The Chief Administrator of Ville de Gatineau has been awarded the 2019 Order of Merit by the University of Ottawa's Faculty of Law, Civil Law Section
Gatineau, August 28, 2019. — Gatineau's Chief Administrative Officer, Marie-Hélène Lajoie, has been awarded the Order of Merit by the University of Ottawa's Civil Law Section.
Quick facts
| ● | The Order of Merit is a prestigious award given annually at the formal class opening ceremony in September for the University of Ottawa's Faculty of Law, Civil Law Section. |
| ● | The Order of Merit is awarded to Civil Law Section graduates who are genuine leaders in their respective fields and help raise the Section's profile. |
| ● | Mrs. Lajoie and the other recipients will be honoured at a ceremony on September 4, 2019. |
Marie-Hélène Lajoie LL.L.
| ● | Mrs. Lajoie has been a graduate of the University of Ottawa's Civil Law Section since 1994. |
| ● | She has been a member of the Barreau du Québec since 1995. |
| ● | She practiced municipal law with two private-sector firms - Bédard, Saucier avocats and Bédard Saucier Lajoie avocats – and was at the same time a part-time lecturer in the Civil Law Section from 1995 to 2001. |
| ● | She was the head of Legal Affairs for the City of Aylmer from 2000 to 2002, Director of the Service des affaires juridiques et du contentieux of Ville de Gatineau from 2002 to 2004, and later Deputy Chief Administrator of Ville de Gatineau from 2004 to 2007, with responsibility for the majority of operations until 2013, at which time she was appointed Chief Administrative Officer. |
| ● | She is the first woman to head a big city in Quebec and to chair the Canadian Association of Municipal Administrators. |
Selection criteria for the Order of Merit
| ● | The recipients must have an undergraduate diploma from the Civil Law Section or a graduate degree from the Faculty of Law and meet at least two of the following criteria:
1. they have made an outstanding contribution to the advancement of law;
2. they have stood out in their respective fields at the local, national or international level;
3. they have actively helped promote the mission of the Civil Law Section or helped raise their alma mater's profile; or
4. they have demonstrated their social and community commitment. |
Quotes
“I would like to extend my heartfelt congratulations to Mrs. Lajoie for receiving the 2019 Order of Merit, an award that highlights her exemplary career. It is worth noting that Mrs. Lajoie is likely the only Chief Administrative Officer of a big city in Quebec – if not Canada – who has had to lead her organization through three major disasters in three years, those being the 2017 and 2019 floods and the tornado in September 2018. Thanks to her leadership, Gatineau responded decisively and efficiently, and our emergency response operations are now used as the example across Canada,” indicated Gatineau Mayor Maxime Pedneaud-Jobin.
“I congratulate Mrs. Lajoie for receiving the Civil Law Section's Award of Merit. As a Chief Administrative Officer, Mrs. Lajoie has consistently demonstrated, through her discipline, expertise and dynamism, that she can tackle major organizational issues, regardless of their complexity. Her involvement and contribution are clearly assets for Ville de Gatineau,” stated Municipal Council President Daniel Champagne.
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Associated link
News release – Faculty of Law – Civil Law Section
