History of the AQC

The IBCLC profession was created in 1985 with the support of the La Leche League International. The need for a breastfeeding professional had become evident; mothers needed specialized support for increasingly complex situations.

 

In Montreal, the number of IBCLCs was still very limited before the 2000s, with less than 20 across the province. Some of the early IBCLCs took the initiative to gather at each other’s homes to chat. Over time, word of mouth networks brought more people in. The idea of ​​a provincial association had already been proposed, but the interest did not seem to be there.

 

This was still the case when the project of a provincial association was taken up by Odile Lapointe during one of these meetings in 2001. This time, the timing was good. Naznin Hébert joined her during the break, and the two women made a pact to each recruit a colleague. This is how Dany Gauthier and Francine Martel joined the team to form the first AQC board of directors. At the subsequent local meeting, the four IBCLCs introduced the new provincial association that they had formed.