France Bélisle

France Bélisle was born and raised in Gatineau (Hull sector). As the first woman mayor of Gatineau, she marked the return of an independent mayor’s office to Quebec’s fourth largest city.

A woman of action and conviction focused on results, she also brings her determination, enthusiasm and love of people to the residents of Gatineau.

A journalist by training, Mayor Bélisle spent 18 years at Radio-Canada, where she held various positions including director of public relations and public engagement in the office of the president of CBC/Radio-Canada. From 2015 to 2021, she was the general manager of Outaouais Tourism. Her mandate as head of the tourism association, which has more than 500 member organizations, was to raise the profile of the region in order to attract more tourists from across Canada and beyond.

France Bélisle holds a BA in journalism from the University of Ottawa and an MA in Journalism Studies from Carleton University. Throughout her career, she has taken numerous courses in human and financial resources management, governance and planning.