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Pascale St-Onge
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Pascale St-Onge
Pascale St-Onge PC (French pronunciation: [paskal sɛ̃t‿ɔ̃ʒ] ; born May 13, 1977) is a Canadian politician who represented the riding of Brome—Missisquoi in the House of Commons of Canada from 2021 Canadian federal election until 2025. She served as the Minister of Canadian Heritage from 2023 to 2025 and Minister of Tourism and Minister responsible for the Economic Development Agency of Canada for the Regions of Quebec from February to March 2025. She also held the latter position from 2021 to 2023, when she was also Minister of Sport from 2021 to 2023. Her appointment to cabinet in 2021 made her the first openly lesbian Canadian cabinet minister. In February 2025, St-Onge announced that she would not run in that year's federal election.
Before entering politics, she was president of the Fédération nationale des communications et de la culture, Quebec's largest media union as well as a bassist in an all-lesbian alternative rock band, Mad June.
St-Onge was born on May 13, 1977, and grew up in the Montreal suburb of Saint-Eustache, Quebec. She was a competitive swimmer in her youth and played volleyball in college and university. She graduated from the Université du Québec à Montréal in literary studies. St. Onge also obtained a certificate in journalism from the Université de Montréal, and worked for La Presse in sales after graduation.
In the early 2010s, St. Onge was the bassist, backup vocalist, and manager of an all-lesbian alternative rock quartet from Montreal called Mad June. She learned to play bass after deciding to form the group with her bandmates. She learned using a second-hand bass from her then-girlfriend, the lead vocalist and rhythm guitarist of the band. In 2010, the band played at Montebello Rock; the Boston finale of the Lilith Fair, where they were hugged on-stage by fellow Canadian musician Sarah McLachlan; and were selected to appear at the Canadian Music Week. The band produced three singles before dissolving in 2015.
By the end of 2015, St-Onge was elected president of the Fédération nationale des communications et de la culture (FNCC-CSN), Quebec's largest media and cultural industry association. In that role, she was critical of then-Minister of Canadian Heritage and future cabinet colleague Mélanie Joly for granting an exemption to Netflix from Canadian taxes and called for more government support of media. By the 2019 federal election, St. Onge collaborated with Joly to bring most political parties to support such tax changes, which led to the later Online News Act.
In the lead up to the September 20, 2021, federal election, Joly, the national campaign co-chair for the Liberal Party, recruited St. Onge, whose term at FNCC was ending. St. Onge won by less than 200 votes in Brome—Missisquoi, a riding in Quebec's Eastern Townships. The count was subject to a judicial recount requested by the Bloc Québécois candidate after St. Onge won three days after election night on the strength of mail-in ballots. After approximately 60 irregularities were resolved without issue, the Bloc then conceded and ended the recount process on October 13, 2021.
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau appointed St. Onge Minister of Sport and Minister responsible for the Economic Development Agency of Canada for the Regions of Quebec in November 2021, making her Canada's first openly lesbian cabinet minister.
On June 12, 2022, St. Onge launched the Office of the Sport Integrity Commissioner (OSIC) as an independent investigative and complaints body for national sports organizations, who were required to sign on by April 2023 or lose federal funding. OSIC received $16 million over three years to fund its launch and operations. St. Onge also called for Canadian national sport organizations to stop using non-disclosure agreements.
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Pascale St-Onge
Pascale St-Onge PC (French pronunciation: [paskal sɛ̃t‿ɔ̃ʒ] ; born May 13, 1977) is a Canadian politician who represented the riding of Brome—Missisquoi in the House of Commons of Canada from 2021 Canadian federal election until 2025. She served as the Minister of Canadian Heritage from 2023 to 2025 and Minister of Tourism and Minister responsible for the Economic Development Agency of Canada for the Regions of Quebec from February to March 2025. She also held the latter position from 2021 to 2023, when she was also Minister of Sport from 2021 to 2023. Her appointment to cabinet in 2021 made her the first openly lesbian Canadian cabinet minister. In February 2025, St-Onge announced that she would not run in that year's federal election.
Before entering politics, she was president of the Fédération nationale des communications et de la culture, Quebec's largest media union as well as a bassist in an all-lesbian alternative rock band, Mad June.
St-Onge was born on May 13, 1977, and grew up in the Montreal suburb of Saint-Eustache, Quebec. She was a competitive swimmer in her youth and played volleyball in college and university. She graduated from the Université du Québec à Montréal in literary studies. St. Onge also obtained a certificate in journalism from the Université de Montréal, and worked for La Presse in sales after graduation.
In the early 2010s, St. Onge was the bassist, backup vocalist, and manager of an all-lesbian alternative rock quartet from Montreal called Mad June. She learned to play bass after deciding to form the group with her bandmates. She learned using a second-hand bass from her then-girlfriend, the lead vocalist and rhythm guitarist of the band. In 2010, the band played at Montebello Rock; the Boston finale of the Lilith Fair, where they were hugged on-stage by fellow Canadian musician Sarah McLachlan; and were selected to appear at the Canadian Music Week. The band produced three singles before dissolving in 2015.
By the end of 2015, St-Onge was elected president of the Fédération nationale des communications et de la culture (FNCC-CSN), Quebec's largest media and cultural industry association. In that role, she was critical of then-Minister of Canadian Heritage and future cabinet colleague Mélanie Joly for granting an exemption to Netflix from Canadian taxes and called for more government support of media. By the 2019 federal election, St. Onge collaborated with Joly to bring most political parties to support such tax changes, which led to the later Online News Act.
In the lead up to the September 20, 2021, federal election, Joly, the national campaign co-chair for the Liberal Party, recruited St. Onge, whose term at FNCC was ending. St. Onge won by less than 200 votes in Brome—Missisquoi, a riding in Quebec's Eastern Townships. The count was subject to a judicial recount requested by the Bloc Québécois candidate after St. Onge won three days after election night on the strength of mail-in ballots. After approximately 60 irregularities were resolved without issue, the Bloc then conceded and ended the recount process on October 13, 2021.
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau appointed St. Onge Minister of Sport and Minister responsible for the Economic Development Agency of Canada for the Regions of Quebec in November 2021, making her Canada's first openly lesbian cabinet minister.
On June 12, 2022, St. Onge launched the Office of the Sport Integrity Commissioner (OSIC) as an independent investigative and complaints body for national sports organizations, who were required to sign on by April 2023 or lose federal funding. OSIC received $16 million over three years to fund its launch and operations. St. Onge also called for Canadian national sport organizations to stop using non-disclosure agreements.
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