Diane Lemieux
A Quebec political operator who pivoted from the legislature to lead the province's powerful construction industry regulator.
Born 1961 (age 65)·Canadian politician·Birthday: September 22·Baby Boomers
Biography
Diane Lemieux carved a path through Quebec's political landscape before stepping into a critical administrative role. Elected to the National Assembly of Quebec in the late 1990s, she served in cabinet positions, handling portfolios like culture and communications and labour. Her political career was marked by a practical, reform-minded approach. After leaving electoral politics, she leveraged her understanding of government and labour dynamics to take the helm of the Commission de la construction du Québec (CCQ) in 2015. As President and CEO, she oversees the body that regulates Quebec's massive construction industry, managing relations between unions and employers and enforcing complex training and competency standards. Her leadership at the CCQ places her at the heart of the province's economic engine, ensuring the stability of a sector fundamental to Quebec's infrastructure.
Baby Boomers
1946–1964
The largest generation in history at the time. Shaped by postwar prosperity, the Vietnam War, the sexual revolution, and Watergate. They questioned every institution their parents built — then ran them.
Diane was born in 1961, placing them squarely in the Baby Boomers. The events that shaped this generation — postwar prosperity, civil rights, Vietnam, and the counterculture — shaped the world they entered and the choices available to them.
#1 When Diane Was Born
The biggest hits of 1961
#1 Movie
101 Dalmatians
Best Picture
West Side Story
#1 TV Show
Wagon Train
Diane's Life & Times
The world at every milestone
1961Born
Yuri Gagarin becomes the first human in space
Gas: $0.31/galHome: $12,500Min wage: $1.15/hrPresident: John F. Kennedy"Tossin' and Turnin'" — Bobby LewisBest Picture: West Side Story
1966Started school
Star Trek premieres on television
Gas: $0.32/galHome: $14,200Min wage: $1.25/hrPresident: Lyndon B. Johnson"The Ballad of the Green Berets" — SSgt Barry SadlerBest Picture: A Man for All Seasons
1974Became a teenager
Nixon resigns the presidency
Gas: $0.53/galHome: $22,600Min wage: $2.00/hrPresident: Gerald Ford"The Way We Were" — Barbra StreisandBest Picture: The Godfather Part II
1977Could drive
Star Wars premieres; Elvis dies
Gas: $0.62/galHome: $31,800Min wage: $2.30/hrPresident: Jimmy Carter"Tonight's the Night" — Rod StewartBest Picture: Annie Hall
1979Could vote
Iran hostage crisis begins; Three Mile Island accident
Gas: $0.86/galHome: $37,900Min wage: $2.90/hrPresident: Jimmy Carter"My Sharona" — The KnackBest Picture: Kramer vs. Kramer
1982Turned 21
Michael Jackson releases Thriller
Gas: $1.22/galHome: $55,200Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"Physical" — Olivia Newton-JohnBest Picture: Gandhi
1991Turned 30
Soviet Union dissolves; World Wide Web goes public
Gas: $1.14/galHome: $82,400Min wage: $4.25/hrPresident: George H.W. Bush"(Everything I Do) I Do It for You" — Bryan AdamsBest Picture: The Silence of the Lambs
2001Turned 40
September 11 attacks transform the world
Gas: $1.46/galHome: $126,400Min wage: $5.15/hrPresident: George W. Bush"Hanging by a Moment" — LifehouseBest Picture: A Beautiful Mind
2011Turned 50
Osama bin Laden killed; Arab Spring sweeps the Middle East
Gas: $3.53/galHome: $138,400Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Barack Obama"Rolling in the Deep" — AdeleBest Picture: The Artist
2021Turned 60
January 6 Capitol breach; COVID vaccines roll out globally
Gas: $3.01/galHome: $298,900Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Joe Biden"Levitating" — Dua LipaBest Picture: CODA
2026Age 65 today
Gas: $3.91/galPresident: Donald Trump
Key Achievements
- Served as the Minister of Culture and Communications for Quebec from 2002 to 2003.
- Appointed as the President and Chief Executive Officer of the Commission de la construction du Québec in 2015.
- Held the seat for the riding of Bourget in the Quebec National Assembly from 1998 to 2008.
Did You Know?
She was first elected under the Parti Québécois banner.
Before politics, she worked as a journalist and communications advisor.
She served as the Deputy Government Whip in the National Assembly.
“I moved from making laws to ensuring the city follows them.”
