Huguette Labelle

Labelle, Huguette

Huguette Labelle, née Rochon, nursing teacher and administrator (b at Rockland, Ont 15 Apr 1939). She began her career as a general staff nurse at the Ottawa General Hospital. After changing to teaching, she became founding director of the Vanier School of Nursing in Ottawa. In 1973 she was appointed principal nursing officer with Health and Welfare Canada, nursing's highest administrative post. A past president of the Canadian Nurses' Assn, she was undersecretary of state 1980-85 and in 1985 deputy clerk of the Privy Council and associate secretary to the Cabinet. She was appointed chairman of the Public Service Commission in 1985 and then returned to active civil service duty in 1990 as deputy minister of transportation. Labelle became president of CIDA in 1993 and was named chancellor of U of Ottawa in 1994. She became an Officer in the Order of Canada in 1990.