Viola Léger

Viola Léger (June 29, 1930 – January 28, 2023) was an American-born Canadian actress and politician who served in the Senate of Canada from 2001 to 2005.Born in Fitchburg, Massachusetts, Léger received a B.A. and a B.Ed. from the Université de Moncton, and an M.F.A. (Theater Education) from Boston University. As an actress, she was most noted for playing the title role in Antonine Maillet's play La Sagouine for both stage and television, performing the role over 3,000 times over the course of her career.She was appointed to the Senate at the recommendation of Prime Minister Jean Chrétien, in 2001, representing the senatorial division of L'Acadie, New Brunswick. She was a member of the Liberal caucus. Léger retired from the Senate on June 29, 2005 at the mandatory retirement age of 75.Léger died in Dieppe, New Brunswick on January 28, 2023, at the age of 92.