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René Lévesque | |
|---|---|
.jpg) Lévesque in 1961 | |
| 23rd Premier of Quebec | |
| In office November 25, 1976 – October 3, 1985 | |
| Monarch | Elizabeth II |
| Lieutenant Governor | Hugues Lapointe Jean-Pierre Côté Gilles Lamontagne |
| Deputy | Jacques-Yvan Morin Camille Laurin Marc-André Bédard |
| Preceded by | Robert Bourassa |
| Succeeded by | Pierre-Marc Johnson |
| Leader of theParti Québécois | |
| In office October 14, 1968 – September 29, 1985 | |
| Preceded by | Position established |
| Succeeded by | Pierre-Marc Johnson |
| Member of the 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 | (1922-08-24)August 24, 1922 Campbellton,New Brunswick, Canada |
| Died | November 1, 1987(1987-11-01) (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[a] (August 24, 1922 – November 1, 1987) was a Canadian politician and journalist who served as the 23rdpremier of Quebec from 1976 to 1985. He was the firstQuébécois political leader sinceConfederation to seek, through a referendum, a mandate to negotiate the political independence of Quebec. Starting his career as a reporter, and radio and television host, he later became known for his eminent role inQuebec's nationalization of hydro-electric companies and as an ardent defender ofQuebec sovereignty. He was the founder of theParti Québécois, and before that, aLiberal minister in theLesage government from 1960 to 1966.
Lévesque was born in the Hôtel Dieu Hospital inCampbellton, New Brunswick, on August 24, 1922. He was raised inNew Carlisle, Quebec, on theGaspé Peninsula, by his parents, Diane (née Dionne) and Dominic Lévesque, a lawyer.[4] He had three siblings, André, Fernand and Alice.[citation needed] His father died when Lévesque was 14 years old.[5]
Lévesque attended the Séminaire de Gaspé and theSaint-Charles-Garnier College inQuebec City, both of which were run by theJesuits. He studied for a law degree atUniversité Laval in Quebec City, but left the university in 1943 without having completed the degree.[6] One of his classmates at Laval later recounted that Lévesque had been smoking in class, and refused to apologize to the professor,Louis-Philippe Pigeon, who refused to allow him back to class. Lévesque left, saying he really only wanted to write, not practise law.[7] He worked as an announcer and news writer at the radio stationCHNC in New Carlisle, as a substitute announcer forCHRC during 1941 and 1942, and then atCBV in Quebec City.[6]
During 1944–1945, he served as a liaison officer and war correspondent for theU.S. Army in Europe. He reported fromLondon while it was under regular bombardment by theLuftwaffe, and advanced with theAllied troops as they pushed back the German army through France and Germany. Throughout the war, he made regular journalistic reports on the airwaves and in print. He was with the first unit of Americans to reachDachau concentration camp.[6]
In 1947, he married Louise L'Heureux, with whom he had two sons and a daughter.[4] Lévesque worked as a reporter for theCBC's French language section in the international service. He again served as a war correspondent for the CBC in theKorean War in 1952. After that, he was offered a career in journalism in the United States, but decided to stay in Canada.[8]
From 1956 to 1959, Lévesque became famous in Quebec for hosting a weekly television news program onRadio-Canada calledPoint de Mire.[6]
Lévesque covered international events and major labour struggles between workers and corporations that dogged theUnion Nationale government of PremierMaurice Duplessis culminating with a great strike in 1957 at the Gaspé Copper Mine inMurdochville. The Murdochville strike was a milestone for organized labour in Quebec as it resulted in changes to the province's labour laws.
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 leaderJean Marchand and 24 other demonstrators.
In 1960, Lévesque entered politics as astar candidate and was elected to theLegislative Assembly of Quebec in the1960 election as aLiberal Party member in theriding ofMontréal-Laurier. In the government ofJean Lesage, he served as minister of hydroelectric resources and public works from 1960 to 1961, and minister of natural resources from 1961 to 1965. While in office, he played a pivotal role in the nationalization ofhydroelectric companies, greatly expandingHydro-Québec, one of the reforms that was part of theQuiet Revolution.[6]
From 1965 to 1966, he served as minister of family and welfare. Lévesque, with his friendEric Kierans, the Quebec minister of health, was heavily involved in negotiations with theGovernment of Canada to fund both Quebec and federal mandates for social programs.
In a surprise, the Liberals lost the1966 election to theUnion Nationale but Lévesque retained his own seat ofLaurier. 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 premierRobert Bourassa attempting to mediate the dispute before siding with Kierans. The resolution was handily defeated, and Lévesque walked out with his followers.
After leaving the Liberal Party, he founded theMouvement Souveraineté-Association (MSA). In contrast to more militant nationalist movements, such asPierre Bourgault'sRassemblement pour l'Indépendance Nationale (RIN), the party escheweddirect 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 federalistPierre Elliott Trudeau as Prime Minister, and the politically damaging riot instigated by the RIN when he appeared at theSt. Jean Baptiste Day parade of 1968, led to the sovereignty movement coming together. The MSA merged with another party in theQuebec sovereignty movement, theRalliement National ofGilles Grégoire, to create theParti Québécois (PQ) in 1968. At Lévesque's insistence, RIN members were permitted to join but not accepted as a group.[9]
The Parti Québécois gained 25 per cent of the vote in the1970 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.
The1973 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 LeaderRobert Burns almost ended Lévesque's leadership shortly thereafter.
Lévesque and his party won a landslide victory at the1976 election, with Lévesque finally re-entering the Assembly as the member forTaillon in downtownLongueuil. 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]
His government's signature achievement was the QuebecCharter of the French Language (introduced in the legislature and still colloquially known as Bill 101), whose stated goal was to make French "the normal and everyday language of work, instruction, communication, commerce and business". In its first enactment, it reserved access to English-language public schools to children whose parents had attended English school in Quebec. All other children were required to attend French schools in order to encourage immigrants to integrate themselves into the majority francophone culture (Lévesque was more moderate on language than some of the PQ, including the language minister,Camille Laurin. He would have resigned as leader rather than eliminate English-language public schools, as some party members proposed).[10] Bill 101 also made it illegal for businesses to put up exterior commercial signs in a language other than French at a time when English dominated as a commercial and business language in Quebec.[citation needed]
Lévesque was disappointed with the cold response by the American economic elite to his first speech inNew York City asPremier of Quebec, in which he compared Quebec's march towards sovereignty to theAmerican Revolution. His first speech in France was, however, more successful, leading him to a better appreciation of the Frenchintelligentsia and ofFrench culture.[citation needed]
On May 20, 1980, the PQ held, as promised before the elections, the1980 Quebec referendum on itssovereignty-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".[11]
Lévesque led the PQ to victory in the1981 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 thepatriation of theCanadian constitution. Lévesque was criticized by some in Quebec who said he had been tricked by Canadian Prime MinisterPierre Trudeau and theEnglish-Canadian provincial premiers. To this day, no Quebec premier of any political side has endorsed the 1982 constitutional amendment.[dubious –discuss]
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.[12] Lévesque was later fined $25 for failing to wear his glasses while driving a car on the night in question.[13] 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.[14]
Lévesque's government completed the nationalization ofhydroelectricity throughHydro-Québec. He also created the QuebecCharter 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'sCharte des droits de la personne in 1977.[15] He also continued the work of the Lesage government in improvingsocial services, in which social needs were taken care of by the state, instead of the Catholic Church (as in theDuplessis 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'sAct 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. AReferendum Act was passed to allow for a province-wide vote on issues presented in areferendum, giving a "yes" and "no" side equal funding and legal footing.[citation needed]
Lévesque had argued that the party should not make sovereignty the object of the1985 election and instead opt for the "Beau risque" strategy of seeking an understanding with the federal government ofBrian 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".[16] 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.[17]
Lévesque, a constant smoker, was hosting a dinner party in hisNuns' Island (Montreal) apartment on the evening of November 1, 1987, when he experienced chest pains; he died of aheart attack that night atMontreal General Hospital.[18][19][20] 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.[21]
Lévesque was made a grand officer of the FrenchLegion of Honour. He was posthumously made a grand officer of theNational Order of Quebec in 2008.[citation needed]
Lévesque's 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 "Gens du pays", replacing the first verse withMon cher René (My dear René), as is the custom when this song is adapted to celebrate someone's birthday. Two major boulevards now bear his name,one inMontreal and one in Quebec City. In Montreal, theÉdifice Hydro-Québec and theMaison Radio-Canada are both located on René Lévesque Boulevard, fittingly as Lévesque once worked for Hydro-Québec and the CBC, respectively. On June 22, 2010,Hydro-Québec and the government of Quebec commemorated Lévesque's role in Quebec'sQuiet Revolution and his tenure as premier by renaming the 1244-megawattManic-3 generating station in his honour.[22]
On June 3, 1999, a monument in his honour was unveiled on boulevard René-Lévesque outside theParliament Building in Quebec City. Thestatue 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 ofQuebec. Others noted that a trademark of Lévesque was his relatively small stature.[citation needed]
Lévesque today remains an important figure of theQuebec nationalist movement, and is consideredsovereigntism's spiritual father. After his death, even people in disagreement with some of those convictions now generally recognize his importance to thehistory of Quebec. Many in Quebec regard him as thefather of the modern Quebec nation. According to a study made in 2006 byLe Journal de Montréal andLéger Marketing, Lévesque was considered by far, according to Québécois, the best premier to run the province over the last 50 years.[23]
Lévesque was notably portrayed in 1994 in the television seriesRené Lévesque.[24] In 2006, an additional television miniseries,René Lévesque, was aired on the CBC.[25] He was also portrayed in an episode ofKevin Spencer, a Canadian cartoon show. In it, his ghost attempted a camaraderie with Kevin because of their similarities in political beliefs, as well as the fact that the title character, like René's ghost, claims to smoke "five packs a day".[citation needed]
A song byLes Cowboys Fringants named "Lettre à Lévesque" on the albumLa 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 withPierre Trudeau, of theDonald Brittain-directed documentary miniseriesThe Champions.[26]
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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 byFrançois Mitterrand at their first meeting. He was also a proudGaspésien (hailing from the Gaspé Peninsula), and had hints of the local accent.
Considered a major defender of the Québécois, Lévesque was, before the 1960s, more interested in international affairs thanQuebec matters. The popular image of Lévesque was his ever-present cigarette and his small physical stature, as well as hiscomb over that earned him thenickname of Ti-Poil, literally, "Lil' Hair", but more accurately translated as "Baldy". Lévesque was a passionate and emotional public speaker. Those close to Lévesque have described him as having difficulty expressing his emotions in private, saying that he was more comfortable in front of a crowd of thousands than with one person.
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 ofThe New York Times, and took his vacations inNew England every year. He also stated that, if there had to be one role model for him, it would be US PresidentFranklin Delano Roosevelt. While in London during the Second World War, his admiration for Britons grew when he witnessed their courage in the face of the German bombardments.
Media related toRené Lévesque at Wikimedia Commons
Quotations related toRené Lévesque at Wikiquote| National Assembly of Quebec | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by | MNA, District ofLaurier 1960–1970 | Succeeded by |
| Preceded by | MNA, District ofTaillon 1976–1985 | Succeeded by |
| Political offices | ||
| Preceded by | Premier of Quebec 1976–1985 | Succeeded by |
| Party political offices | ||
| Preceded by none | Leader of theParti Québécois 1968–1985 | Succeeded by |
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