Every year, personalities who have left their mark in different spheres of public life pass away. Duty offers you a non-exhaustive list of people who died in 2024 and who left their mark in the fields of the arts, politics or the media.
Brian Mulroney
Former Canadian Prime Minister Brian Mulroney died last March at the age of 84. The man who liked to present himself as a “little guy from Baie-Comeau” first became known as a lawyer specializing in labor dispute resolution, then as a successful businessman, after his time as president of the company. Iron Ore. He became leader of the Progressive Conservative Party, and Prime Minister of Canada a little later, in 1984. His reign was marked by the constitutional question, as he tried to convince Quebecers to sign the Canadian Constitution. His enthusiasm and perseverance gave birth to the Meech Lake Accord, which ultimately evaporated in 1990 due to lack of support in the legislatures of Manitoba and Newfoundland and Labrador. Adored, despised, rehabilitated and blamed again, Brian Mulroney, as well as his career, left an indelible mark on Canada and Quebec. On March 23, 2024, a state funeral was held to recognize his contribution to public life.
Paul Houde
Paul Houde, host, sports commentator, actor and columnist, breathed his last last March. In 1975 he began a long and productive career in the media. Quickly, his ability to remember statistics and his extraordinary intelligence led him to describe numerous major sporting competitions on radio and television. His legacy is not limited to the world of information since his role as Fernand, known as Fern, in Les Boys was able to leave an impression on audiences of different generations. After his death, several of his loved ones opened up to Duty on the very special and humorous relationship they had with the media figure. “We have just lost a living encyclopedia,” saddened his producer friend Richard Goudreau in an interview.
Jean-Pierre Ferland
Quebecers were forced to say goodbye to singer-songwriter Jean-Pierre Ferland this year. Nicknamed after the title of his song The little kingthe Quebec artist had a 65-year career behind him. From his beginnings in the collective Les Bozos, in 1959, until the end of his career, he knew how to charm the public with songs which are now classics of Quebec Music, like the famous A chance we have. His contribution to culture earned him a state funeral at the beginning of June.
Caroline Dawson
The writer and sociologist Caroline Dawson died last May. His first novel, Where I hidewas critically acclaimed upon its release. Born in Chile before immigrating to Quebec at the age of 7, the author drew on her own experiences to write. Even after her cancer diagnosis in 2021, Caroline Dawson insisted on continuing to be involved in the world of literature. In 2022, she kept a log on the morning show Penelopeon -, where she recounted life with illness, and a literary column on the microphone ofThere will always be cultureon the same antenna. She even got involved posthumously by asking those who wanted to send flowers to instead make a donation to the Fondation du Cégep Édouard-Montpetit for the creation of a Caroline-Dawson scholarship.
Donald Sutherland
In 2024, moviegoers mourned the departure of cinema giant Donald Sutherland. The audience will long remember his roles in M.A.S.H, Clute, Don’t Look Now, Invasion of the Body Snatchers and countless other hit films from the 1970s-1980s. It was his taste for risk and his eccentricity that led him to constantly play marginal characters. “Never intimidated by a role, good, bad or ugly. He loved what he did and did what he loved, and you could hardly ask for more,” his son Kiefer Sutherland wrote on X after his death.
Madeleine Arbour
Madeleine Arbour, one of the last co-signatories of Refusal globaldied at the beginning of December. Designer, businesswoman and multidisciplinary artist, she was involved with Paul-Émile Borduas’ gang during the Duplessis era and was one of the few women who risked reprisals by signing the manifesto. At a time when being a mother should have required her to stay at home, she stood out for her numerous commitments, including the creation of a women’s designer workshop.
Bernard Descôteaux
Dutyas well as several of its readers, experienced mourning last January upon the announcement of the death of the former director of the daily Bernard Descôteaux. He ran the newspaper from 1999 to 2016, before handing over to current editor Brian Myles. “He will have devoted his entire career to the search for the common good and the advancement of Quebec society and its institutions,” said his successor after hearing the news. It is to him, among others, that we owe the start of the digital shift in Duty.
Lucien Francoeur
Lucien Francoeur was an icon of Quebec counterculture. As a poet, musician, literature teacher and radio and TV presenter, he constantly pushed barriers. His group Aut’Chose launched in 1975 Take a chance with moéon the American label CBS, an album which divided critics at the time. Since 2015, the Lucien prizes have been awarded during the Alternative Gala of Independent Music of Quebec, in tribute to the musician.
Daniel Pinard
The death of host Daniel Pinard left a void in the hearts of his admirers, who had followed him since the 1970s. An essential figure in the Quebec culinary world, he marked the minds of those around him with his love of Quebec cuisine and products. “I saw him lead battles against the overconsumption of sugar, against the Canadian Food Guide, against the Federation of Quebec Milk Producers,” argued Paul Arcand at Philippe Cantin’s microphone after the announcement of the death.
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