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Joan Dougherty, who championed public education throughout her life and who served as a Liberal member of the National Assembly for Jacques-Cartier riding from 1981 to 1989, has died at the age of 93 of complications arising from COVID-19.
Former colleagues recalled Dougherty as a truly principled politician who had voted against her own party on two occasions: first, in favour of the patriation of the Canadian Constitution in 1982 and then in December 1988 against Bill 178, which banned English on most outdoor signs.
“Joan was a person of convictions and principles,” recounted Clifford Lincoln, 92, a former Liberal MNA.
“She never sought the limelight or glory. She would do what she felt was right, regardless of promotions or whatever else. Certainly, I can say that she really represented the best ideal in politics. She wanted to make the community a better place.”
Dougherty was first elected to the National Assembly in 1981, a year after Quebec’s first sovereignty referendum. John Parisella, who at the time was the regional director of the Quebec Liberal Party, helped recruit Dougherty as a star candidate, given her extensive involvement in grassroots organizations and her former role as chairperson of the Protestant School Board of Greater Montreal (PSBGM).
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