MONTREAL

Former Grand Chief Konrad Sioui has been appointed chairman of the board of the SAAQ

Published Thursday, January 28, 2021 6:17AM EST

Former Huron Wendat grand chief Konrad Sioui

Huron Wendat chief Konrad Sioui responds to a reporter's questions at the beginning of a meeting with the Quebec government as a follow up to the Viens Report, Thursday, October 17, 2019 in Quebec City. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Jacques Boissinot

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QUEBEC CITY -- Former Grand Chief of the Huron-Wendat Nation Konrad Sioui will take the reins of the board of directors of the Société de l'assurance automobile du Québec (SAAQ).

Sioui was appointed to this post by the Council of Ministers on Wednesday.

He thus becomes the first representative of an Indigenous community to head the board of directors of a crown corporation in Quebec.

In a statement, Sioui said he was "very enthusiastic" about his new responsibilities.

Minister of Transport François Bonnardel welcomed the appointment and praised Sioui's qualities, saying Sioui's experience and human relations experience will help the SAAQ "in the constant improvement of its customer service and to road accidents."

Sioui was Grand Chief of the Huron-Wendat Nation from 2008 to 2020 in Wendake, in the Quebec region. He was defeated in the most recent election by the current Grand Chief Remy Vincent.

Sioui defeated former grand chief Max Gros-Louis in 2008. Gros-Louis died last November.

-- this report by The Canadian Press was first published Jan. 27, 2021.