Louise Imbeault is a respected journalist, a women’s rights advocate, and a lifelong champion of the Acadian community.
Ms. Imbeault began working in journalism in 1969 as a reporter for former Moncton-based newspaper L’Évangéline. In 1974, she joined Radio-Canada, where she built a distinguished career over 30+ years, including as host, reporter, news director, and as the first woman news editor in the Atlantic region. In 1996, she became the director of Radio-Canada Atlantique, which was renamed Radio-Canada Acadie under her leadership, reflecting a commitment to promoting Acadian culture through expanded regional programming and original content. She retired from Radio-Canada in 2011 and has served as Chancellor of the University of Moncton since 2018.
Throughout her life, Ms. Imbeault has been a tireless advocate for women’s rights, Acadian culture, the arts, and Indigenous Peoples. In 1984 and 1986, she served as Canada’s representative on the Women’s Rights Commission at the UNESCO General Conference in Paris. More recently, she was Advisor, Vice-President, then interim President of the Regroupement féministe du Nouveau-Brunswick. She was elected President of the Société Nationale de l’Acadie in 2017 and is a member of the Association des boursiers et boursières France-Acadie. Active in her community, she has also served as Co-Chair of the Moncton Cultural Board and Vice-President of the Board of Directors of the New Brunswick Museum. Since 2012, she has been leading Bouton d’Or Acadie, a publishing house that supports the creation of literary works for Acadian youth, promotes Acadian culture, and has published books in Indigenous languages to shine a light on Indigenous stories.
In recognition of her contributions, Ms. Imbeault has received numerous awards and recognitions, including the Order of Moncton, the Order of New Brunswick, and the Order of Canada, to which she was appointed as Officer in 2023. Her work in journalism was recognized in 2009 with Radio-Canada’s President’s Award. The following year, the Société de l’Acadie du Nouveau-Brunswick awarded her the Prix Albert Sormany to celebrate her invaluable contributions to Acadia.
Ms. Imbeault holds a Bachelor of Arts in Economics and Philosophy and a Bachelor of Education, both from the University of Moncton. She lives in Moncton and is a mother of four.