The Legault government appointed the prime minister’s cousin and “best friend” to the board of directors of the Olympic Park, despite a different recommendation from the organization.
Pierre Schetagne took office in recent months, as the fate of the Olympic Stadium was about to be decided.
Quebec claims to have received “at no time” a copy of the resolution passed in June by the board of directors of the Olympic Park, which recommended the appointment of another person. This application had been reviewed and approved by two committees of the board of directors.
The Olympic Park admits that it did not transmit this name because, when it was preparing to do so, the cabinet of the Minister of Tourism had already chosen its candidate: Pierre Schetagne.
PHOTO TAKEN FROM THE COALITION AVENIR QUÉBEC WEBSITE
Pierre Schetagne, when he was a candidate for the Coalition Avenir Québec, in 2012
“In the exchanges, they said: ‘Okay, we have someone,’” explained Cédric Essiminy, spokesperson for the Olympic Park. “This is a candidacy that was very interesting for the Park, given that Mr. Schetagne lives in the neighborhood and has experience in the governance of state corporations and tourism. »
“The appointment of a member to the board of directors is the exclusive responsibility of the government, all in accordance with the skills and experience profiles approved by the board of directors,” added the Park. The appointment was made official in July.
“The process and skills of Mr. Schetagne were validated by Higher Employment,” added the office of the Minister of Tourism, Caroline Proulx. “Mr. Schetagne has extensive experience at the Institut de tourisme et d’hôtellerie du Québec (ITHQ). »
The rejected candidate, for his part, could possibly be appointed to another seat, indicated the Olympic Park. The organization declined to release its name. The Olympic Park also refused to immediately reveal what scores Mr. Schetagne had obtained in its evaluation grid for administrator profiles, made public each year.
The Prime Minister’s best friend
Contacted last week, Pierre Schetagne did not call back The Press. At the time of posting this text online, his name did not yet appear in the list of administrators on the Olympic Park website.
The man grew up with François Legault and their professional careers were written in parallel: Mr. Schetagne worked under the direction of François Legault at Transat, within his office as PQ Minister of Education, from where he was appointed to direct the Gérald-Godin CEGEP. He then served as chief of staff to CAQ minister Jean Boulet. He was also a candidate (defeated) for the Coalition Avenir Québec in 2012.
“My best friend was and still is Pierre Schetagne, my cousin, with whom I went through all the stages of youth, from snowball fights against the English speakers of Senneville to secrets about our first blondes,” wrote François Legault in 2013 in his book Heading towards a winning Quebec.
The Prime Minister’s Office declined to comment on the matter, directing The Press to the office of the Minister of Tourism.
He will not be CEO
The Olympic Park and its board of directors are likely to be at the heart of the news in the coming years.
At the end of July, the organization quietly announced that its roof replacement project – in progress for years – now included major work on the stadium structure. The technical ring, the concrete oval of some 460 meters on which the roof of the stadium rests, will be completely replaced. According to information from The Press, it would be a project worth 750 million to 1 billion.
According to the minutes of the board of directors made available on its website, the body is frequently informed of the progress of discussions between the Olympic Park and the consortium which is designing the new roof. After years of preparation, it is now the Council of Ministers which must, these days, consider the opportunity to move forward with the titanic project.
The mandate of the CEO of the Olympic Park, Michel Labrecque, expires in February. Pierre Schetagne will not be his successor, assured Minister Proulx’s office.
“Without denying the great qualities of Mr. Schetagne, it is not our intention to appoint him to the position of CEO,” his office said.
Since last year, Olympic Park administrators have received compensation of approximately $13,000 for their work, if they are members of a committee.