Dominique Ollivier leads the way as Black women blaze trail to Montreal's city hall

Four Black women are setto make their debuts on Montreal's political scene, led by Dominique Ollivier,who will soon become the second-most-powerful elected official in the city.

OllivierisMontreal's next executive committee president, marking the first time a Black person has held that role in the city.

Ollivier ran alongside Mayor Valrie Plante in the latest municipal elections, and secured the high-pressure gig by winning the city council seat in the Vieux-Rosemont district by a landslide.

"I won't lie. It felt a bit overwhelming," Ollivier said of her victory on Sunday. "It's not that I didn't think I could do it. All of my experiences have prepared me forsuch a job. But it was just the idea that, first of all, people of Rosemont put their faith in me and elected me."

Ollivier and her parents moved from Haiti to Quebec in 1964, first settling in the Abitibi-Temiscamingue region before moving to Montreal about four years later.

WATCH| Dominique Ollivier explains significance of her election victory:

First Black person to lead Montreal's executive committee

3 years ago

Duration 1:24

Last night Dominique Ollivier was elected city councillor for Vieux-Rosemont under the Projet Montral banner, and is now Valrie Plante's right-hand woman at city hall.

She has30 yearsof experiencein project management and communications, and is probably bestknown for her work as the commissioner and president of the city's public consultation body, theOffice de consultation publique de Montral,from 2009 up until September of this year.

She's also worked as a political aide for Parti Qubcois governments of the mid-1990s, as well as the federal Bloc Qubcoisin the early 2000s.

At the age of six, Ollivier says her dream was to become the mayor of Montreal. Decades later,she's set to be the mayor'ssecond-in-command.

As close as she is to the city's top seat, she's more eager to start her new job than think of what her future might hold.

"I think I'm getting a bit old now for those kind of dreams [of becoming mayor]. And, you know, I think that I'm achieving something that is as important and as interesting," she said,smiling from ear to ear.

"For me today, this election,and the fact that I'm not alone, that I'm coming with a lot of other people from different backgrounds, it's kind of the realization ofan entire [lifetime]."

Black woman leads city's most populousborough

Ollivieris right.She's not the only one who made history during the municipal election.

After trailing in votes all Sunday evening inCte-des-NeigesNotre-Dame-de-Grce,Gracia Kasoki Katahwaroared back to eke outa comeback victory,becoming the first Black woman in the city's history to becomeborough mayor.

Ericka Alnus, who is of Haitian descent, was electedas city councillor in the RosemontLa-Petite-Patrie borough,same as Ollivier. Martine Musau Muele won a council seat in the city's Villeray district.

All four women ran under the Projet Montral banner.

"I'm so proud, I could not think of a better way to enter politics," said Kasoki Katahwa, who grew upin the Democratic Republic of the Congo.

"We knew each other before even [entering] politics because we were collaborating on different projects. We are people that are engaged in the community and to see that we're going to be able be active all together, it's something that is really inspiring."

Black women will also make their presence felt in off-island municipalities.

Rolanda Balma, Reine Bombo-Allara andAffine Lwalalika will all sit onthe city council of Longueuil, on Montreal's South Shore.

Carla Pierre-Paul has grabbed a seat on the town council of Saint-Jerme, on the city's north shore.

Source of inspiration

Kasoki Katahwa, who is a former nurse and administrator with the province's Order of Nurses,says she wants tomakethe most of her opportunity so she can inspire others to get involved in politics.

"I hope that it's going to help decrease the cynicism that we have sometimes about politics," she said. "More and more, if anyone wants to do politics, they can do it."

For years, the city of Montreal hasfaced scrutiny for the lack of diversity among its elected officials, despite the fact visible minorities make up a more than a third of the local population.

Ollivier says having more Black women in office can have a major effect on girls who, like her when she was little, are dreaming of becoming mayor or even premier or prime minister.

She says it's important to keep highlighting these achievements, even if they are not historical firsts.

"If we want the youth, the children to be able to imagine themselves, to project themselves in all kinds of realms of life, you have to have role models," she said.

"What is important to celebrate is the second [person], the third, the fourth, until it becomes common practice. And that's what I'm hoping we can achieve."

For more stories about the experiences of Black Canadians from anti-Black racism to success stories within the Black community check out Being Black in Canada, a CBC project Black Canadians can be proud of.You can read more stories here.