March 8th marks the date of International Women’s Day. “Women” with a capital W. Inherently known for her strong character, as well as conjugating verbs, mainly in the present and future tense since she has trouble with imperfection.
Among these women, there are those who have contributed to the well-being of their society, those who continue to bring water to the mill by drawing from the depths of their own spirit and those who invest themselves daily for the betterment of their fellow human beings.
I therefore take advantage of this forum to express my gratitude towards some of the women who have ensured that the West Island is put under the spotlight.
Thus, whoever says Kirkland immediately thinks of the suburbs of the West Island, which was known initially as the parish of St-Joachim in Pointe-Claire. However, it owes its name to the father of Marie-Claire Kirkland, the liberal and doctor, Charles-Aimé Kirkland, who was nicknamed the "dirty water doctor" because of his fight against pollution.
The only child of the Kirkland-Demers couple, the young Marie-Claire, rapidly imposed herself as a figurehead in the Quebec political system. Encouraged by her parents to pursue her studies and prove her autonomy.
Consequently, after having completed her studies in law at McGill University, she began her career path as a lawyer in 1952, without pay and no specific plan since at the time the word "woman" was spelled in lower case. These tasks, traditionally reserved for men, did not agree with the main matter: Marie-Claire.
Although, according to historian and political scientist Jean-Charles Panneton, Ms. Kirkland-Casgrain would not let herself be defeated. She was a very determined woman therefore, she officially entered politics in 1961 in the riding of Jacques-Cartier (the same as that of her father), after her first steps in the community as president of the Constitutional Committee of the Federation of Liberal Women of Quebec.
Hence, she became the first woman elected as a member of the National Assembly of Quebec, which undoubtedly caused unholy amounts of turmoil between the community and nonetheless attracting remarks that were disgraceful, to say the very least, since she upset not only traditions, but an entire institution reserved until then, for men. This, however, marks the beginning of a new era for the women of Quebec.
From minister without portfolio, she won tons from re-election to re-election. While she held the position of Minister of Transport and Communications, the Law 16 came to light in 1964. Until then, married women, considered as the property of their husbands, had no rights and therefore, were not full citizens. Signing a contract or getting a different job than her husband was an impossible mission for them.
After a distinguishing turning point in the history of Quebec with the new legal status of women, Ms. Kirkland-Casgrain also contributed to the creation of the “Conseil du statut de la femme”. She then combined the functions of Minister of Tourism, of Hunting and Fishing and sought a last term as Minister of Cultural Affairs, before retiring from the public political scene to return to her former passion by undertaking a career as a judge in 1973.
Alas, others note that it is also to this former resident of Ile-Bizard, better known under the name of Claire Kirkland-Casgrain, that we owe the institution of Tourism and Hotels of Quebec since she profoundly considered the Latin origins of the cuisine of La Belle Province could be put to good use on the tables of Quebec.
Since we barely made it out of the "beaten cauldrons" without however extracting ourselves from another environment, which was a reservoir for men, namely the restaurant business, did you know a young woman from the West of Island, and more precisely from Dollard-des-Ormeaux was named “2021 Woman Chef of the Year” in Italy?
Undeniably, the chef Jessica Rosval, managed to climb into the best of the Guilda dell'Espresso's Italian list. The ultimate guide to the best restaurants in Italy. According to her story, she did not even cook at home, however, became interested in cooking while she had a student job working as a hostess in a family restaurant in the West Island, the Scarolie's Pasta Emporium. She first attended Dawson College and then branched off to the Institute of Tourism and Hotels of Quebec before landing at Casa Maria Luigia in Modena.
In Montreal, Jessica first started working with Laurent Godbout and then followed him to Whistler. From that time on she went to British Columbia to work under Melissa Craig. Many claim Craig to be the one who shaped Rosval into the glorious chef she is today. Subsequently, with ten years of experience in the kitchen, she agreed to accompany her partner who had earned a study trip to Bocconi University in Milan. To celebrate, the lovebirds treated themselves to a fine meal with local flavors at the prestigious Osteria Francescana of the three-Michelin-starred Massimo Bottura. Jessica's fearlessness prompted her to ask Bottura to work for him. Having taken her on trial, he soon became her mentor, and she is now at the helm of the prestigious B&B of the renowned chef and his wife, Lara Gilmore.
At the same time, Jessica Rosval became the culinary director of the Association for the Integration of Women (AIW), a non-profit association and a wonderful integration project for migrant women, set up by a friend of the chef, Caroline Caporossi. In addition to offering a training program for cooks and languages, the philosophy behind this adventure was to allow these uprooted women to participate in the local culture while integrating elements from their culinary aspects. This approach, according to Rosval, helped to emphasize pride in one's origins. Having herself immigrated to Italy and having had to familiarize herself with the habits and customs of the Peninsula. Jessica Rosval became for them, a model of hope.
Evidently, since we're discussing Italian cuisine here, I mustn’t ignore the unique work of the very first woman in my life who has played a vital role since my birth and who is now my faithful collaborator and after more than thirty years with Air Inuit as a flight attendant manager, my mother, Anna Maria Vinci. Although her name rhymes with the island of her heart, in the middle of the Mediterranean, she was born in the Old Capital of immigrant parents, and her work led her to first move to Montreal, then to the West Island. She has lived in Beaconsfield for over twenty years now.
Strong, sensitive, humorist and empathetic are the very first traits of her character that come to mind when I think of her. Like all mothers, she always reached out to me, guided me, coddled my fears and reprimanded me when needed. What sets her apart, however, is her very own way of being hands-on both in the kitchen and in all the potholes of her life. In life’s most crucial moments she always came as a solution to my problems. Gogo, as I like to call her, is the eternal dreamer who picked up the stars simply to see them twinkle in my eyes. She naturally invents menus by virtue of happiness. She attends university since her thirst for learning remains inexhaustible. Most of her friends are those of her children whom she welcomes into her home and treats them as though they were her own. She has a high interest in different cultures and the ingredients that make them up. Then, above all, when she puts on her apron, she makes enough food for an army in case a solitary soldier comes knocking at her door. On the other hand, what she wants most is that our world lives in peace and respect for others.
I salute all these exceptional women and all those who confirm the rule!
