Lucile Champagne was a French Catholic nun, a trained psychotherapist, the first female chaplain of Saint Paul University, and the founder of EcoEquitable.

In the early 2000s, she realized that her office in the basement of the Bronson Centre had some extra space. That just wouldn’t do for Lucile, so she helped begin a women’s support group that could use the room as needed. After a donation of used sewing machines and with a play coming up, it seemed natural for the group to offer to sew the costumes for the production. As the women worked together — shoulder to shoulder, not face to face — Lucile noticed that working together towards a common goal gave the women a renewed sense of meaning and purpose. On top of that, they were talking. They were talking about child care and immigration status and social assistance and many other things — they were talking about the real issues that were directly affecting their lives. They were talking openly about these problems that are usually so difficult to discuss. Work created a safe space for these women.

The principles that Lucile lived her life by are the same values she embedded within EcoEquitable. She was relentlessly inclusive and compassionate.