She was the daughter of Thérèse (née de Salaberry) and Charles Archer, a judge on the Quebec superior court.

Her mother was a descendant of Charles de Salaberry, a military officer and statesman in Lower Canada.

[2] Madame Vanier was the first non-political woman to be appointed to the Queen's Privy Council for Canada.

Their son Jean founded L'Arche, and their daughter Thérèse was a medical doctor who specialized in haematology and palliative care.

Madame Vanier Hall, a women's residence at St. Thomas University in Fredericton, New Brunswick, also bears her name.