Trafalgar Students Don’t Just Learn History - They Make It.
Version française ci-dessous
It was recently announced by the city of Montreal that trailblazing feminist and union organizer Madeleine Parent, Class of 1936, will be honoured with a metro station in her name. Departing from the tradition of naming stations after nearby streets, the future Blue Line stations will pay tribute to communities that have shaped Montreal’s history while highlighting the significant contributions of women like Madeleine Parent to Quebec’s social, cultural, and economic development.
Madeleine Parent ’36 came to Trafalgar School to improve her English and immediately embodied Trafalgar’s tradition of fearless, forward-thinking women. After graduating from Trafalgar, she studied sociology at McGill University, where she quickly became engaged in social causes. A “fighter” even in her youth, Parent joined the Canadian Students Assembly to advocate for access to bursaries for underprivileged families and became active in Catholic associations before entering the protest branch of the student movement.
Her passion for justice only deepened after graduation from McGill University. At a Civil Rights League meeting, Parent met union organizer Léa Roback, who drew her into the labour movement. Despite the male-dominated world of unions, she rose to become secretary of the organizing committee for the Montreal trades and labour council. Over the decades, Parent fought tirelessly on many fronts: she co-founded the National Action Committee on the Status of Women (NAC), represented Québec from 1972 to 1983, defended Indigenous women’s rights, and campaigned for equal pay.
For its 125th anniversary, Trafalgar School published 125 Women of Trafalgar, honouring its most notable alumnae, and Madeleine Parent was proudly among them. Susan Stevenson, Chair of the Trafalgar-Ross Foundation had the opportunity to interview Madeleine. "I was told I'd have 10 minutes with her, and we spoke for an hour and a half. She was just absolutely sensational, even in her old age. She had a lot to say and was happy to talk about Trafalgar, sharing that she came here to learn English, which ultimately gave her so much more flexibility and capability in her leading of the union movement at Dominion Textile."
Parent has already had her remarkable contributions celebrated throughout Quebec, with the Madeleine Parent Bridge on Autoroute 30 in Beauharnois, a park along the Lachine Canal in Montreal’s Sud-Ouest borough, a public urban space in Salaberry-de-Valleyfield, and a Canada Post stamp issued in her honour in 2023.
Even in her later years, Parent never stopped standing up for what she believed in, petitioning against a mandatory lights-out rule at her senior’s residence, proving that her courage and spirit were lifelong.
Madeleine Parent’s legacy is a reflection of Trafalgar’s motto: Success Nourishes Hope. The values she championed continue to shape every Trafalgar graduate who goes on to lead with purpose, using their success not only to achieve, but to uplift others and give back to their communities all over the world.
It was recently announced by the city of Montreal that trailblazing feminist and union organizer Madeleine Parent, Class of 1936, will be honoured with a metro station in her name. Departing from the tradition of naming stations after nearby streets, the future Blue Line stations will pay tribute to communities that have shaped Montreal’s history while highlighting the significant contributions of women like Madeleine Parent to Quebec’s social, cultural, and economic development.
Madeleine Parent ’36 came to Trafalgar School to improve her English and immediately embodied Trafalgar’s tradition of fearless, forward-thinking women. After graduating from Trafalgar, she studied sociology at McGill University, where she quickly became engaged in social causes. A “fighter” even in her youth, Parent joined the Canadian Students Assembly to advocate for access to bursaries for underprivileged families and became active in Catholic associations before entering the protest branch of the student movement.
Her passion for justice only deepened after graduation from McGill University. At a Civil Rights League meeting, Parent met union organizer Léa Roback, who drew her into the labour movement. Despite the male-dominated world of unions, she rose to become secretary of the organizing committee for the Montreal trades and labour council. Over the decades, Parent fought tirelessly on many fronts: she co-founded the National Action Committee on the Status of Women (NAC), represented Québec from 1972 to 1983, defended Indigenous women’s rights, and campaigned for equal pay.
For its 125th anniversary, Trafalgar School published 125 Women of Trafalgar, honouring its most notable alumnae, and Madeleine Parent was proudly among them. Susan Stevenson, Chair of the Trafalgar-Ross Foundation had the opportunity to interview Madeleine. "I was told I'd have 10 minutes with her, and we spoke for an hour and a half. She was just absolutely sensational, even in her old age. She had a lot to say and was happy to talk about Trafalgar, sharing that she came here to learn English, which ultimately gave her so much more flexibility and capability in her leading of the union movement at Dominion Textile."
Parent has already had her remarkable contributions celebrated throughout Quebec, with the Madeleine Parent Bridge on Autoroute 30 in Beauharnois, a park along the Lachine Canal in Montreal’s Sud-Ouest borough, a public urban space in Salaberry-de-Valleyfield, and a Canada Post stamp issued in her honour in 2023.
Even in her later years, Parent never stopped standing up for what she believed in, petitioning against a mandatory lights-out rule at her senior’s residence, proving that her courage and spirit were lifelong.
Madeleine Parent’s legacy is a reflection of Trafalgar’s motto: Success Nourishes Hope. The values she championed continue to shape every Trafalgar graduate who goes on to lead with purpose, using their success not only to achieve, but to uplift others and give back to their communities all over the world.
Version Française
Les élèves de Trafalgar ne se contentent pas d'apprendre l'histoire, elles l’écrivent.
Les élèves de Trafalgar ne se contentent pas d'apprendre l'histoire, elles l’écrivent.
La ville de Montréal a récemment annoncé qu'une future station de métro serait baptisée en l'honneur de Madeleine Parent, féministe pionnière et organisatrice syndicale, diplômée de la promotion de 1936. S'éloignant de la tradition à donner aux stations le nom des rues et lieux avoisinants, les cinq futures stations de la ligne bleue rendront hommage aux communautés qui ont façonné l'histoire de Montréal, tout en soulignant les contributions importantes de femmes comme Madeleine Parent au développement social, culturel et économique du Québec.
Madeleine Parent, diplômée en 1936, est venue au Collège Trafalgar pour améliorer son anglais et a immédiatement incarné la tradition de Trafalgar, celle de femmes intrépides et avant-gardistes. Après avoir fini ses études secondaires à Trafalgar, elle a étudié la sociologie à l'université McGill, où elle s'est rapidement impliquée dans des causes sociales. Combattante dès son plus jeune âge, Madeleine Parent a rejoint le Canadian Students Assembly pour défendre l'accès aux bourses d'études pour les familles défavorisées et s'est engagée dans des associations catholiques avant de rejoindre la branche contestataire du mouvement étudiant.
Sa passion pour la justice n'a fait que s'intensifier après l'obtention de son diplôme à l'Université McGill. Lors d'une réunion de la Ligue des droits civils, Madeleine Parent a rencontré la syndicaliste Léa Roback, qui l'a entraînée dans le mouvement syndical. Malgré le monde syndical dominé par les hommes, elle a gravi les échelons pour devenir secrétaire du comité organisateur du Conseil des métiers et du travail de Montréal. Au fil des décennies, Madeleine Parent s'est battue sans relâche sur de nombreux fronts : elle a cofondé le Comité d'action pour le statut de la femme, représenté le Québec de 1972 à 1983, défendu les droits des femmes autochtones et milité pour l'égalité salariale.
À l'occasion de son 125e anniversaire, le Collège Trafalgar a publié 125 Women of Trafalgar, rendant hommage à ses anciennes élèves les plus remarquables, parmi lesquelles figurait fièrement Madeleine Parent. Susan Stevenson, présidente de la Fondation Trafalgar-Ross, a eu l'occasion d'interviewer Madeleine. « On m'avait dit que j'aurais 10 minutes avec elle, et nous avons parlé pendant une heure et demie. Elle était tout simplement sensationnelle, même à son âge avancé. Elle avait beaucoup à dire et était heureuse de parler de Trafalgar, racontant qu'elle était venue ici pour améliorer son anglais, ce qui lui a finalement donné beaucoup plus de flexibilité et de capacités en menant le mouvement syndical chez Dominion Textile. »
Les contributions remarquables de Mme Parent ont déjà été célébrées partout au Québec, avec le pont Madeleine Parent sur l'autoroute 30 à Beauharnois, un parc le long du canal Lachine dans l'arrondissement Sud-Ouest de Montréal, un espace public urbain à Salaberry-de-Valleyfield et un timbre de Postes Canada émis en son honneur en 2023.
Même dans ses dernières années, Mme Parent n'a jamais cessé de défendre ses convictions, en lançant une pétition contre une règle imposant l'extinction obligatoire des lumières dans sa résidence pour personnes âgées, prouvant ainsi que son courage et son esprit étaient intacts.
Même dans ses dernières années, Mme Parent n'a jamais cessé de défendre ses convictions, en lançant une pétition contre une règle imposant l'extinction obligatoire des lumières dans sa résidence pour personnes âgées, prouvant ainsi que son courage et son esprit étaient intacts.
L'héritage de Madeleine Parent reflète la devise de Trafalgar : Spem Succesus Alit « Le succès nourrit l'espoir ». Les valeurs qu'elle a défendues continuent d'influencer chaque diplômé de Trafalgar qui poursuit sa carrière avec détermination, utilisant son succès non seulement pour atteindre ses objectifs, mais aussi pour inspirer les autres et contribuer à la communauté mondiale.
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