The former director of Duty, Bernard Descôteaux, died on Saturday following cancer. He was 77 years old.
It was the Montreal daily which first made the announcement in the middle of the afternoon, remembering “his unifying qualities” and his journalistic flair.
Mr. Descôteaux directed The duty from 1999 to 2016. His mandate was marked, among other things, by the start of the digital shift in the editorial staff. He joined the daily newspaper in 1974 and notably covered municipal, provincial and federal politics as a parliamentary correspondent, before being named editor-in-chief at the turn of the 1990s. Less than ten years later, he became the eighth director of the Duty.
Brian Myles, who took over as director from Bernard Descôteaux in 2016, praised a man who “devoted his entire career to the search for the common good and the advancement of Quebec society and its institutions”.
“ The duty, it was Bernard’s extended family. We never forgot him even after his retirement, unfortunately too short, in 2016. We keep the memory of a kind, upright, honest and funny man in his spare time. Farewell, Comrade! »wrote Mr. Myles, in a reaction cited by the newspaper.
“He leaves a big void”
Several testimonies burst onto the web shortly after the announcement, particularly in political circles. “My condolences to all those close to Bernard, a brilliant and kind man,” noted Prime Minister François Legault. “A great, calm, thoughtful and affable gentleman. He leaves a big void. Condolences to his loved ones and colleagues at Duty and the entire journalistic community,” also wrote solidarity MP Vincent Marissal.
“I have always had the greatest admiration for Bernard Descôteaux. Calm, thoughtful and very generous with his time, he always intervened with moderation, objectivity and accuracy, qualities that are increasingly rare these days. I am very saddened to learn that he is no longer with us, he was both a mentor and an inspiration for me,” said the PQ leader, Paul St-Pierre Plamondon.
Former colleagues of the deceased also did not fail to greet him. “Farewell dear Bernard, thank you for everything, in particular this quiet, prudent strength, which characterized your leadership,” underlined the columnist of the Journal de Montréal, Antoine Robitaille, former parliamentary correspondent for Duty.
“He was a quiet force, a super friendly man and always ready to give valuable advice. I started my career at Duty with him and I owe him a lot. Thank you for everything,” recalled the daily’s environmental journalist, Alexandre Shields.