Isabelle Charest

Summary

Isabelle Charest (born January 3, 1971) is a Canadian athlete and politician.[1] A short track speed skater who competed in the 1994 Winter Olympics, the 1998 Winter Olympics, and the 2002 Winter Olympics, she was elected to the National Assembly of Quebec in the 2018 provincial election as a member of the Coalition Avenir Québec.[2]

Isabelle Charest
Member of the National Assembly of Quebec for Brome-Missisquoi
Assumed office
October 1, 2018
Preceded byPierre Paradis
Personal details
Born (1971-01-03) January 3, 1971 (age 53)
Rimouski, Quebec, Canada
Political partyCoalition Avenir Québec
ProfessionAthlete
Isabelle Charest
Medal record
Women's short track speed skating
Representing  Canada
Olympic Games
Silver medal – second place 1994 Lillehammer 3000 m relay
Bronze medal – third place 1998 Nagano 3000 m relay
Bronze medal – third place 2002 Salt Lake City 3000 m relay
World Championships
Gold medal – first place 1996 The Hague 500 m
Gold medal – first place 1997 Nagano 500 m
Gold medal – first place 1997 Nagano 3000 m relay
Silver medal – second place 1996 The Hague 1000 m
Silver medal – second place 1999 St Louis Team
Bronze medal – third place 1996 The Hague Overall
Bronze medal – third place 1998 Bormio Team

In 1994 she was a member of the Canadian relay team which won the silver medal in the 3000 metre relay competition. In the 1000 m event she finished sixth and in the 500 m contest she finished seventh.

Four years later she won the bronze medal with the Canadian team in the 3000 metre relay competition. In the 500 m event as well as in the 1000 m contest she finished seventh.

At the 2002 Games she won her second bronze medal with the Canadian relay team in the 3000 metre relay competition. In the 500 m event she finished fourth.

Charest was the Chef de Mission for Team Canada at the 2018 Winter Olympics.[1]

Controversies edit

In February 2019, Charest was criticized by members of the Quebec Liberal Party over comments she made calling hijabs a symbol of oppression. She said that wearing a hijab does not correspond to Quebec values and keeps women from flourishing. "For me, the hijab is not something women should be wearing because it does have, at some point, significance of oppression of women and the fact they have to cover themselves," she said.[3]

Electoral record edit

2022 Quebec general election: Brome-Missisquoi
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Coalition Avenir Québec Isabelle Charest 20,576 45.87 +1.49
Québec solidaire Alexandre Legault 7,318 15.91 -1.37
Parti Québécois Guillaume Paquet 5,359 11.95 +1.23
Liberal Claude Vadeboncoeur 5,344 11.91 -12.29
Conservative Stéphanie Prévost 4,875 10.87
Canadian Lynn Moore 642 1.43
Green Caitlin Moynan 487 1.09 -1.27
Independent Sébastien Houle 209 0.47
Climat Québec Tommy Quirion-Bouchard 121 0.27
Démocratie directe Pierre Fontaine 105 0.23
Total valid votes 44,856 98.82
Total rejected ballots 537 1.18
Turnout 45,393 67.99
Electors on the lists 66,769

References edit

  1. ^ a b "Isabelle Charest candidate pour la CAQ dans Brome-Missisquoi". Le Journal de Montréal, June 18, 2018.
  2. ^ "Quebec election: CAQ rocks Liberal stronghold in Townships". Montreal Gazette, October 1, 2018.
  3. ^ "Opponents condemn CAQ minister's hijab comments as 'clumsy, divisive'". 6 February 2019.

External links edit

  • Evans, Hilary; Gjerde, Arild; Heijmans, Jeroen; Mallon, Bill; et al. "Isabelle Charest". Olympics at Sports-Reference.com. Sports Reference LLC. Archived from the original on 2010-02-21.
Quebec provincial government of François Legault
Cabinet post (1)
Predecessor Office Successor
Position Created Minister for Education
October 18, 2018–present
Incumbent