My dear Yves, I don’t know where you are today, but I dare to hope that a good Samaritan will make you aware of the words that I am sending you today in all friendship. First of all, to tell you my admiration for the long journey of your life on our planet, almost a century, punctuated by joys and sorrows, failures and successes: your public life was out of the ordinary.
After your studies in journalism in Strasbourg, you found yourself a journalist at Bugle from Saint-Hyacinthe, then to The homeland in 1962, of which you became editor in chief in your early thirties. Of course, you already know René Lévesque, young and brilliant Minister of Natural Resources at the age of 37 in 1960, and big winner of the campaign for the nationalization of private electricity companies in 1962.
I don’t know who or what influenced you the most to leave the newspaper The homeland to be a Liberal candidate in 1966 with Jean Lesage in the riding of Gouin. You are elected, René Lévesque too, but you both find yourself in opposition. Daniel Johnson becomes Prime Minister with a majority of seats, but a minority of votes.
Your ties strengthen during the debate against Law 63 of Minister Cardinal, a recruit from the National Union. You are fighting together for “the free choice” of parents for their children’s school. Together you get through the crisis in Saint-Léonard, with its share of violence, riots and police interventions. You then form an unwavering friendship.
During this period, René Lévesque completed a long reflection, left the Liberal Party during the 1967 convention and launched Option Québec. This interests you the most, but you are torn between your ties of friendship with René Lévesque and your loyalty to the Liberal Party.
Always an ardent nationalist and defender of the French language, you ran again as a Liberal candidate in your riding in 1970, believing that René Lévesque was moving too quickly and that your re-election would allow you to better influence the direction of the Liberal Party and its new leader of 36 years, Robert Bourassa.
Your hopes are disappointed, you lose your riding by a few votes, Guy Joron, of the Parti Québécois, is elected. A few months later, you became High Commissioner for Cooperation, attached to the Ministry of Intergovernmental Affairs. You will be there three years. You then leave this important administrative position to join the Parti Québécois and be a candidate in the Bourassa constituency. You are defeated by Lise Bacon, liberal.
Trust
Some time later, with the support of René Lévesque, Jacques Parizeau and numerous volunteers, you launched the newspaper The day, the only resolutely sovereignist daily. This newspaper lasted several years under your direction and contributed to the election of the first sovereignist government in history in 1976. After the election, you became special advisor to the political cabinet of René Lévesque, assigned to international affairs. You see each other very regularly, your own house often becomes his.
Your spouses, Monique and Corinne, also become very intimate. You take your summer vacation as a couple on the beaches of New England. You share this passion for Quebec, its history, its culture, its language, its need for freedom. You are like two inseparable brothers.
In 1979, it was no surprise that René Lévesque named you general delegate to the general delegation of Quebec in Paris, the most important and prestigious position in our young diplomacy. For years, on two occasions in particular, I have used your services; the first time, to facilitate a meeting with Samuel Pisar, and the second, for your assistance in promoting in Paris the Bécancour aluminum smelter project in my region: an investment (shared between the newly nationalized Péchiney and our Société Générale financing) of 4.5 billion in dollars from 2023-2024. Even today, as for forty years, this aluminum smelter employs more than 1,000 very well-paid workers and managers. Thanks again !
Five years later, after your return to Quebec, René Lévesque entrusted you with the Palais des congrès de Montréal and you contributed greatly to promoting it here, in Canada, in the United States and throughout the world with great success.
Your commitment to active politics and your high positions in the administration of the government of Quebec are marked by this bond of trust and friendship with René Lévesque, something that everyone knew yesterday and still knows today.
Finally, you return to civilian life and you undertake a new career in the wine trade, you only do imports. Even as you publish, to initiate us, Wine madness at Libre Expression, what we call combining business with pleasure.
For the youngest, your fame continues with this well-deserved nickname of “Robin of the Banks”. Your company forces financial institutions, especially banks, to be more transparent, to reveal the remuneration of senior executives and more information on their management, etc. This movement survives under the name of Movement for Education and Defense of Shareholders (MEDAC) and remains very useful to everyone, especially small investors and shareholders.
To everyone’s surprise, the elected representatives of the National Assembly, on December 14, 2000, reproached you by declaring unacceptable remarks that you had never made concerning the minorities of Quebec and in particular the Jewish community.
Strangely, sheltered from parliamentary immunity, at the time of the unanimous adoption of a severe reprimand against you, no MP knows exactly the content of your statements, and even less so 24 years later. All your efforts demanding apologies and reparations have remained in vain. It’s too bad. But I prefer your frankness, your dignity, your honor and your friendship, which go far beyond this dark day in the National Assembly.