centre of the Indochina peninsula and Southeast Asia. It is bordered to the north by Burma and Laos, to the east by Laos and Cambodia, to the south by the Gulf of Thailand and Malaysia, and to the...
, France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
, Uruguay
Uruguay
Uruguay ,officially the Oriental Republic of Uruguay,sometimes the Eastern Republic of Uruguay; ) is a country in the southeastern part of South America. It is home to some 3.5 million people, of whom 1.8 million live in the capital Montevideo and its metropolitan area...
, and Brazil
Brazil
Brazil , officially the Federative Republic of Brazil , is the largest country in South America. It is the world's fifth largest country, both by geographical area and by population with over 192 million people...
.
Also in her capacity as vicereine, in 1986 Sauvé accepted on behalf of the "People of Canada" the Nansen Medal, and, two years later, opened the XV Olympic Winter Games
1988 Winter Olympics
The 1988 Winter Olympics, officially known as the XV Olympic Winter Games, were a winter multi-sport event celebrated in and around Calgary, Alberta, Canada from 13 to 28 February 1988. The host was selected in 1981 after having beat Falun, Sweden and Cortina d'Ampezzo, Italy...
in Calgary
Calgary
Calgary is a city in the Province of Alberta, Canada. It is located in the south of the province, in an area of foothills and prairie, approximately east of the front ranges of the Canadian Rockies...
, Alberta
Alberta
Alberta is a province of Canada. It had an estimated population of 3.7 million in 2010 making it the most populous of Canada's three prairie provinces...
. But, one of her favourite events that she hosted was the annual Christmas
Christmas
Christmas or Christmas Day is an annual holiday generally celebrated on December 25 by billions of people around the world. It is a Christian feast that commemorates the birth of Jesus Christ, liturgically closing the Advent season and initiating the season of Christmastide, which lasts twelve days...
party for the Ottawa Boys & Girls Club
Boys & Girls Clubs of Canada
'Boys & Girls Clubs of Canada is a national youth organization of associated clubs throughout Canada, primarily serving underprivileged youth in communities throughout the country....
and its French-language counterpart, the Patro d'Ottawa; the children came to Rideau Hall to visit with Santa
Santa Claus
Santa Claus is a folklore figure in various cultures who distributes gifts to children, normally on Christmas Eve. Each name is a variation of Saint Nicholas, but refers to Santa Claus...
and attended a lunch in the Tent Room, which Sauvé personally hosted and wore a paper party hat to celebrate the special occasion.
Ironically, as with the speculations about Sauvé's standing in protocol vis-a-vis Mulroney, the Governor General herself was accused of elevating her position above its traditional place; she was criticised for her own presidentialisation of the viceregal post, with pundits at the time saying she occupied "Republican Hall". For instance, it was revealed that Sauvé's staff had meddled in Lieutenant Governor of Saskatchewan
Lieutenant Governor of Saskatchewan
The Lieutenant Governor of Saskatchewan is the viceregal representative in Saskatchewan of the Canadian monarch, Queen Elizabeth II, who operates distinctly within the province but is also shared equally with the ten other jurisdictions of Canada and resides predominantly in her oldest realm, the...
Frederick Johnson's plans to host a dinner at Government House
Government House (Saskatchewan)
Government House, Regina, Saskatchewan, was constructed as a residence for the Lieutenant-Governor of the North-West Territories, whose territorial headquarters were in Regina until the provinces of Saskatchewan and Alberta were created out of the Territories in 1905 and Regina became the capital...
, at which the Governor General was to be a guest. Further, municipal event organisers were told that singing of the Royal Anthem
God Save the Queen
"God Save the Queen" is an anthem used in a number of Commonwealth realms and British Crown Dependencies. The words of the song, like its title, are adapted to the gender of the current monarch, with "King" replacing "Queen", "he" replacing "she", and so forth, when a king reigns...
was not allowed and the loyal toast
Loyal toast
A loyal toast is a salute given to the head of state of the country in which a formal gathering is being given, or by expatriates of that country, whether or not the particular head of state is present. It is usually a matter of protocol at state and military occasions, and a display of patriotic...
to the Queen was to be replaced with a toast to the Governor General, all of which not only disregarded precedent but also grated on prairie sensitivities.
In her final address as vicereine, at Christmas
Christmas
Christmas or Christmas Day is an annual holiday generally celebrated on December 25 by billions of people around the world. It is a Christian feast that commemorates the birth of Jesus Christ, liturgically closing the Advent season and initiating the season of Christmastide, which lasts twelve days...
, 1989, some of Sauvé's words were perceived as veiled warning about the failure of the Meech Lake Accord
Meech Lake Accord
The Meech Lake Accord was a package of proposed amendments to the Constitution of Canada negotiated in 1987 by Prime Minister Brian Mulroney and ten provincial premiers. It was intended to persuade the government of the Province of Quebec to endorse the 1982 Canadian Constitution and increase...
and she was criticised for this suspected breach of neutrality. The Premier of Newfoundland
Premier of Newfoundland and Labrador
The Premier of Newfoundland and Labrador is the first minister, head of government and de facto chief executive for the Canadian province of Newfoundland and Labrador. Before 1964, the position's official title was Premier of Newfoundland...
at the time, Clyde Wells
Clyde Wells
Clyde Kirby Wells, QC was the fifth Premier of Newfoundland and was Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of Newfoundland and Labrador from 1999 to March 2009...
, said it was "inappropriate for the Crown to be intruding in political affairs that way," and Bill Dawson, a law professor at the University of Western Ontario
University of Western Ontario
The University of Western Ontario is a public research university located in London, Ontario, Canada. The university's main campus covers of land, with the Thames River cutting through the eastern portion of the main campus. Western administers its programs through 12 different faculties and...
, described Sauvé's use of the word "pact" as "injudicious." Sauvé, though, always held that she had been speaking about Canadian unity in general, and not the Meech Lake Accord in particular, or any side of the debate around it.
Legacy
During her time as vicereine, Sauvé established in commemoration of her state visit to Brazil the Governor General Jeanne Sauvé Fellowship, awarded each year to a Brazilian graduate student in Canadian studies. She also created two awards for students entering the field of special education and subsequently created the Sauvé FoundationSauvé Foundation
The Jeanne Sauvé Foundation was established by the Right Honourable Jeanne Sauvé, the first female governor-general of Canada, to implement its mission "to develop the leadership potential of promising youth from around the world"...
, which was dedicated to the cause of youth excellence in Canada and is today headed by Jean-François. For sporting endeavours, Sauvé formed the Jeanne Sauvé Trophy, for the world cup championship in women's field hockey
Field hockey
Field Hockey, or Hockey, is a team sport in which a team of players attempts to score goals by hitting, pushing or flicking a ball into an opposing team's goal using sticks...
, and the Jeanne Sauvé Fair Play Award, to recognise national amateur athletes who best demonstrate fair play and non-violence in sport. Further, Sauvé encouraged a safer society in Canada by establishing the Governor General's Award for Safety in the Workplace.
Though there was some criticism in the final evaluations of her performance as governor general, mostly for a perceived aloofness and sense of self-importance which her closing of the Rideau Hall estate to the public came to symbolise Sauvé was also described as having been elegant, charming, and a person who could mingle well with common Canadians especially children while also maintaining a sense of the dignity of state. She was said to have enjoyed both entertaining and ceremony, two necessary parts of the role of the Queen's representative. However, she was pointed out unfavourably by Canadian monarchists
Monarchism in Canada
Canadian monarchism is the appreciation amongst Canadians for, and thus also advocacy for the retention of, their distinct system of constitutional monarchy, countering anti-monarchical reform as being generally revisionist, idealistic, and ultimately impracticable...
for her republican attitudes, as illustrated in her stated opinion that the monarchy should be abolished.
Retirement
After departing Rideau Hall for the last time as governor general in 1990, Sauvé and her husband returned to Montreal, where she continued to work with the Sauvé Foundation. Only two years later, however, Maurice died, and Sauvé followed him on January 26, 1993, after a long battle with Hodgkin's lymphoma. The couple were both interred in Notre Dame des Neiges CemeteryNotre Dame des Neiges Cemetery
Founded in 1854, Cimetière Notre-Dame-des-Neiges is a 343-acre cemetery located in the borough of Côte-des-Neiges—Notre-Dame-de-Grâce, Montreal, Quebec, Canada. The entrance and the grounds run along a part of chemin Côte-des-Neiges and up the slopes of Mount Royal...
in Montreal, and, one year following her death, Canada Post
Canada Post
Canada Post Corporation, known more simply as Canada Post , is the Canadian crown corporation which functions as the country's primary postal operator...
issued a postage stamp
Postage stamp
A postage stamp is a small piece of paper that is purchased and displayed on an item of mail as evidence of payment of postage. Typically, stamps are made from special paper, with a national designation and denomination on the face, and a gum adhesive on the reverse side...
bearing an image of Sauvé.
Titles
- April 26, 1922 September 24, 1948: Miss/Mademoiselle Jeanne Benoît
- September 24, 1948 November 27, 1972: Madam/Madame Jeanne Sauvé
- November 27, 1972 May 14, 1984: The Honourable Jeanne Sauvé
- May 14, 1984 January 28, 1990: Her Excellency the Right Honourable Jeanne Sauvé, Governor General and Commander-in-Chief in and over Canada
- January 28, 1990 January 26, 1993: The Right Honourable Jeanne Sauvé
Sauvé's style and title as governor general was, in full, and in English
English language
English is a West Germanic language that arose in the Anglo-Saxon kingdoms of England and spread into what was to become south-east Scotland under the influence of the Anglian medieval kingdom of Northumbria...
: Her Excellency the Right Honourable Jeanne Mathilde Sauvé, Chancellor and Principal Companion of the Order of Canada, Chancellor and Commander of the Order of Military Merit, Governor General and Commander-in-Chief in and over Canada, and in French
French language
French is a Romance language spoken as a first language in France, the Romandy region in Switzerland, Wallonia and Brussels in Belgium, Monaco, the regions of Quebec and Acadia in Canada, and by various communities elsewhere. Second-language speakers of French are distributed throughout many parts...
: Son Excellence la très honorable Jeanne Mathilde Sauvé, chancelière et compagnon principal de l'ordre du Canada, chancelière et commandante de l'ordre du mérite militaire, gouverneur générale et commandante en chef du Canada.
In her post-viceregal life, Sauvé's style and title was, in English: The Right Honourable Jeanne Mathilde Sauvé, Companion of the Order of Canada, Commander of the Order of Military Merit, Member of the Order of New Brunswick, and in French: la très honorable Jeanne Mathilde Sauvé, compagnon de l'ordre du Canada, commandante de l'ordre du mérite militaire.
Sauvé's post-nominal letters
Post-nominal letters
Post-nominal letters, also called post-nominal initials, post-nominal titles or designatory letters, are letters placed after the name of a person to indicate that the individual holds a position, educational degree, accreditation, office, or honour. An individual may use several different sets of...
are, in order according to the Oxford University Calendar Notes on Style: PC, CC, CMM, CD, BA Ott, BA Paris, LLD(hc) Queen, LLD(hc) Reg, DPSci(hc) Chulalongkorn
Honours
| Ribbon bars of Jeanne Sauvé | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Appointments January 4, 1973 January 15, 1984: Member of Parliament (MP) November 27, 1972 January 26, 1993: Member of the Queen's Privy Council for Canada
Queen's Privy Council for Canada
The Queen's Privy Council for Canada ), sometimes called Her Majesty's Privy Council for Canada or simply the Privy Council, is the full group of personal consultants to the monarch of Canada on state and constitutional affairs, though responsible government requires the sovereign or her viceroy,...
(PC) May 14, 1984 January 28, 1990: Chancellor and Principal Companion of the Order of Canada
Order of Canada
The Order of Canada is a Canadian national order, admission into which is, within the system of orders, decorations, and medals of Canada, the second highest honour for merit...
(CC)
-
- January 28, 1990 January 26, 1993: Companion of the Order of Canada (CC) May 14, 1984 January 28, 1990: Chancellor and Commander of the Order of Military MeritOrder of Military Merit (Canada)The Order of Military Merit is a military honour for merit that is, within the Canadian system of honours, the second highest order administered by the Governor General-in-Council, on behalf of the Queen of Canada...
(CMM) - January 28, 1990 January 26, 1993: Commander of the Order of Military Merit (CMM) May 14, 1984 January 28, 1990: Dame of Justice, Prior, and Chief Officer in Canada of the Most Venerable Order of the Hospital of Saint John of JerusalemVenerable Order of Saint JohnThe Most Venerable Order of the Hospital of Saint John of Jerusalem , is a royal order of chivalry established in 1831 and found today throughout the Commonwealth of Nations, Hong Kong, Ireland and the United States of America, with the world-wide mission "to prevent and relieve sickness and...
(DStJ) - January 28, 1990 January 26, 1993: Dame of Justice of the Most Venerable Order of the Hospital of Saint John of Jerusalem (DStJ) May 14, 1984 January 28, 1990: Chief Scout of Canada 1984 January 26, 1993: Honorary Member of the Royal Military College of Canada ClubRoyal Military College of CanadaThe Royal Military College of Canada, RMC, or RMCC , is the military academy of the Canadian Forces, and is a degree-granting university. RMC was established in 1876. RMC is the only federal institution in Canada with degree granting powers...
- January 28, 1990 January 26, 1993: Companion of the Order of Canada (CC) May 14, 1984 January 28, 1990: Chancellor and Commander of the Order of Military Merit
Medals 1967: Canadian Centennial Medal
Canadian Centennial Medal
The Canadian Centennial Medal is a commemorative medal struck by the Royal Canadian Mint in 1967 to commemorate the 100th anniversary of the Canadian Confederation and was awarded to Canadians who were recommended by governments and professional, educational and cultural associations, as well as...
1977: Queen Elizabeth II Silver Jubilee Medal
Queen Elizabeth II Silver Jubilee Medal
The Queen Elizabeth II Silver Jubilee Medal was a commemorative medal created in 1977 to mark the 25th anniversary of the accession to the throne of Queen Elizabeth II...
May 14, 1984: Canadian Forces Decoration
Canadian Forces Decoration
The Canadian Forces Decoration is a Canadian award bestowed upon members of the Canadian Forces who have completed twelve years of military service, with certain conditions. By convention, it is also given to the Governor General of Canada upon his or her appointment as viceroy, which includes the...
(CD) 1992: Commemorative Medal for the 125th Anniversary of the Confederation of Canada
Foreign honours 1989: Médaille de la Chancellerie des universités de Paris
Honorary military appointments
May 14, 1984 January 28, 1990: Colonel of the Regiment of the Governor General's Horse GuardsThe Governor General's Horse Guards
The Governor General's Horse Guards is an armoured reconnaissance regiment in the Primary Reserve of the Canadian Army, part of Land Force Central Area's 32 Canadian Brigade Group. Based in Toronto, it is the most senior reserve regiment in Canada, and the only Household Cavalry regiment of...
May 14, 1984 January 28, 1990: Colonel of the Regiment of the Governor General's Foot Guards
Governor General's Foot Guards
The Governor General's Foot Guards is one of three Household regiments in the Primary Reserve of the Canadian Army, along with The Governor General's Horse Guards and the Canadian Grenadier Guards. The GGFG is the most senior militia infantry regiment in Canada."Civitas et Princeps Cura Nostra" is...
May 14, 1984 January 28, 1990: Colonel of the Regiment of the Canadian Grenadier Guards
The Canadian Grenadier Guards
The Canadian Grenadier Guards is the second most senior and oldest infantry regiment in the Reserve Force of the Canadian Forces. Located in Montreal, its primary role is the provision of combat-ready troops in support of Canadian regular infantry...
Honorary degrees
1986: Queen's UniversityQueen's University
Queen's University, , is a public research university located in Kingston, Ontario, Canada. Founded on 16 October 1841, the university pre-dates the founding of Canada by 26 years. Queen's holds more more than of land throughout Ontario as well as Herstmonceux Castle in East Sussex, England...
, Doctor of Laws (LLD) 1987: Chulalongkorn University
Chulalongkorn University
Chulalongkorn University is the oldest university in Thailand and is the country's highest ranked university. It now has nineteen faculties and institutes. Regarded as the best and most selective university in Thailand, it consistently attracts top students from around the country...
, Doctor of
Honorary degree
An honorary degree or a degree honoris causa is an academic degree for which a university has waived the usual requirements, such as matriculation, residence, study, and the passing of examinations...
Political Science
Political science
Political Science is a social science discipline concerned with the study of the state, government and politics. Aristotle defined it as the study of the state. It deals extensively with the theory and practice of politics, and the analysis of political systems and political behavior...
(DPSci) 1991: University of Regina
University of Regina
The University of Regina is a public research university located in Regina, Saskatchewan, Canada. Founded in 1911 as a private denominational high school of the Methodist Church of Canada, it began an association with the University of Saskatchewan as a junior college in 1925, and was disaffiliated...
, Doctor of Laws (LLD)
Honorific eponyms
Awards: Jeanne Sauvé Undergraduate Scholarship, University of AlbertaUniversity of Alberta
The University of Alberta is a public research university located in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada. Founded in 1908 by Alexander Cameron Rutherford, the first premier of Alberta and Henry Marshall Tory, its first president, it is widely recognized as one of the best universities in Canada...
, Edmonton
Edmonton
Edmonton is the capital of the Canadian province of Alberta and is the province's second-largest city. Edmonton is located on the North Saskatchewan River and is the centre of the Edmonton Capital Region, which is surrounded by the central region of the province.The city and its census...
: Jeanne Sauvé Fair Play Award: Governor General Jeanne Sauvé Fellowship: Jeanne Sauvé Trophy
Geographic locations: Jeanne-Sauvé Park, Montreal
Montreal
Montreal is a city in Canada. It is the largest city in the province of Quebec, the second-largest city in Canada and the seventh largest in North America...
: Jeanne-Sauvé District, Outremont
Buildings: Fort Sauvé
Royal Military College of Canada
The Royal Military College of Canada, RMC, or RMCC , is the military academy of the Canadian Forces, and is a degree-granting university. RMC was established in 1876. RMC is the only federal institution in Canada with degree granting powers...
, Kingston
Kingston, Ontario
Kingston, Ontario is a Canadian city located in Eastern Ontario where the St. Lawrence River flows out of Lake Ontario. Originally a First Nations settlement called "Katarowki," , growing European exploration in the 17th Century made it an important trading post...
Schools: Collège Jeanne-Sauvé, Winnipeg
Winnipeg
Winnipeg is the capital and largest city of Manitoba, Canada, and is the primary municipality of the Winnipeg Capital Region, with more than half of Manitoba's population. It is located near the longitudinal centre of North America, at the confluence of the Red and Assiniboine Rivers .The name...
: École publique Jeanne-Sauvé, Subury: Ecole Jeanne-Sauvé, Orléans
Orléans, Ontario
Orleans , also written Orléans, is a suburban area within the city of Ottawa, Ontario, Canada. It is located in the eastern part of the city along the Ottawa River, about from downtown Ottawa. The Canada 2006 Census gave Orleans a population of 95,491. It became a ward of the City of Ottawa in 2001...
: Jeanne Sauvé Catholic School, Stratford
Stratford, Ontario
Stratford is a city on the Avon River in Perth County in southwestern Ontario, Canada with a population of 32,000.When the area was first settled by Europeans in 1832, the townsite and the river were named after Stratford-upon-Avon, England. It is the seat of Perth County. Stratford was...
: Jeanne Sauvé French Immersion Public School, London
London, Ontario
London is a city in Southwestern Ontario, Canada, situated along the Quebec City – Windsor Corridor. The city has a population of 352,395, and the metropolitan area has a population of 457,720, according to the 2006 Canadian census; the metro population in 2009 was estimated at 489,274. The city...
Organisations: Jeanne Sauvé Family Service: Sauvé Foundation
Sauvé Foundation
The Jeanne Sauvé Foundation was established by the Right Honourable Jeanne Sauvé, the first female governor-general of Canada, to implement its mission "to develop the leadership potential of promising youth from around the world"...
: Jeanne Sauvé House
Events: Jeanne Sauvé Lecture Series