Caroline Desrochers

Caroline Desrochers
Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Housing and Infrastructure
Assumed office
June 5, 2025
MinisterGregor Robertson
Member of Parliament
for Trois-Rivières
Assumed office
April 28, 2025
Preceded byRené Villemure
Personal details
Born1972 or 1973 (age 53–54)[1]
PartyLiberal
SpouseDanny Myint
Children2
Alma mater

Caroline Desrochers is a Canadian politician, diplomat, civil servant, and economist who was elected to the Canadian House of Commons in the 2025 federal election. She represents Trois-Rivières as a member of the Liberal Party.

Early life, education and career

Desrochers grew up in Montreal's South Shore, the younger of two children. Her father was a truck driver, while her mother worked in the restaurant industry.[1] She graduated from Concordia University in 2000 with a Bachelor of Arts in economics,[2] and later completed a Master of Arts in media studies at The New School in New York City.[3] She is fluent in French, English, and Spanish.[3]

Following her undergraduate studies, Desrochers completed a six-month humanitarian internship in Mexico, working with street children.[1] She subsequently began an approximately 25-year career with Global Affairs Canada (GAC) and its predecessor departments, beginning with a two-year posting as a political and public affairs officer at the Canadian embassy in Haiti, where she met her husband.[1][4]

From 2015 to 2020, Desrochers was posted to the Consulate General of Canada in New York City as Director of Political and Cultural Affairs.[1][3] Her work on Canada–United States relations spanned approximately a decade.[4] The New York posting coincided with the first administration of U.S. President Donald Trump, during which she worked on the renegotiation of the North American Free Trade Agreement and on the first round of Trump-era tariffs on Canadian goods.[4] The family returned to Canada in 2020 and settled in Chelsea, Quebec.[1]

Following her return to Canada, Desrochers held additional positions at Global Affairs Canada, including a portfolio of bilateral relations with South America and a role leading a departmental Task Force on the Future of Work.[3] At the time she entered electoral politics, she was serving as Director General of Transformation at GAC,[5][3] a position involving work on the department's organizational modernization.[4]

Political career

In the 2021 federal election, Desrochers ran as the Liberal candidate in the riding of La Prairie.[5] She was defeated by Bloc Québécois incumbent Alain Therrien.[6]

On April 1, 2025, Desrochers was named the Liberal candidate for Trois-Rivières.[7] Later that month, she was elected to the House of Commons, unseating Bloc Québécois incumbent René Villemure. Her victory marked the first Liberal win in the riding since 1984 and the first time since 1993 that Trois-Rivières was represented by a member of the governing party.[8]

On June 5, 2025, Desrochers was appointed Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Housing and Infrastructure by the Prime Minister of Canada. On June 13, 2025, Desrochers was named a member of the Standing Committee on Human Resources, Skills and Social Development and the Status of Persons with Disabilities (HUMA).[9]

During the 45th Parliament, Desrochers was also appointed to six parliamentary associations and interparliamentary groups: the Canada–Europe Parliamentary Association, the Canadian NATO Parliamentary Association, the Canadian Branch of the Assemblée parlementaire de la Francophonie, the Canada–United States Inter-Parliamentary Group, the Canadian Section of ParlAmericas, and the Canadian Delegation to the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe Parliamentary Assembly.[10]

Personal life

Desrochers and her husband, Danny Myint, have two children.[1][5]

Electoral record

2025 Canadian federal election: Trois-Rivières
Party Candidate Votes%±%Expenditures
LiberalCaroline Desrochers25,14741.01+12.38$83,125.57
Bloc QuébécoisRené Villemure16,92127.60−1.89$33,855.86
ConservativeYves Levesque16,70827.25−2.10$67,897.19
New DemocraticMatthew Sévigny1,4372.34−5.71$0.00
GreenDavid Turcotte5690.93−0.37$0.00
People'sYan Patry3200.52−1.40$18.03
RhinocerosMathieu Doyon2150.35N/A$0.00
Total valid votes/expense limit 61,31798.32–$137,453.86
Total rejected ballots 1,0461.68-0.37
Turnout 62,36368.11+3.91
Eligible voters 91,563
Liberal gain from Bloc Québécois Swing +7.14
Source: Elections Canada[11][12]
Note: number of eligible voters does not include voting day registrations.
2021 Canadian federal election: La Prairie
Party Candidate Votes%±%Expenditures
Bloc QuébécoisAlain Therrien25,86243.73+1.9$27,187.05
LiberalCaroline Desrochers20,47034.61-2.0$64,263.73
ConservativeLise des Greniers5,8789.94+0.9$4,378.21
New DemocraticVictoria Hernandez4,3177.30-0.4$24.86
People'sRuth Fontaine1,5322.59+2.0$2,454.19
GreenBarbara Joannette9831.66-2.5$0.00
Marxist–LeninistNormand Chouinard980.17±0.0$0.00
Total valid votes/expense limit 59,14098.46–$117,466.66
Total rejected ballots 9241.541.17
Turnout 60,06467.79-4.2
Registered voters 88,603
Source: Elections Canada[13]

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 Légaré, Isabelle (May 3, 2025). "Caroline Desrochers: vivement la conciliation famille-politique!" [Caroline Desrochers: Bring on the reconciliation of family and politics!]. Le Nouvelliste (in Canadian French). Trois-Rivières, Quebec. Retrieved May 22, 2025.
  2. ↑ "Meet the Concordia alumni elected to Canada's 45th Parliament - Concordia University". www.concordia.ca. Retrieved May 20, 2025.
  3. 1 2 3 4 5 "Caroline Desrochers". carolinedesrochers.liberal.ca. Retrieved May 20, 2025.
  4. 1 2 3 4 The Canadian Press (August 11, 2025). "Many public servants ran for federal office in the spring — only one of them made it". Castanet. Retrieved May 19, 2026.
  5. 1 2 3 Houle, Sébastien (April 1, 2025). "Caroline Desrochers candidate libérale dans Trois-Rivières" [Caroline Desrochers Liberal candidate in Trois-Rivières]. Le Nouvelliste (in Canadian French). Trois-Rivières, Quebec. Retrieved May 22, 2025.
  6. ↑ Omar, Nida (May 20, 2021). "Canada election results: La Prairie". Global News. Retrieved May 22, 2025.
  7. ↑ Cossette, Jonathan (April 1, 2025). "De La Prairie à Trois-Rivières: Caroline Desrochers nommée candidate libérale" [From La Prairie to Trois-Rivières: Caroline Desrochers named Liberal candidate]. L'Hebdo Journal (in Canadian French). Retrieved May 22, 2025.
  8. ↑ Marceau, Marilyn (April 29, 2025). "Les libéraux remportent Trois-Rivières, une première en 40 ans" [Liberals win Trois-Rivières, a first in 40 years]. Radio-Canada (in Canadian French). Retrieved May 22, 2025.
  9. ↑ "Members of Parliament - Caroline Desrochers". www.ourcommons.ca. Retrieved May 19, 2026.
  10. ↑ "Roles - Caroline Desrochers - Current and Past". House of Commons of Canada. Retrieved May 19, 2026.
  11. ↑ "Voter information service". Elections Canada. Retrieved May 3, 2025.
  12. ↑ "Election Night Results - Electoral Districts". Elections Canada. Retrieved June 26, 2025.
  13. ↑ "Official Voting Results — La Prairie". Elections Canada. Retrieved November 5, 2025.