Virginie Journeau

A native of Pointe-aux-Trembles, Virginie Journeau grew up on the borough's tennis, soccer and basketball courts, which she still frequents today. A biologist by training, she studied in Mexico and Brazil and then worked for two years in Nicaragua as part of an agro-ecology education project for rural youth. When she returned to her country, she wanted to get involved in her community and work in the borough's eco-district. Thanks to her strong communication skills, her rigour and her hard work, she was able to transform a seasonal position into a permanent one and had the honour of implementing the first urban agricultural policy in Montreal.

For almost two years, Virginie has been the Director of the Maison des Jeunes de Pointe-aux-Trembles, where she has quickly been able to carry out new projects and create partnerships with neighbourhood organizations. Last January, she set up the Pointe-aux-Trembles Diversity Committee because she did not find that the spaces for discussion within the community were representative of the current population. She wanted to bring this rich diversity to the forefront.

It was during the last year of her involvement on the Boards of Directors of the Pointe-aux-Trembles public market, de l’Éco de la Pointe-aux-Prairies, and the Centre de service scolaire de la Pointe de l’Île that her desire to get involved in active politics intensified. Municipal politics appeals to her because it is a grassroots level of politics and allows her to take concrete action in areas she is passionate about, such as the environment and recreation.