Émilise Lessard-Therrien
Émilise Lessard-Therrien (born November 27, 1991, in Duhamel-Ouest, Quebec) is a Canadian politician from Quebec. She is a member of Québec solidaire (QS) and has been active as a teacher and organic farmer.
Political career
- Member of the National Assembly of Quebec (MNA) for Rouyn-Noranda–Témiscamingue from October 1, 2018, to August 28, 2022. She was elected in the 2018 Quebec general election as a QS candidate.
- Co-spokesperson for Québec solidaire from November 26, 2023, to April 29, 2024. She won the position at the QS party congress, defeating Ruba Ghazal and Christine Labrie with about 50.3% of the vote in the second round. She took a health-related leave in March 2024 and resigned in April 2024.
Background and views
- Education: Studied at Université du Québec à Montréal (UQAM) and Université du Québec en Abitibi-Témiscamingue.
- Profession before politics: Teacher and organic farmer.
- Key issues: Supports Quebec sovereignty, regional decentralization, and food sovereignty in Quebec. Actively campaigned against arsenic pollution from the Fonderie Horne copper plant in Rouyn-Noranda.
- Notable moment: In 2019, she commented on concerns about land grabs by foreign investors, later clarifying that she was critical of large investors dominating agricultural land in general, not targeting any one country.
Electoral history (highlights)
- 2018 Quebec general election in Rouyn-Noranda–Témiscamingue: Lessard-Therrien (QS) won with about 32% of the vote.
- 2022 Quebec general election in Rouyn-Noranda–Témiscamingue: She was defeated by Daniel Bernard (Coalition Avenir Québec), receiving about 31% of the vote.
Personal note
- Lessard-Therrien has been described as a prominent figure within QS and a advocate for rural and regional concerns in Quebec.
This page was last edited on 29 January 2026, at 07:47 (CET).