Christiane Germain to step down as Santé Québec board chair

Christiane Germain will leave her role as chair of Santé Québec’s board of directors on Oct. 30, 2026, the provincial agency announced Tuesday. Santé Québec oversees Quebec’s healthcare system and was created in 2023 under the province’s health reform legislation. Germain, who cofounded Germain Hotels and served as the agency’s first board chair, said helping launch the organization was an important and meaningful part of her career. Health Minister Sonia Bélanger and Santé Québec CEO Geneviève Biron both thanked her for helping establish the new agency. Her time in the role was also marked by controversy. Critics questioned her appointment as partisan, and she later apologized after liking a social media post tied to Quebec politics. The government defended the board appointments at the time.