In Toronto, she became the don of Victoria University, Toronto's French house as well as teaching French while studying at the University. Rièse obtained three degrees: a Bachelor of Arts in 1933, an M.A. in 1935 and was the first female faculty member to obtain a Ph.D. from the university in 1946. Rièse was a French professor in Victoria University's French Faculty, teaching courses about French-Canadian authors and Quebec's place in la francophonie. Being a female professor at an institution such as the University of Toronto in the 1930s was exceptional; however she had to do different things because she was a woman and almost the same age as her students, at least at first. It is important to realize that although she wore more masculine clothing, she never thought of herself as masculine; she just found it easier to wear 'boyish' clothing than 'girlish' clothing.
