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editorial

It's easy to forget, given its reputation for social progressivism, that Quebec was the last province to grant universal suffrage and among the last to adopt pay-equity legislation.

Indeed, it was only in 2011 that Montreal recognized Jeanne Mance, a nurse who opened New France's second hospital, as a co-founder.

All of which to say Valérie Plante's election as mayor of Montreal is a welcome, refreshing and overdue development.

There will be zeitgeist-y talk of generational shifts and a populist revolt against incumbent elites, but the fact is the 43-year-old Ms. Plante won on the merits of an expertly run campaign centred on a passel of ambitious urbanist ideas, and her seemingly boundless reserves of determination and charm.

Significantly, this week's election also marks the first time women will outnumber men in Montreal's elected ranks.

Of the 103 incoming city and borough councillors, 53 are women; eight of 19 borough mayors will be women.

It's a similar story across the province. Though several recounts are pending, it seems likely that next week the province will count more women holding municipal office than ever.

A gender income gap persists: According to the most recent Statistics Canada figures, Quebec women aged 25-54 who are paid hourly earn 90.08 cents for every dollar earned by a man.

But the disparity is narrower than the national average – Canada remains a laggard among developed nations at 87.9 cents on the dollar.

Quebec's success, which should be studied more closely than it is in the rest of Canada, is a function of concerted policy action, including subsidized daycare, the expansion of parental leaves and the institution of gender parity in cabinet by former premier Jean Charest in 2007.

He was succeeded by Pauline Marois, the daycare program's main architect, and five years on Ms. Plante is moving into an office a few dozen metres from where Ms. Mance lived 375 years ago and filled an underplayed role in the survival of what was then known as Ville-Marie.

In addition to founding the Hôtel-Dieu Hospital, her financial connections in France allowed the Great Recruitment of 1653 to take place, quadrupling the population and saving the colony.

Fittingly, Ms. Plante's new titles include mayor of the borough of Ville-Marie.

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