Gil Courtemanche
Encyclopedia
Gil Courtemanche was a Canadian
progressive
journalist and novelist in third-world and international politics. He wrote for the Montreal
newspaper Le Devoir
.
Courtemanche was born in Montreal
, Quebec
. He began his career as a journalist in 1962, with several collaborations with Radio-Canada including Le 60, Métro Magazine
and Présent National. He later created L'Évènement, a television program with Radio-Canada which he also hosted between 1978 and 1980. During the same period, he was also an editorialist with CBOT, an Ottawa radio station. In 1978, he hosted Contact, the first public affairs magazine for Télé-Québec
. Between 1980 and 1986, he worked as a host, analyst and correspondent for the programs Télémag, Première Page and Le Point
with Radio-Canada.
Courtemanche helped found the sovereigntist
and social democrat newspaper Le Jour
, and also worked as a journalist with La Presse. From 1986, he worked on various publications such as Alternatives and Le Libraire. He published columns on international politics in Le Soleil
, Le Droit
, and Le Devoir.
He participated in making documentaries, including the series Soleil dans la nuit for TV5 Europe-Afrique-Canada, on the first anniversary of the Rwandan Genocide
. He also filmed a documentary on AIDS titled The Gospel of AIDS. Furthermore, he helped produced various documentaries and advertisements on the third-world for Le Cardinal Léger et ses œuvres and OXFAM-Québec: leprosy in Haiti, the politics of water, agricultural development in the Philippines, education for disabled children in Thailand, etc.
His first novel
, Un dimanche à la piscine à Kigali
, which documents the Rwandan genocide of 1994, was published in 2000. It was chosen for inclusion in the French
version of Canada Reads
, broadcast on Radio-Canada in 2004, where it was defended by writer
, environmentalist
and activist Laure Waridel
. Un dimanche à la piscine à Kigali eventually won the contest. It was filmed as Un dimanche à Kigali.
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
progressive
Progressivism
Progressivism is an umbrella term for a political ideology advocating or favoring social, political, and economic reform or changes. Progressivism is often viewed by some conservatives, constitutionalists, and libertarians to be in opposition to conservative or reactionary ideologies.The...
journalist and novelist in third-world and international politics. He wrote for the Montreal
Montreal
Montreal is a city in Canada. It is the largest city in the province of Quebec, the second-largest city in Canada and the seventh largest in North America...
newspaper Le Devoir
Le Devoir
Le Devoir is a French-language newspaper published in Montreal and distributed in Quebec and the rest of Canada. It was founded by journalist, politician, and nationalist Henri Bourassa in 1910....
.
Courtemanche was born in Montreal
Montreal
Montreal is a city in Canada. It is the largest city in the province of Quebec, the second-largest city in Canada and the seventh largest in North America...
, Quebec
Quebec
Quebec or is a province in east-central Canada. It is the only Canadian province with a predominantly French-speaking population and the only one whose sole official language is French at the provincial level....
. He began his career as a journalist in 1962, with several collaborations with Radio-Canada including Le 60, Métro Magazine
Metro Magazine
Metro Magazine is a trade magazine for bus and rail transit and motorcoach operators, published in the United States since 1904, taking its current name in 1975...
and Présent National. He later created L'Évènement, a television program with Radio-Canada which he also hosted between 1978 and 1980. During the same period, he was also an editorialist with CBOT, an Ottawa radio station. In 1978, he hosted Contact, the first public affairs magazine for Télé-Québec
Télé-Québec
Télé-Québec is a French language public educational television network in the Canadian province of Quebec. Known legally as Société de télédiffusion du Québec , it is a provincial crown corporation owned by the Government of Quebec...
. Between 1980 and 1986, he worked as a host, analyst and correspondent for the programs Télémag, Première Page and Le Point
Le Point
Le Point is a French weekly news magazine. It was founded in 1972 by a group of journalists who had, one year earlier, left the editorial team of L'Express, which was then owned by Jean-Jacques Servan-Schreiber, a député of the Parti Radical...
with Radio-Canada.
Courtemanche helped found the sovereigntist
Quebec sovereignty movement
The Quebec sovereignty movement refers to both the political movement and the ideology of values, concepts and ideas that promote the secession of the province of Quebec from the rest of Canada...
and social democrat newspaper Le Jour
Le Jour
Le Jour was a Quebec independence newspaper. It was founded in Saint-Laurent, near Montreal, by Yves Michaud, Jacques Parizeau and René Lévesque. Michaud was editor-in-chief...
, and also worked as a journalist with La Presse. From 1986, he worked on various publications such as Alternatives and Le Libraire. He published columns on international politics in Le Soleil
Le Soleil
Le Soleil is a French-language daily newspaper in Quebec City, Quebec. It was founded on December 28, 1896 and is published in compact format since April 2006...
, Le Droit
Le Droit
Le Droit is a Canadian daily newspaper, published in Ottawa, Canada. Initially established and owned by the Missionary Oblates of Mary Immaculate, the paper was has been published by Gesca since 2000.-History:...
, and Le Devoir.
He participated in making documentaries, including the series Soleil dans la nuit for TV5 Europe-Afrique-Canada, on the first anniversary of the Rwandan Genocide
Rwandan Genocide
The Rwandan Genocide was the 1994 mass murder of an estimated 800,000 people in the small East African nation of Rwanda. Over the course of approximately 100 days through mid-July, over 500,000 people were killed, according to a Human Rights Watch estimate...
. He also filmed a documentary on AIDS titled The Gospel of AIDS. Furthermore, he helped produced various documentaries and advertisements on the third-world for Le Cardinal Léger et ses œuvres and OXFAM-Québec: leprosy in Haiti, the politics of water, agricultural development in the Philippines, education for disabled children in Thailand, etc.
His first novel
Novel
A novel is a book of long narrative in literary prose. The genre has historical roots both in the fields of the medieval and early modern romance and in the tradition of the novella. The latter supplied the present generic term in the late 18th century....
, Un dimanche à la piscine à Kigali
Un dimanche à la piscine à Kigali
A Sunday at the Pool in Kigali is the first novel by Montreal author Gil Courtemanche, originally published in 2000....
, which documents the Rwandan genocide of 1994, was published in 2000. It was chosen for inclusion in the French
French language
French is a Romance language spoken as a first language in France, the Romandy region in Switzerland, Wallonia and Brussels in Belgium, Monaco, the regions of Quebec and Acadia in Canada, and by various communities elsewhere. Second-language speakers of French are distributed throughout many parts...
version of Canada Reads
Canada Reads
Canada Reads is an annual "battle of the books" competition organized and broadcast by Canada's public broadcaster, the CBC.-Overview:During Canada Reads, five personalities champion five different books, each champion extolling the merits of one of the titles. The debate is broadcast over a series...
, broadcast on Radio-Canada in 2004, where it was defended by writer
Writer
A writer is a person who produces literature, such as novels, short stories, plays, screenplays, poetry, or other literary art. Skilled writers are able to use language to portray ideas and images....
, environmentalist
Environmentalism
Environmentalism is a broad philosophy, ideology and social movement regarding concerns for environmental conservation and improvement of the health of the environment, particularly as the measure for this health seeks to incorporate the concerns of non-human elements...
and activist Laure Waridel
Laure Waridel
Laure Waridel is a social activist, a writer, an environmentalist, and a radio and TV commentator.- Early years :Laure Waridel was born in Switzerland, in the village of Chesalles-sur-Oron just north of Lake Geneva in the Canton of Vaud. She has three sisters and a brother...
. Un dimanche à la piscine à Kigali eventually won the contest. It was filmed as Un dimanche à Kigali.
Awards and recognition
- Winner: Prix des Libraires, 2000
- Winner: National Magazine Award for Political Reporting, 1998
- Nominee 2003 – Governor General's AwardGovernor General's AwardThe Governor General's Awards are a collection of awards presented by the Governor General of Canada, marking distinction in a number of academic, artistic and social fields. The first was conceived in 1937 by Lord Tweedsmuir, a prolific author of fiction and non-fiction who created the Governor...
(French to English translationGovernor General's Award for French to English translationThis is a list of recipients of the Governor General's Award for French-to-English translation.-1980s:*1987: Patricia Claxton, Enchantment and Sorrow: The Autobiography of Gabrielle Roy*1988: Philip Stratford, Second Chance...
) - Nominee 2004 – Rogers Writers' Trust Fiction PrizeRogers Writers' Trust Fiction PrizeThe Rogers Writers' Trust Fiction Prize is a Canadian literary award presented by Rogers Communications and the Writers' Trust of Canada after an annual juried competition between publishers who submit entries....