Labelle-Gélinas Denise

Article by Kathleen Hay
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December 30, 2008

Whether it's in her role as city clerk or at home working on a craft project, Denise Labelle-Gélinas has a definite eye for detail. The long time City of Cornwall employee loves to relax by quilting, sewing or painting. She's seen here with just a few of the projects she's completed over the years.

Denise Labelle-Gélinas has almost grown up at city hall. The middle child of six children
Robert, Richard, Nicole, then Denise, André and Jacques born to Lucien and Irène Labelle, she attended St-Gabriel and Notre Dame.

Upon graduation from General Vanier Secondary School, she briefly worked as a clerical Girl Friday at the former Unemployment Insurance. Shortly afterwards, she was called for an interview with the City of Cornwall; where she's been working since age 19.

Her first position was as a junior tax collector. Working her way up through the ranks, her later positions included purchasing department secretary, vital statistics clerk,
administrative assistant and deputy-clerk.

As well, she also broadened her experience as a Zamboni driver and maintenance worker during the infamous ll-month city strike in 1992! In 2001, she officially became city
clerk, upon the retirement of Richard Allaire.

Denise continued part-time-studies for four years at St. Lawrence College while working to complete Business Administration studies, as well as traveling to Ottawa in the
evenings for one year to complete her AMCT designation.

She is on a number of boards, including the Cornwall Community Hospital Foundation, where she currently sits on the nomination committee. She is a past board member of the Association of Municipal Clerks and Treasurers of Ontario; and currently sits on its
municipal education research foundation committee. Denise describes herself as a " good time golfer and curler who enjoys participating in tournaments. As well, she's a very artsy
craftsy person who hand stitches quilts, paints and sews.

She and her husband, Daniel, of 32 years, are the proud parents of Isabelle and Catherine.

Q1. What's the secret to driving a Zamboni?
The focal point at the front of the machine is what determines where your water line is. You need to make sure your auger is clear of snow. The hardest part is to make sure you have the right cut, the blade is what shaves. You need to have an angle on the blade to make sure you're not shaving off the ice.

Q 2. What did it feel like the first time you officiated at a wedding?
That was Feb. 11, 2005. I was so nervous. I was beet red and I could feel the heat rising. I wanted to make their ceremony special for them. On average during a year, we perform about 115 weddings.

Q3. What is the most challenging aspect of your job?
Most challenging is to make sure when the chair calls on the clerk, or any council member, for a ruling on procedure, to make sure what you give them is the right
ruling. You have to be on your toes, regardless if it's 10 p.m. Being prepared for your meeting and knowing the controversial issues is key.

Q4. What's the best advice you've received?
I think of my dad and of the previous clerk, Mr. Allaire. My father would always tell me,
You have to control your emotions, you wear them on your sleeve." Mr. Allaire would tell me the same thing. I always ask myself, "How is this going to change my life tomorrow?" You have to be neutral in this position.

Q5. Most memorable moment on a curling rink?
Probably falling face-first in a city tournament! I lost my footing. It was all in good fun!

Q6. What's your favourite way to unwind?
Probably sitting down and reading a novel. Diving into a story that has nothing to do with me! How I identify a good holiday if we go away for a week, I get four books. Three, I'm happy, four; I'm ecstatic

Q7. Most embarrassing record purchase?
When I was a teenager, my brother, Richard, bought me Engelbret Humperdinck record.
"Why did he buy me this I thought" I'll never forget that.

Q8. What gets your goat?
A couple of. things. Tardiness. I'm never late. And if I am, it's something out of my control me. If I am, I'll call. Number two is disorganization or sloppiness.

Q9. What are you doing New Year's Eve?
My husband and I are going out for a nice quiet dinner: Reservation. have been made - I'm organized! Then we're renting a movie. We like adventure ones. I reserve the restaurant, he picks the movie.

Q10. Your brother is a priest would you ever go to confession if he were on the other side
hearing it?
Never! I think about that often and it's always, "No." He's still my brother.

Q.11. What did you want to be when you were a little girl?
An airline stewardess. You think, "They fly all over the world, meet interesting people, visit places." It's the romantic part of the job.

Q12. What book are you reading right now?
Right now I'm into a trilogy: Fire Along the Sky, by Sara Donati. It's the fourth of five books and is about a native family in the early 1700s.

Q 13. Who's the most famous person you've met?
When I was very young, I shook the Queen's hand. I was a Brownie at the time. It was so exciting! I met Pierre Elliott Trudeau, too, and shook his hand. He visited General Vanier when the school was opened.

Q14. What would be your thrill of a lifetime?
I would have to say to travel the world. Go visit China, Australia, wherever. It would take a whole year or two. Just to be there to see, feel and live the culture.

Q15. What do you think has been the most contentious issue for city council over the
years?
It would have to be when they went through a major re-organization. Many people were let go. It was after the strike; either in 1993 or '94. That was very difficult to live
through. All of the staff were on pins and needles. We saw coworkers losing jobs.

Q16.. What's your kareoke song?
I'd hide under the table. I can't carry a note. I have a lot of other talents, but singing is not one of them!

Q17. What female politician have you admired over the years? At any level?
Hazel McCallum. What an icon! She's as sharp as a knife and doesn't back off from any issue. I admire that. She's respected by all levels of government for what she's done over the years. It must be very interesting working for that woman.

Q18. If you didn't work for city hall, where would you like to work?
The legal world. I would love that. The challenge of working a case, the research, presentation and the delivery:

Q19. What piece of craft work is your greatest accomplishment?
Definitely completing my first queen size quilt, from start to finish. Picking out the material, laying out the pattern, cutting, assembly, hand stitching it. It took
me over a year to complete. My mother, grandmother and aunt all quilted, and I took a course here in town. It's such a big job, I thought, "Can I do it?"

Q. 20. What is the most memorable Christmas present you've either given or received?
As a little girl, my mother - well, Santa Claus - gave me a Tiny Tears doll. I loved her. She smelled 'new doll.' You gave her a bottle of water and she would cry: That was my most precious gift.