Mélanie Joly, Montreal MP, named minister of Canadian heritage
Lawyer, former PR exec was dark-horse candidate in 2013 Montreal mayoral race
Mélanie Joly, MP for Montreal's Ahuntsic-Cartierville riding, has been named minister of Canadian heritage in Prime Minister Justin Trudeau's new cabinet.
- Justin Trudeau sworn in as Canada's 23rd prime minister
- LIVE BLOG | Justin Trudeau and his new cabinet sworn in at Rideau Hall
- How long will Justin Trudeau honeymoon last?
- Full list of Justin Trudeau's cabinet
- Cabinet making: How a PM picks his team
Wednesday's ceremony included various performances, including two young Inuit throat singers, a First Nations drum dance and wrapped up with a lively Métis Prairie fire dance.
The heritage portfolio comprises Canada's arts, culture, sport and media industries, including agencies such as the Canada Council for the Arts, Telefilm Canada, Library and Archives Canada, the National Film Board of Canada and the CBC.
- Trudeau's pledge of arts investment leaves cultural groups cautiously optimistic
- Ottawa arts groups look to Trudeau to deliver on promises
Formerly a litigation lawyer and a managing partner of Montreal public relations firm Cohn & Wolfe, Joly has served on boards for various cultural bodies, including the Musée d'art contemporain de Montréal, the Governnor General's Performing Arts Award and Business for the Arts.
She was the first Quebec woman recognized with the Arnold Edinborough Award, recognizing young professional volunteerism in the arts, in 2009.
During the 2013 Montreal mayoral race, Joly was a dark-horse candidate who finished second behind Denis Coderre.
A vocal proponent of inspiring younger generations to become involved in politics, she published her first book, a political treatise entitled Changer les règles de jeu (Changing the Rules of the Game), in 2014.
Joly is close to the family of Prime Minister Trudeau and served as an organizer on his leadership campaign.