Former Quebec cabinet minister Nadine Girault dead at 63

Nadine Girault, a former Quebec cabinet minister and Coalition Avenir Québec MNA, has died at the age of 63.

Premier François Legault offered his condolences to her family and friends in an announcement posted on social media Monday.

“I am so sad to learn of the passing of our former colleague and friend Nadine Girault,” Legault wrote. “Nadine was a passionate, determined, endearing woman.

“As minister of international relations, she undertook the economic shift of our delegations abroad.”

Girault was born in 1959 in St. Louis, Missouri. She pursued her post-secondary education in Quebec and obtained a master’s degree in business administration from Université du Québec à Montréal in 2002.

Before her jump into politics, Girault held a number of management positions throughout her career — including at the Fonds de solidarité, Bank of Montreal and Desjardins. She also sat on multiple boards of directors and was an executive committee member with the International Women’s Forum since 2014.

Girault was first elected to the provincial legislature in 2018, when Legault’s party won with a sweeping majority.

She represented the riding of Bertrand, just north of Montreal in the Laurentians and Lanaudière regions, during her one-term mandate in Quebec politics. Girault also oversaw multiple portfolios as international relations, Francophonie and immigration minister.

During her time at the national assembly, Girault had to temporarily reduce her workload due to a lung cancer diagnosis. In September 2021, the politician had to take sick leave for an unrelated back injury.

In July 2022, she stepped away from her role due to health reasons. Girault also announced she would not seek re-election.

— with files from The Canadian Press