Mr. L’Espérance, involved in the Estrie business world for around fifty years, was also behind OMG Resto, the Versō Hotel and the Espace 4 Saisons hotel.
André L’Espérance’s daughter, Élyse, remembers her father as a passionate and humane man. “He had the whole business knowledge and skills aspect. We talked a lot about business. He showed me a lot of things and always explained his decisions to me so I could understand. He passed on his passion to me,” she says in a telephone interview with The Tribune.
The former mayor of the City of Sherbrooke, Jean Perrault, often collaborated with the businessman. He remembers him as “a personality who did a lot for the region”. “I believe that it is a loss for Sherbrooke, but that it is a deliverance for him from this incurable disease,” said the retired politician.
“He started and bought companies. He was a pioneer,” assures the former mayor.
The former business partner in the Orford Express adventure and good friend of Mr. L’Espérance Abbé Donald Thompson remembers the man as a visionary. “We were developing the train and he was already thinking about the boat!” he says, laughing.
“He was a mentor to me. I watched him negotiate when we bought wagons. He said that two roosters are enough! He was always very calm. […] He was also a dreamer. He asked me how I saw the train. So we both dreamed together without talking about money. We then hired a designer to design our dream. Then, we talked about money,” he emphasizes.
Last Thursday, Mr. Thompson accompanied Mr. L’Espérance, his family and friends on the cruise ship. “We brought him with us in his wheelchair. We floated on the lake, near the American border. I don’t know if he understood. We did a sort of heritage gathering. We told him what we remembered about him. Often he would give a thumbs up. It’s like he understands. We took the opportunity to do a mourning rite during his lifetime. It was very valuable. It’s as if everything was planned for him,” says the abbot.
Orford Express
Mr. Perrault, who describes André L’Espérance as a “precursor”, worked extensively with him on the Orford Express tourist train project. “Sherbrooke, as part of the Cité des rivières project, was interested in welcoming the train as an important attraction. We welcomed him at the old station,” remembers Jean Perrault, with a smile in his voice.
Businessman André L’Espérance posed with his Orford Express train in 2011. (Maxime Picard/La Tribune archives)
MM. Perrault and L’Espérance even tried to extend the train project to Lac-Mégantic. “We met the company Montreal, Maine and Atlantic (MMA). We almost had permission. But there was the Lac-Mégantic tragedy and it fell through,” saddens the retired politician.
It is also this tourist aspect that Élyse L’Espérance has taken up. “Even he would have had difficulty identifying a project that marked him more than another. Each new project was an adventure. There were challenges and he got something different out of them,” she believes.
She assures that her father “wanted to contribute to the region in general”. “From my point of view, he was extraordinary in every facet of his life. Contributing came in many different ways, including philanthropy. He contributed to these causes in different ways, always with the aim of leaving a positive mark on the region,” says Ms. L’Espérance.
“He didn’t have three personalities. The qualities of a businessman are the same that we saw as a family member or as a friend. He loved to enjoy life, was very generous, empathetic and very present. He was an extraordinary father and husband.”
— Élyse L’Espérance, daughter of André L’Espérance
In politics, André L’Espérance was also part of the transition committee aimed at putting together the first budget for the unified city. “He was chosen by Minister Louise Harel. He therefore put together the 2002 budget. When I was elected mayor of the merged city, we met with the committee which showed us the work carried out while we were on the electoral campaign. We needed experienced volunteers to facilitate the harmonization of the eight municipalities into one city,” describes Jean Perrault.
“André was an important asset in the municipal sphere. We owe him a lot for his commitment, his knowledge and his expertise.”
— Jean Perrault, former mayor of Sherbrooke
In addition to the Orford Express and the Grand Cru, André L’Espérance also managed the Dettson manufacturing company before becoming the boss of the Mont Orford station. He had won several recognitions, including the title of Grand Estrien and Grand Ambassador of the University of Sherbrooke.
Élyse L’Espérance confirms that she will continue her involvement with Parkinson Estrie.
With Jonathan Custeau
