Sophie Grégoire - Television, Family and Family

Sophie Gregoire was born as the only child of Jean Gregoire and Estelle Blais on 24 April 1975 in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. Her father was a stockbroker and her mother worked as a Franco-Ontarian nurse.

Her family relocated from Sainte Adele to Montreal when she was four years old. She completed her high school from the private ‘Pensionnat du Saint-Nom-de-Marie’ in Outremont. She was a good student and took part in sports and outdoor activities while she was in school.

Subsequently, she went to College at ‘Jean-de-Brebeuf’ for a while and later attended Mc Gill University to study commerce, thinking she would follow her father’s footsteps in the stock market. However, she realised that she was not comfortable in the financial market and finally graduated with a Bachelor of Arts degree in Communications from the University de Montreal.

She suffered from an eating disorder called Bulimia Nervosa from the age of 17 and had to undergo therapy and yoga classes till she recovered by the age of 20. Since then she has been helping people with the disorder.

After college, she worked as a receptionist and assistant in an advertising firm for three years but decided to change track and pursued a degree in Radio and Television at the ‘Ecole de Radio et Television Promedia’ in Montreal. She loved arts and culture and enjoyed her new line.

Her first job in the media was to write the news ticker in a newsroom in Montreal. She then went on to work as an entertainment reporter for LCN’s daily showbiz segment. She contributed to TVA and hosted Canal Evasion’s ‘Escales de Reves’ and Canal Z’s ‘Teksho’. She also co-hosted the CKMF Radio morning shows and Radio Canada’s ‘Coup de Pouce’ programme.

In 2000, she added to her portfolio by working as a personal shopper for the high end departmental store, Holt Renfrew. She came into contact with many celebrities during this period.

As time went by, she became a seasoned entertainment reporter and known television and radio personality. From 2005 to 2010 she served as e’Talks Quebec correspondent and reported on the philanthropic activities of celebrities and activists. She enjoyed writing about people who brought about a positive change to society.

She was herself actively involved in a number of charity initiatives of non-profit making organizations where she has been a spokesperson and hosted several events. She has supported ‘Sheena’s Place’ and ‘BACA’ that assist people with eating disorders. She has also worked to uplift the condition of women and cancer patients. Gender equality and children’s rights are subjects that have always been close to her heart.

She has often spoken for the rights of Canada’s aboriginal communities and worked towards improving the mental health of the average Canadian.

She travelled to Ethiopia with her mother – in – law, Margret Trudeau, to support the cause of clean drinking water for poverty ridden countries. The trip was featured as a documentary titled, ‘A Window Opens: Margret and Sophie in Ethiopia’, which was aired in 2007.

She is the national brand ambassador for Canada’s initiative focussing on women issues called ‘Because I am a Girl’ and is a spokesperson for ‘The Shield of Athena’ which deals with domestic violence against women and children. She has also worked in the field of providing proper nutrition to pregnant women who are at risk.

Her major work has been in the field of woman and child welfare. The documentary, ‘A Window Opens: Margret and Sophie in Ethiopia’ and her work in ‘Because I am a Girl’ are examples of her philanthropic endeavours.

Gregoire is married to Justin Trudeau, who she had first met when she attended school with his younger brother, Michel, who died in an avalanche. They reconnected as adults when they co-hosted a charity ball in 2003. They started dating and got married in May 2005 in a Catholic ceremony. They have three children - Xavier James, Ella Grace and Hadrien. She has worked hard to bring up her children and keep her marriage strong.

As a mother she considers herself the nucleus of the family and believes that it is essential for mothers to teach their children good values by personal example.

Her husband became a Member of Parliament in 2008 and went on to become the leader of the Liberal Party of Canada by 2013. He was officially sworn-in as the Prime Minister of Canada in November 2015. She was by his side throughout his political career and campaign for Prime Minister. She took the hyphenated surname Gregoire – Trudeau after her husband became the Prime Minister.

She was always intrigued by the entertainment world and wanted to make a difference using her celebrity status after her marriage. Even after her husband became the Prime Minister, she remained a media person and made it a point to address the press on all important issues.

Her father-in-law was also the Prime Minister of Canada, 47 years before her husband.

She introduced her brother-in-law, Alexandre, to his future wife.

She is fluent in French, English and Spanish and brought up her children to speak English and French.

She has studied classical flute and plays the guitar. She also learnt ballet, jazz and African dance when she was young. She went on to learn ‘Hatha’ yoga and became a certified teacher in 2012.

In 2016, she sang a song she had composed titled ‘Smile Back at Me’ at the end of a speech delivered by her in honour of Martin Luther King, Jr Day at Ottawa City Hall. She received a standing ovation for her effort. However, music critiques called her out of pitch. A remix version of the song is available online.