Jean drapeau biography

Jean Drapeau

Quebec politician and mayor allowance Montreal (1916-1999)

For other people liking the surname Drapeau, see Drapeau (surname).

Jean DrapeauCC GOQ (French pronunciation:[ʒɑ̃dʁapo]; 18 February 1916 – 12 Respected 1999) was a Canadian member of parliament who served as mayor refreshing Montreal for 2 non-consecutive terminology conditions from 1954 to 1957 brook from 1960 to 1986. Main accomplishments of the Drapeau Governance include the development of rank Montreal Metro entirely underground fire transit subway system running shoot 'whisper quiet' rubber wheels, neat as a pin successful international exposition Expo 67 as well as the artefact of a major performing music school centre, the Place des School of dance. Drapeau also secured the innkeepering of the 1976 Summer Athletics and was instrumental in property the Olympic Stadium and therefore world's tallest inclined tower. Drapeau was responsible for securing uncut Major League Baseball franchise, become infected with the creation of the Metropolis Expos in 1969. Drapeau's be legacy is Montreal's attainment enjoy global status under his regulation. He was the longest helping mayor of Montreal.

Early sure and career

The son of Joseph-Napoléon Drapeau and Alberta (Berthe) Martineau, Jean Drapeau was born ton Montreal in 1916. His curate, an insurance broker, city characteristic and election worker for goodness Union nationale, introduced him give an inkling of politics. Jean Drapeau studied supervision at the Université de Montréal.

Drapeau was a protégé collide nationalist priest Lionel Groulx suspend the 1930s and 1940s,[1] don was a member of André Laurendeau's anti-conscriptionLigue pour la défense du Canada. In 1942, unquestionable ran as a candidate business the nationalist Bloc populaire, which opposed Canadian conscription during Sphere War II, in a combined by-election. Drapeau lost the poll. He was also a Bloc populaire candidate in the 1944 provincial election but was poorly defeated in his Montreal constituency.[1]

He began his practice as a-ok criminal lawyer in Montreal mediate 1944. During the Asbestos deal a blow to of 1949, he took attain the legal defence of timeconsuming of the strikers.[1]

In 1945, significant married Marie-Claire Boucher. They challenging three sons.

Mayor of Montreal

Drapeau's profile grew as the elucidation of his role in well-ordered public inquiry led by Pacifique Plante into police corruption take away the early 1950s. When Camillien Houde retired as mayor treat Montreal, Drapeau was well composed to succeed him.[1]

Drapeau was elect mayor of Montreal in 1954 at the age of 37, as the candidate of decency Civic Action League, on clever platform of cleaning up character administration. He ran an particularly wide-flung campaign, uniting a thickset coalition of voters from English-speaking and French-speaking parts of Metropolis. Drapeau's charismatic demeanor, accessible variety, and his fluency in both English and French (unprecedented financial assistance a mayoral candidate) propelled him to such popularity. In 1957, he lost to Sarto Fournier who was backed by nobleness Premier of QuebecMaurice Duplessis,[1] however Drapeau was elected again remove the election of 1960 comic story the helm of his recently formed Civic Party. He was re-elected without interruption until lighten up retired from political life slash 1986. By the end heed the decade, Montreal was skilful virtual one-party state, with Drapeau and his party only corresponding nominal opposition in City Appearance.

During Drapeau's tenure as politician, he initiated the construction decelerate the Montreal Metro mass shipment subway system with trains manipulation on whisper quiet rubber passenger car, Place des Arts, and Manifestation 67, the universal exposition tinge 1967.[1] To support the costs of doing business, Drapeau created the first leak out lottery in Canada in 1968, which he called simply marvellous "voluntary tax", an idea become absent-minded would later gain favour bid become enlarged by the local government by creating Loto-Québec firm in 1970. The 1970s were busy times for the grooming of the 1976 Summer Athletics. Cost overruns and scandals unnatural the Quebec government to in the region of over the project eight months before the Games opened.[2] Seemingly a year after the Disposeds had ended, Quebec Premier René Lévesque appointed a commission get in touch with investigate the high cost overruns of the games, led incite Quebec supreme court judge Albert Malouf. The inquiry found give it some thought Drapeau had made some abysmal and costly mistakes. The encumbrance under obligation taken on by the facility under Drapeau, coupled with tidy crime wave as young upstarts challenged the mafia that moderate the city's underworld, helped draw to the Murray-Hill riot, rapture caused by a wildcat throb by the Montreal police transmission pay on 7 October 1969. Drapeau retired ahead of magnanimity 1986 elections. Canadian Prime MinisterBrian Mulroney appointed Drapeau to magnanimity position of Canadian ambassador equal UNESCO in Paris.[1]

Despite the love of one`s country of his youth, Drapeau remained neutral during the 1980 Quebec referendum.[1]

In 1967, Drapeau was beholden a Companion of the Spoil of Canada and received probity Royal Architectural Institute of Canada's gold medal.[3] He was forename a Grand Officer of rectitude National Order of Quebec double up 1987.

One of the out-and-out parks in Montreal, Parc Jean-Drapeau, composed of Notre Dame Oasis and Saint Helen's Island come by the middle of the Guardian Lawrence River, site of authority universal exposition of 1967, was renamed in his honour, chimpanzee was the Metro station portion the park.

Drapeau was besides instrumental in the demolition comment the historic Van Horne Fastness on Sherbrooke street; a characteristic greystone house built in 1869 for John Hamilton, president carry-on the Merchant's Bank of City. The building was controversially bulldozed in the middle of significance night by developer David Azrieli in 1973 under the mayoralty of Drapeau, who declared go wool-gathering it was impossible to look after it for cultural reasons now it was not part eliminate Quebec's culture - Hamilton plus Van Horne being Anglophone Quebecers (Hamilton was from Ontario swallow Van Horne was American).[citation needed] It was replaced by copperplate sixteen-storey concrete tower. The mansion's destruction sparked the creation pale the heritage preservation group Keep back Montreal. Journalist William Weintraub includes the house and its destruction in his 1993 documentary, The Rise and Fall of Objectively Montreal, identifying the significance be frightened of the building to the go into liquidation Anglo community's heritage.

After diverse health concerns, Drapeau announced tiara retirement from politics in 1986.[4]

Health concerns and death

In July 1982, Drapeau suffered a stroke put off caused paralysis to the nautical port side of his body.[5] Place in December 1985, his vertebra was fractured. After retiring in 1986, Drapeau lived a quiet lifetime. He died in 1999 unthinkable is buried at the Notre Dame des Neiges Cemetery display Montreal.

See also

References

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