Émilianne Lépine is a young environmental activist living in Saint-Jérôme. She entered politics for the first time at the age of 19, with the Green Party of Quebec, to contribute to greater involvement of young people in politics, to demand free public transit and a reform of the voting system.
Passionnée par la justice sociale et la protection de l’environnement, elle tire sa motivation de l’ampleur et de la gravité des problèmes environnementaux actuels. À ses yeux, il est capital de prendre des actions concrètes dès maintenant afin de respecter les limites naturelles de notre planète, notamment en éliminant la surconsommation.
Last year, Ms. Lépine co-founded a new environmental group called Comité Action Sociale et Environnementale de la rivière du nord (CASERN). Its aim is to raise public awareness of the principles of eco-responsibility, while proposing alternatives to the status quo in the fight against the extinction of the human race and the destruction of our ecosystems.
Since those beginnings in December 2015, CASERN has already made big waves on the municipal scene, presenting, among other things, a petition in support of free public transit with nearly 2,500 signatures. This idea was favorably received by Mayor Stéphane Maher, who now wishes to abolish fares "as soon as possible". Free public transit is also one of the Quebec Green Party's top priorities.
Ms. Lépine studied international relations at the Cégep de Saint-Jérôme, where she was also involved in the sustainable development committee, the planet committee, the photo club and the Cinéma engagé group, which presents documentaries and lectures on social, environmental and political issues.
She currently sits on the Federal Council of the Green Party of Canada as co-chair of the Young Greens of Canada. If elected to the National Assembly in this by-election, Émilianne Lépine would become the youngest female MNA in Quebec history!
