Jacline Rouleau was born of a union between a white father and an Ojibwe mother, originally from northern Ontario.
“When my grandfather [maternel] moved to Abitibi, he took canoes and went to Senneterre to sell furs to the Hudson’s Bay Company, ”says the one who is running today for the Parti Québécois in the riding of Abitibi-Est.
The trapper sometimes brought his family with him. “My father, he had a business of electronics, records and musical instruments in Senneterre”, continues the candidate, met in Val-d’Or last week. “My mother used to go [au magasin] to listen to music. They fell in love, it didn’t take long! »
Although Jacline Rouleau grew up in Senneterre, she says she has always kept in touch with her Aboriginal roots. “We were going to see my aunts in Garden Village, the reservation near Sturgeon Falls [en Ontario]. I have lived through weddings, parties, deaths. »
Since 2009, Jacline Rouleau has been mayor of the parish municipality of Senneterre, in addition to owning a snack bar and having relaunched the municipality’s golden age club since 2014.
In 2019, the lady with many hats ran in the federal election under the banner of the NDP. What made him change his allegiance to defend the colors of the Parti Québécois today?
“Abitibi is where I grew up. I want to be close to the citizens I know, working for them and with them,” she explains, alluding to the fact that the federal riding of Abitibi-Baie-James-Nunavik-Eeyou is much larger than that of Abitibi-Est at the provincial level.
“The Parti Québécois affects both Quebec and Aboriginal values,” she adds. French, we want to keep it, just like the Aboriginals want to keep their culture and their languages. It is also the party that signed the Peace of the Braves in 2002 with the Crees, she recalls, and the one that got the first Aboriginal member of the National Assembly elected in 2007, Alexis Wawanoloath, in Abitibi- East.
Has Jacline Rouleau become a sovereigntist? The candidate of the PQ says rather to be in search of information. “There are things that I must continue to read [avant de me prononcer]. »
“Quebec gives billions to the federal government. If we stop paying it, that money will stay with us. I’m there in my stadium [de réflexion] “, she explains.
She nevertheless affirms that the Parti Québécois agrees with her “values”, citing in particular the themes of the shortage of labor and care for the elderly.
“The shortage of employees, I experienced it this year [dans son casse-croûte]. I had to work 90 to 95 hours a week in my restaurant [puisqu’elle était incapable de recruter du personnel », rapporte-t-elle.
Quant aux personnes âgées, elle souhaite que des efforts soient consentis pour qu’elles puissent rester le plus longtemps possible à domicile. « Ça fait des personnes plus en santé », dit-elle.
D’ici la fin de la campagne électorale, Jacline Rouleau promet d’aller dans les réserves autochtones pour mieux comprendre les besoins des communautés. « On les entend dire : “on n’est pas entendus”. Mais à quelle porte frappez-vous ? », se demande-t-elle. « Est-ce que nous, on peut frapper à votre porte pour aller vous écouter ? »