Westmount Mayor Peter Trent and famed author Roch Carrier were among the speakers who gave tribute to May Cutler, a pioneering journalist and book publisher who went on to serve as Mayor of Westmount from 1987 to 1991.
The memorial attracted approximately 200 people, filling Victoria Hall Saturday afternoon.
Cutler died at home March 3, 2011 aged 87.
Her four sons, daughters-in-law and several grandchildren were in attendance for the event as well.
Cutler was born May Ebbitt in Montreal's East end, a daughter of Irish immigrants. Her father was a police officer.
She was married to high-profile labour lawyer Phil Cutler, who predeceased her in 1987.
Cutler earned a Master's Degree from McGill and a MA in Journalism from Colombia in New York City.
She wrote for now-defunct newspapers, The Montreal Herald and The Montreal Standard as well as the Canadian Press.
In 1967, Cutler founded Tundra Books from her home. She published many children books over 28 years, these included her own Breaking Free and Once I Knew an Indian Woman as well as Roch Carrier's iconic The Hockey Sweater.
In 1987 Cutler ran for mayor of her hometown after she was told that she could not run an office out of the building she owned.
She defeated incumbent Brian Gallery to become the first female mayor of Westmount and led the town in a tumultuous four-year reign.
In 1995 Cutler retired from publishing after 28 years and sold Tundra to McClelland and Stewart.
Upon her news of her death, Snowdon city councillor Rotrand described Cutler to CTV News as someone who shook up the sometimes-sleepy burg of Westmount.
"For a woman and outsider to win seemed a bit unusual and I know some feathers were ruffled in Westmount," said Rotrand.
In one obituary, journalist Alan Hustak described Cutler's as wielding, "a steel fist in a boxer's glove."
Those wanting to pay tribute to Cutler are implored to contribute to the May Cutler Arts Fund which can be found at avenueart.ca.
