• Awarded on: April 20, 1999

Lucille Desmarais, St-Lambert, Que.
Governor General's Caring Canadian Award

This dynamic woman and mother of six co-founded the Centre François-Michelle in 1969 and has taken part in the majority of fundraisers for the organization, whose primary purpose is to assist children with disabilities. Lucille Desmarais has helped to raise the public profile of this school which provides specialized programs for children and parents. She set up the Development Fund in 1970, making it possible to finance the Centre and purchase office space, computers, musical instruments and books. Today, the Centre serves a number of regions encompassing more than thirty school boards.