R. Irene d’Entremont, C.M., O.N.S., D.Comm hc, HL-Colhas served as Chair of the Board of Tourism Nova Scotia since 2017. She was born and raised in Pubnico, Nova Scotia and has been involved in sales and service, research and development, and manufacturing businesses in the Yarmouth area for over 40 years. She is president of ITG Information Management Inc., consulting in business management. She is past president of M.I.T. Electronics Inc., and Women’s Up-To-Date Shop Inc., and was Secretary-Treasurer of Wesmar Electronics Canada Limited.
Throughout her career, Irene has volunteered and served her community, province, and her country. In September 2019, she was appointed Honorary Lieutenant-Colonel of the 84th Independent Field Battery, RCA. Prior to becoming Chair of the Board of Tourism Nova Scotia in 2017, Irene was appointed Vice Chair of the inaugural tourism agency board in November 2012. Also in November 2012, Premier Dexter appointed her to the Nova Scotia Commission on Building Our New Economy (One Nova Scotia Commission). The following month, she was appointed to the Art Gallery of Nova Scotia Board of Governors. In September 2014, she was one of twenty-three women chosen from across Canada to represent the twenty-three fathers of Confederation at the Bold Vision - Women’s Leadership Conference in Prince Edward Island. Currently she is a director of the Aerospace and Defense Industries Association of Nova Scotia and also Vice-Chair of the American Chamber Atlantic Chapter and a board member of the National American Chamber. She is a board member of the Saint Mary’s Cathedral Basilica Foundation and director of the Yarmouth Hospital Foundation. She is also on the board of directors of the Forum for Young Canadians Foundation. Irene is the Past Chair of the Yarmouth Airport Board of Directors.
Involved with the Chamber of Commerce for many years, Irene has served as past Chair of the Nova Scotia Chamber of Commerce, the Atlantic Provinces Chamber of Commerce, and two terms on the Canadian Chamber of Commerce. She served two terms on the Advisory Board of Revenue Canada, on the Law Commission of Canada, and the Nova Scotia Advisory Board on Colleges and Universities. She is a past director of Emera Inc., Nova Scotia Power Inc., the Gulf of Maine Council on the Marine Environment, the Atlantic Canada Opportunities Agency, Nova Scotia Business Development Corporation and Marine Atlantic. While serving on these boards, she chaired many committees reporting to these boards.
Irene d’Entremont received the Governor General of Canada Commemorative Medal in 1993. She was inducted into the Nova Scotia Business Hall of Fame in 1994. She received an Honorary Doctorate of Commerce from St. Mary’s University in 1995. In October 2001, she was appointed to the Order of Canada and was also awarded the Queen’s Golden Jubilee Medal that year. In 2012 she received the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee Medal. In 2017 she received the Order of Nova Scotia. Irene has been listed in the International Who’s Who of Entrepreneurs and the Who’s Who of Canadian Women for almost twenty years. Over the course of her career and service, she has been awarded many other accolades for her leadership role in entrepreneurship and community development.