[1] Her portfolio included social and community development, family policy, status of women, housing, urban Indigenous people and senior citizens.
Born in London, England, and Montreal resident since the age of two, Cowell-Poitras studied business at Concordia University.
Prior to becoming a city councillor, Cowell-Poitras was president of NATA, a business that coordinated conferences and volunteering workshops in the community.
Following her retirement from politics, Cowell-Poitras returned to school to complete a DEC in Library and Information Technologies at John Abbott College.
In 2018, she was named Resolutions Convenor for the National Council of Women Canada and she volunteers every Friday morning at Villa Beaurepaire Senior's Residence in Beaconsfield.