France Bélisle was born and raised in Gatineau. She is the first female mayor of Gatineau, and her incumbency also marks the return of an independent mayoralty in Quebec’s fourth-largest city. A passionate, results-oriented, woman of action, Mayor Bélisle puts her determination, enthusiasm and love of people into her work serving the residents of Gatineau. A trained journalist, Ms. Bélisle spent 18 years at Radio-Canada, where she held various positions, including director of public relations and public outreach in the president’s office at CBC/Radio-Canada. From 2015 to 2021, she was director of Tourisme Outaouais. Her mandate as the head of this tourist association of over 500 member businesses was to promote the region in order to attract tourists from across Canada and abroad. Ms. Bélisle holds a Bachelor of Journalism from the University of Ottawa, as well as a master’s degree in journalistic studies from Carleton University. Throughout her career, she has also completed several courses in human and financial resource management, governance and planning.