Raymonde Folco
Encyclopedia
Raymonde Folco (born March 16, 1940) is a Canadian
politician.
Born in a Jewish family in Paris
, she hid with Christian families during World War II
. She emigrated to Toronto
with her family in 1950s. She received a Bachelor of Arts from the University of Melbourne
, a Bachelor of Arts in linguistics from the Université du Québec à Montréal
, and Master of Arts
in applied linguistics from Concordia University
.
Folco's political career began in the Quebec arena, where she was vice-president in 1988 and then, from 1990 to 1995, president of the Conseil des communautés culturelles et de l'immigration, a Quebec agency whose role is to advise the government on matters relating to immigration and integration of ethnic minorities. While holding that position, she was recruited to the Liberal Party and ran for the Canadian House of Commons
as a Liberal
candidate for the Quebec
riding of Laval East
in 1993
, losing to the Bloc Québécois
candidate, Maud Debien
.
However, Folco was elected in 1997
and 2000
for the riding of Laval West, and reelected in 2004
and 2006
for the newly formed riding of Laval—Les Îles
. From 2000 to 2003, she served as Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Human Resources Development.
Having begun her pre-political career as a lecturer in Jamaica and in Australia, as a politician Folco has served on a number of diplomatic or quasi-diplomatic foreign missions, including the Central African Republic
; East Timor
; Republic of Congo; Haiti
; Ivory Coast; and Chiapas
, Mexico
. Up until May 2006, Folco was vice president of Liberal International
.
After serving five terms as MP of Laval-West and Laval-Les Iles, Folco retired from politics in 2011, choosing not to run in the May 2 election.
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
politician.
Born in a Jewish family in 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...
, she hid with Christian families during World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
. She emigrated to Toronto
Toronto
Toronto is the provincial capital of Ontario and the largest city in Canada. It is located in Southern Ontario on the northwestern shore of Lake Ontario. A relatively modern city, Toronto's history dates back to the late-18th century, when its land was first purchased by the British monarchy from...
with her family in 1950s. She received a Bachelor of Arts from the University of Melbourne
University of Melbourne
The University of Melbourne is a public university located in Melbourne, Victoria. Founded in 1853, it is the second oldest university in Australia and the oldest in Victoria...
, a Bachelor of Arts in linguistics from the Université du Québec à Montréal
Université du Québec à Montréal
The Université du Québec à Montréal is one of four universities in Montreal, Quebec, Canada.-Basic facts:The UQAM is the largest constituent element of the Université du Québec , a public university system with other branches in Gatineau , Rimouski, Rouyn-Noranda, Quebec City, Chicoutimi, and...
, and Master of Arts
Master of Arts (postgraduate)
A Master of Arts from the Latin Magister Artium, is a type of Master's degree awarded by universities in many countries. The M.A. is usually contrasted with the M.S. or M.Sc. degrees...
in applied linguistics from Concordia University
Concordia University
Concordia University is a comprehensive Canadian public university located in Montreal, Quebec, one of the two universities in the city where English is the primary language of instruction...
.
Folco's political career began in the Quebec arena, where she was vice-president in 1988 and then, from 1990 to 1995, president of the Conseil des communautés culturelles et de l'immigration, a Quebec agency whose role is to advise the government on matters relating to immigration and integration of ethnic minorities. While holding that position, she was recruited to the Liberal Party and ran for the Canadian 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...
as a Liberal
Liberal 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...
candidate for the Quebec
Quebec
Quebec or is a province in east-central Canada. It is the only Canadian province with a predominantly French-speaking population and the only one whose sole official language is French at the provincial level....
riding of Laval East
Alfred-Pellan (electoral district)
Alfred-Pellan is a federal electoral district in Quebec, Canada, that has been represented in the Canadian House of Commons since 1968. Its population in 2006 was 104,765.-Geography:...
in 1993
Canadian federal election, 1993
The Canadian federal election of 1993 was held on October 25 of that year to elect members to the Canadian House of Commons of the 35th Parliament of Canada. Fourteen parties competed for the 295 seats in the House at that time...
, losing to the Bloc Québécois
Bloc Québécois
The Bloc Québécois is a federal political party in Canada devoted to the protection of Quebec's interests in the House of Commons of Canada, and the promotion of Quebec sovereignty. The Bloc was originally a party made of Quebec nationalists who defected from the federal Progressive Conservative...
candidate, Maud Debien
Maud Debien
Maud Debien was a member of the Canadian House of Commons from 1993 to 2000. Her career has been in education....
.
However, Folco was elected in 1997
Canadian federal election, 1997
The Canadian federal election of 1997 was held on June 2, 1997, to elect members of the Canadian House of Commons of the 36th Parliament of Canada. Prime Minister Jean Chrétien's Liberal Party of Canada won a second majority government...
and 2000
Canadian federal election, 2000
The 2000 Canadian federal election was held on November 27, 2000, to elect 301 Members of Parliament of the Canadian House of Commons of the 37th Parliament of Canada....
for the riding of Laval West, and reelected in 2004
Canadian federal election, 2004
The Canadian federal election, 2004 , was held on June 28, 2004 to elect members of the Canadian House of Commons of the 38th Parliament of Canada. The Liberal government of Prime Minister Paul Martin lost its majority, but was able to form a minority government after the elections...
and 2006
Canadian federal election, 2006
The 2006 Canadian federal election was held on January 23, 2006, to elect members of the Canadian House of Commons of the 39th Parliament of Canada. The Conservative Party of Canada won the greatest number of seats: 40.3% of seats, or 124 out of 308, up from 99 seats in 2004, and 36.3% of votes:...
for the newly formed riding of Laval—Les Îles
Laval—Les Îles
Laval—Les Îles is a federal electoral district in Quebec, Canada, that has been represented in the Canadian House of Commons since 2004.Its population in 2001 was 100,137...
. From 2000 to 2003, she served as Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Human Resources Development.
Having begun her pre-political career as a lecturer in Jamaica and in Australia, as a politician Folco has served on a number of diplomatic or quasi-diplomatic foreign missions, including the Central African Republic
Central African Republic
The Central African Republic , is a landlocked country in Central Africa. It borders Chad in the north, Sudan in the north east, South Sudan in the east, the Democratic Republic of the Congo and the Republic of the Congo in the south, and Cameroon in the west. The CAR covers a land area of about ,...
; East Timor
East Timor
The Democratic Republic of Timor-Leste, commonly known as East Timor , is a state in Southeast Asia. It comprises the eastern half of the island of Timor, the nearby islands of Atauro and Jaco, and Oecusse, an exclave on the northwestern side of the island, within Indonesian West Timor...
; Republic of Congo; Haiti
Haiti
Haiti , officially the Republic of Haiti , is a Caribbean country. It occupies the western, smaller portion of the island of Hispaniola, in the Greater Antillean archipelago, which it shares with the Dominican Republic. Ayiti was the indigenous Taíno or Amerindian name for the island...
; Ivory Coast; and Chiapas
Chiapas
Chiapas officially Estado Libre y Soberano de Chiapas is one of the 31 states that, with the Federal District, comprise the 32 Federal Entities of Mexico. It is divided in 118 municipalities and its capital city is Tuxtla Gutierrez. Other important cites in Chiapas include San Cristóbal de las...
, Mexico
Mexico
The United Mexican States , commonly known as Mexico , is a federal constitutional republic in North America. It is bordered on the north by the United States; on the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; on the southeast by Guatemala, Belize, and the Caribbean Sea; and on the east by the Gulf of...
. Up until May 2006, Folco was vice president of Liberal International
Liberal International
Liberal International is a political international federation for liberal parties. Its headquarters is located at 1 Whitehall Place, London, SW1A 2HD within the National Liberal Club. It was founded in Oxford in 1947, and has become the pre-eminent network for liberal parties and for the...
.
After serving five terms as MP of Laval-West and Laval-Les Iles, Folco retired from politics in 2011, choosing not to run in the May 2 election.