René Lévesque
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René Lévesque National Assembly of Québec | |
---|---|
In office June 22, 1960 – April 29, 1970 | |
Preceded by | Arsène Gagné |
Succeeded by | André Marchand |
Constituency | Montréal-Laurier (1960–66) Laurier (1966–1970) |
In office November 15, 1976 – December 2, 1985 | |
Preceded by | Guy Leduc |
Succeeded by | Claude Filion |
Constituency | Taillon |
Personal details | |
Born | Campbellton, New Brunswick, Canada | August 24, 1922
Died | November 1, 1987 Montreal, Quebec, Canada | (aged 65)
Cause of death | Heart attack |
Political party |
|
Spouses | |
Profession | Journalist |
Military service | |
Allegiance | United States |
Branch/service | United States Army |
Years of service | 1944–45 |
Rank | Liaison officer |
Battles/wars | World War II |
René Lévesque
Early life
Lévesque was born in the Hôtel Dieu Hospital in Campbellton, New Brunswick, on August 24, 1922. He was raised in New Carlisle, Quebec, on the Gaspé Peninsula, by his parents, Diane (née Dionne) and Dominic Lévesque, a lawyer.[3] He had three siblings, André, Fernand and Alice.[citation needed] His father died when Lévesque was 14 years old.[4]
Journalist
Lévesque attended the Séminaire de Gaspé and the
During 1944–1945, he served as a liaison officer and war correspondent for the
In 1947, he married Louise L'Heureux, with whom he had two sons and a daughter.[3] Lévesque worked as a reporter for the CBC's French language section in the international service. He again served as a war correspondent for the CBC in the Korean War in 1952. After that, he was offered a career in journalism in the United States, but decided to stay in Canada.[7]
From 1956 to 1959, Lévesque became famous in Quebec for hosting a weekly television news program on
Lévesque covered international events and major labour struggles between workers and corporations that dogged the
While working for the public television network, he became personally involved in the broadcasters' strike that lasted 68 tumultuous days beginning in late 1958. Lévesque was arrested during a demonstration in 1959, along with union leader Jean Marchand and 24 other demonstrators.
Early political career
Libéral cabinet minister
In 1960, Lévesque entered politics as a
From 1965 to 1966, he served as minister of family and welfare. Lévesque, with his friend Eric Kierans, the Quebec minister of health, was heavily involved in negotiations with the Government of Canada to fund both Quebec and federal mandates for social programs.
In a surprise, the Liberals lost the 1966 election to the Union Nationale but Lévesque retained his own seat of Laurier. Believing that the Canadian federation was doomed to fail, Lévesque began to openly champion separation from Canada as part of the Liberal platform at the upcoming party conference. Kierans, who had been elected party president, led the movement against the motion, with future premier Robert Bourassa attempting to mediate the dispute before siding with Kierans. The resolution was handily defeated, and Lévesque walked out with his followers.
Founding of the Parti Québécois
After leaving the Liberal Party, he founded the Mouvement Souveraineté-Association (MSA). In contrast to more militant nationalist movements, such as Pierre Bourgault's Rassemblement pour l'Indépendance Nationale (RIN), the party eschewed direct action and protest and attempted instead to appeal to the broader electorate, whom Lévesque called "normal people". The main contention in the first party conference was the proposed policy toward Quebec's Anglophone minority; Lévesque faced down heavy opposition to his insistence that English schools and language rights be protected.
The election of hardline federalist
The Parti Québécois gained 25 per cent of the vote in the 1970 election, running on a platform of declaring independence if government was formed. The PQ only won six seats, and Lévesque continued to run the party from Montreal by communicating with the caucus in Quebec City.
The 1973 election saw a large Liberal victory, and created major tensions within the party, especially after Lévesque was unable to gain a seat. A quarrel with House Leader Robert Burns almost ended Lévesque's leadership shortly thereafter.
Premier of Quebec (1976–1985)
Lévesque and his party won a landslide victory at the 1976 election, with Lévesque finally re-entering the Assembly as the member for Taillon in downtown Longueuil. His party assumed power with 41.1 per cent of the popular vote and 71 seats out of 110, and even managed to unseat Bourassa in his own riding. Lévesque became premier of Quebec ten days later. The night of Lévesque's acceptance speech included one of his most famous quotations: "I never thought that I could be so proud to be Québécois."[citation needed]
French language
His government's signature achievement was the Quebec
Quebec nationalism
Lévesque was disappointed with the cold response by the American economic elite to his first speech in New York City as Premier of Quebec, in which he compared Quebec's march towards sovereignty to the American Revolution. His first speech in France was, however, more successful, leading him to a better appreciation of the French intelligentsia and of French culture.[citation needed]
On May 20, 1980, the PQ held, as promised before the elections, the 1980 Quebec referendum on its sovereignty-association plan. The result of the vote was 40 per cent in favour and 60 per cent opposed (with 86 per cent turnout). Lévesque conceded defeat in the referendum by announcing that, as he had understood the verdict, he had been told "until next time".[10]
Lévesque led the PQ to victory in the 1981 election, increasing the party's majority in the National Assembly and increasing its share of the popular vote from 41 to 49 per cent.[citation needed]
A major focus of his second mandate was the
Other policies and events
On February 6, 1977, Lévesque accidentally killed Edgar Trottier, a homeless man who had been lying on the road, while driving his car. Trottier had in the past repeatedly used the maneuver to secure a hospital bed for the night. Police officers at the scene did not administer the breathalyzer test to Lévesque, because they did not suspect that he was impaired.[11] Lévesque was later fined $25 for failing to wear his glasses while driving a car on the night in question.[12] The incident gained further notoriety when it was revealed that the female companion in the vehicle was not his wife, but his longtime secretary, Corinne Côté. Lévesque's marriage ended in divorce soon thereafter (the couple had already been estranged for some time), and in April 1979, he married Côté.[citation needed]
Lévesque's government completed the nationalization of hydroelectricity through Hydro-Québec. He also created the Quebec Charter of the French Language, the political party financing law, and the Parti Québécois itself. His government was the first in Canada to prohibit discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation in the province's Charte des droits de la personne in 1977.[13] He also continued the work of the Lesage government in improving social services, in which social needs were taken care of by the state, instead of the Catholic Church (as in the Duplessis era) or the individual. Lévesque is still regarded by many as a symbol of democracy and tolerance.[citation needed]
The PQ government's response to the recession of the early 1980s by cutting the provincial budget to reduce growing deficits that resulted from the recession angered labour union members, a core part of the constituency of the PQ and the sovereignty movement.[citation needed]
Lévesque's Act to govern the financing of political parties banned corporate donations and limited individual contributions to political parties to $3,000. This key legislation was meant to prevent wealthy citizens and organizations from having a disproportionate influence on the electoral process. A Referendum Act was passed to allow for a province-wide vote on issues presented in a referendum, giving a "yes" and "no" side equal funding and legal footing.[citation needed]
Resignation
Lévesque had argued that the party should not make sovereignty the object of the 1985 election and instead opt for the "Beau risque" strategy of seeking an understanding with the federal government of Brian Mulroney, which angered the strongest supporters of sovereignty within the party. He said the issue in the upcoming election would not be sovereignty. Instead, he expressed hope, "that we can finally find government leaders in Ottawa who will discuss Québec's demands seriously and work with us for the greater good of Québecers".[14] His new stance weakened his position within the party. Some senior members resigned; there were by-election defeats. Lévesque resigned as leader of the Parti Québécois on June 20, 1985, and as premier of Québec on October 3, 1985.[15]
Retirement and death
Lévesque, a constant smoker, was hosting a dinner party in his Nuns' Island (Montreal) apartment on the evening of November 1, 1987, when he experienced chest pains; he died of a heart attack that night at Montreal General Hospital.[16][17][18] A brief resurgence of separatist sentiment followed. Over 100,000 viewed his body lying in state in Montreal and Quebec City, over 10,000 went to his funeral in the latter city, and hundreds wept daily at his grave for months.[19]
Lévesque was made a grand officer of the French
Legacy
His state funeral and funeral procession were reportedly attended by 100,000 Québécois. During the carrying out of his coffin from the church, the crowd spontaneously began to applaud and sing Quebec's unofficial national anthem "
On June 3, 1999, a monument in his honour was unveiled on boulevard René-Lévesque outside the Parliament Building in Quebec City. The statue is popular with tourists, who snuggle up to it, to have their pictures taken "avec René" (with René), despite repeated attempts by officials to keep people from touching the monument or getting too close to it. The statue had been the source of an improvised, comical and affectionately touching tribute to Lévesque. The fingers of his extended right hand are slightly parted, just enough so that tourists and the faithful could insert a cigarette, giving the statue an unusually realistic appearance.[citation needed]
This practice is less often seen now, however, as the statue was moved to New Carlisle and replaced by a similar, but bigger one. This change resulted from considerable controversy. Some believed that the life-sized statue was not appropriate for conveying his importance in the history of Quebec. Others noted that a trademark of Lévesque was his relatively small stature.[citation needed]
Lévesque today remains an important figure of the
Lévesque was notably portrayed in 1994 in the television series
A song by Les Cowboys Fringants named "Lettre à Lévesque" on the album La Grand-Messe was dedicated to him. They also mention the street bearing his name in the song "La Manifestation".[citation needed]
He was the co-subject, along with
Personality
Lévesque was a man capable of great tact and charm, but who could also be abrupt and choleric when defending beliefs, ideals, or morals essential to him, or when lack of respect was perceived, for example, when he was famously snubbed by
Considered a major defender of the Québécois, Lévesque was, before the 1960s, more interested in international affairs than
While many Quebec intellectuals are inspired by French philosophy and high culture, Lévesque favoured the United States. Speaking fluent English, he was a faithful reader of
Works
- My Québec, 1979, Methuen, 191 pages, ISBN 0-458-93980-3
- Quotations from René Lévesque, 1977, Éditions Héritage, 105 pages ISBN 0-7773-3942-0
- An Option for Quebec, 1968, McClelland and Stewart, 128 pages
- "For an Independent Quebec", in Foreign Affairs, July 1976) [1]
- Option Québec (1968)
- La passion du Québec (1978)
- Oui (1980)
- Attendez que je me rappelle (1986) (although the title is literally translated as Wait While I Remember, the title of the English-language version was Memoirs.)[25]
See also
- List of Gaspésiens
- List of premiers of Quebec
- List of Quebec general elections
- Politician nicknaming in Quebec
- Politics of Quebec
- Separatism
References
- ^ "Bulletin statistique de mariage" (in French). Ministry of Health and Social Services. May 3, 1947. Retrieved March 27, 2020 – via Institut généalogique Drouin.
- ^ "Déclaration de mariage" (in French). Ministry of Health and Social Services. April 12, 1979. Retrieved March 27, 2020 – via Institut généalogique Drouin.
- ^ a b Assemblée nationale du Québec (June 2016). "René Lévesque 1922-1987: Biographie". www.assnat.qc.ca (in French). Retrieved August 16, 2020.
- ^ Rene Lévesque dies from massive heart attack CBC.ca Retrieved August 12, 2016
- ^ a b c d e Foot, Richard. "René Lévesque". The Canadian Encyclopedia. Retrieved March 6, 2016.
- ^ "William Tetley, Q.C., "Louis-Philippe Pigeon."". Archived from the original on August 19, 2014. Retrieved September 4, 2017.
- ^ "Rene Levesque | premier of Quebec". Encyclopædia Britannica. Retrieved March 6, 2016.
- ^ "CBC Archives". www.cbc.ca. Retrieved March 6, 2016.
- ^ Gazette, The (November 4, 2007). "Legacy of a legend". Canada.com. Archived from the original on June 4, 2011. Retrieved January 5, 2012.
- ^ "Zone Nouvelles - Radio-Canada.ca". ici.radio-canada.ca. Retrieved March 6, 2016.
- ^ Stars and Stripes (Washington, D.C.), February 23, 1977, p.31.
- ^ The Brandon Sun (Manitoba), July 15, 1977, p.3.
- ^ "Library of Parliament Research Publications". Parl.gc.ca. Archived from the original on April 28, 2009. Retrieved January 5, 2012.
- ISBN 9780889114425.
- ISBN 9780889114425.
- ISBN 0-7735-2323-5
- ISBN 1-894852-13-3
- ISBN 2-7646-0424-6.
- ISBN 1-55028-814-8
- ^ Presse canadienne (June 22, 2010). "Deux centrales porteront les noms de Jean Lesage et René Lévesque". La Presse (in French). Montréal. Retrieved June 22, 2010.
- ^ "René Lévesque a été le meilleur premier ministre" [René Lévesque was the best premier] (in Canadian French). Lcn.canoe.com. October 4, 2006. Archived from the original on October 10, 2006. Retrieved June 30, 2020.
- ^ "René Lévesque - Oeuvre | Qui Joue Qui?". Qui Joue Qui ? - La référence en séries et téléromans québécois. Retrieved May 17, 2021.
- ^ "Télévision - Un René Lévesque fort inégal". Le Devoir (in French). September 9, 2006. Retrieved May 17, 2021.
- ^ Britain, Donald (2008). The champions : a three-part series / Les champions : une série en trois parties.
- ^ Lévesque book skirts many painful memories. Ottawa Citizen, October 16, 1986. Retrieved April 21, 2012.
Further reading
- Desbarats, Peter (1976). Rene: a Canadian in search of a country, McClelland and Stewart, 223 pages ISBN 0-7710-2691-9
- Dupont, Pierre (1977). How Levesque Won, Lorimer, 136 pages ISBN 0-88862-130-2(translated by Sheila Fischman)
- Fennario, David (2003). The Death of René Lévesque, Talonbooks, March 10, 72 pages ISBN 0-88922-480-3
- Fournier, Claude (1995). René Lévesque: Portrait of a Man Alone, McClelland & Stewart, April 15, 272 pages ISBN 0-7710-3216-1
- Fraser, Graham (2002). PQ: René Lévesque and the Parti Québécois in Power, Montreal, McGill-Queen's University Press; 2nd edition, 434 pages ISBN 0-7735-2310-3
- Paulin, Marguerite (2004). René Lévesque: Charismatic Leader, XYZ Publishing, 176 pages ISBN 1-894852-13-3(translated by Jonathan Kaplansky)
- Provencher, Jean and Ellis, David (1977). René Lévesque: Portrait of a Québécois, Paperjacks, ISBN 0-7701-0020-1
- Vacante, Jeffery. "The Posthumous Lives of René Lévesque," Journal of Canadian Studies/Revue d'études canadiennes (2011) 45#2 pp 5–30 online, historiography
- "René Lévesque's Separatist Fight", in the CBC Archives Web site
External links
- Media related to René Lévesque at Wikimedia Commons
- Quotations related to René Lévesque at Wikiquote