Jacques Hébert (Canadian politician)
Encyclopedia
Jacques Hébert, OC
(June 21, 1923 – December 6, 2007) was a Canadian
author, journalist, publisher, Senator, and world traveler having visited more than 130 countries.
, Quebec
, Jacques Hébert began attending Saint Dunstan's University
in Charlottetown, Prince Edward Island
at age 16. He served as a journalist for the newspaper Le Devoir
from 1951 to 1953 and created the publishing companies Éditions de l’Homme in 1958 and Éditions du Jour in 1961.
He was a reporter during the Wilbert Coffin
trial in 1954 and he later published two books on the subject: Coffin était innocent (1958) and J'accuse les assassins de Coffin (1963). The latter book caused such controversy that the provincial government established a Commission of Inquiry into the case.
Hébert was a close friend of Pierre Elliot Trudeau and traveled with him to the People's Republic of China
in 1960 in the midst of the Great Leap Forward
. The two met both Mao Zedong
and Zhou Enlai
and recorded their observations in the book Deux innocents en Chine rouge (1961). The book was published in English as Two Innocents in Red China in 1968. A Chinese language version was published in China
in 2005 - Hebert attended the launch in Shanghai with Alexandre Trudeau
.http://archives.cbc.ca/IDC-1-73-2049-12815/politics_economy/china/clip3
In 1971, Hébert founded Canada World Youth
, an organization that expands "the role of youth in developing their communities and promoting world peace".
He was appointed to the Senate on April 20, 1983, representing the senatorial division of Wellington, Quebec, and retired at the mandatory age of 75 in 1998. From 1991 to 1993 he was the Opposition Whip
in the Senate and from 1993 to 1998 he was the Government Whip in the Senate.
In 1986, he went on a hunger strike
for 21 days to protest a decision by the Progressive Conservative
government to end the Katimavik
program for Canadian youth, which he created in 1977.
In 1978, he was made an Officer of the Order of Canada
. He was awarded two honourary doctorates: one from Ryerson University in 1997, and one from the University of Prince Edward Island
in 2004. In 2007, shortly before his death, he was the recipient of the Distinguished Service Award of the Canadian Association of Former Parliamentarians
, "presented annually to a former parliamentarian who has made an outstanding contribution to the country and its democratic institutions."
Order of Canada
The Order of Canada is a Canadian national order, admission into which is, within the system of orders, decorations, and medals of Canada, the second highest honour for merit...
(June 21, 1923 – December 6, 2007) was a Canadian
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...
author, journalist, publisher, Senator, and world traveler having visited more than 130 countries.
History
Born in MontrealMontreal
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....
, Jacques Hébert began attending Saint Dunstan's University
Saint Dunstan's University
St. Dunstan's University is a former university which was located on the northern outskirts of Charlottetown, Prince Edward Island, Canada. SDU merged with Prince of Wales College in 1969 to form the University of Prince Edward Island.St...
in Charlottetown, Prince Edward Island
Prince Edward Island
Prince Edward Island is a Canadian province consisting of an island of the same name, as well as other islands. The maritime province is the smallest in the nation in both land area and population...
at age 16. He served as a journalist for the 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....
from 1951 to 1953 and created the publishing companies Éditions de l’Homme in 1958 and Éditions du Jour in 1961.
He was a reporter during the Wilbert Coffin
Wilbert Coffin
Wilbert Coffin was a Canadian prospector who was convicted of murder and executed in Canada. Montreal journalist, editor, author and politician Jacques Hebert raised doubt in Coffin's guilt in J'accuse les assassins de Coffin, published in 1963. The book led to a royal commission which upheld the...
trial in 1954 and he later published two books on the subject: Coffin était innocent (1958) and J'accuse les assassins de Coffin (1963). The latter book caused such controversy that the provincial government established a Commission of Inquiry into the case.
Hébert was a close friend of Pierre Elliot Trudeau and traveled with him to the People's Republic of China
People's Republic of China
China , officially the People's Republic of China , is the most populous country in the world, with over 1.3 billion citizens. Located in East Asia, the country covers approximately 9.6 million square kilometres...
in 1960 in the midst of the Great Leap Forward
Great Leap Forward
The Great Leap Forward of the People's Republic of China was an economic and social campaign of the Communist Party of China , reflected in planning decisions from 1958 to 1961, which aimed to use China's vast population to rapidly transform the country from an agrarian economy into a modern...
. The two met both Mao Zedong
Mao Zedong
Mao Zedong, also transliterated as Mao Tse-tung , and commonly referred to as Chairman Mao , was a Chinese Communist revolutionary, guerrilla warfare strategist, Marxist political philosopher, and leader of the Chinese Revolution...
and Zhou Enlai
Zhou Enlai
Zhou Enlai was the first Premier of the People's Republic of China, serving from October 1949 until his death in January 1976...
and recorded their observations in the book Deux innocents en Chine rouge (1961). The book was published in English as Two Innocents in Red China in 1968. A Chinese language version was published in China
China
Chinese civilization may refer to:* China for more general discussion of the country.* Chinese culture* Greater China, the transnational community of ethnic Chinese.* History of China* Sinosphere, the area historically affected by Chinese culture...
in 2005 - Hebert attended the launch in Shanghai with Alexandre Trudeau
Alexandre Trudeau
Alexandre "Sacha" Trudeau is a Canadian filmmaker and journalist, and second son of Canada's former Prime Minister, the late Pierre Trudeau, and Margaret Trudeau.-Early life and education:...
.http://archives.cbc.ca/IDC-1-73-2049-12815/politics_economy/china/clip3
In 1971, Hébert founded Canada World Youth
Canada World Youth
Canada World Youth is an international non-profit organization dedicated to providing dynamic youth, ages 15–25, with an opportunity to learn about other communities, cultures and people while developing leadership and communications skills....
, an organization that expands "the role of youth in developing their communities and promoting world peace".
He was appointed to the Senate on April 20, 1983, representing the senatorial division of Wellington, Quebec, and retired at the mandatory age of 75 in 1998. From 1991 to 1993 he was the Opposition Whip
Whip (politics)
A whip is an official in a political party whose primary purpose is to ensure party discipline in a legislature. Whips are a party's "enforcers", who typically offer inducements and threaten punishments for party members to ensure that they vote according to the official party policy...
in the Senate and from 1993 to 1998 he was the Government Whip in the Senate.
In 1986, he went on a hunger strike
Hunger strike
A hunger strike is a method of non-violent resistance or pressure in which participants fast as an act of political protest, or to provoke feelings of guilt in others, usually with the objective to achieve a specific goal, such as a policy change. Most hunger strikers will take liquids but not...
for 21 days to protest a decision by the Progressive Conservative
Progressive Conservative Party of Canada
The Progressive Conservative Party of Canada was a Canadian political party with a centre-right stance on economic issues and, after the 1970s, a centrist stance on social issues....
government to end the Katimavik
Katimavik
-Overview:Each Katimavik program consists of groups of 11 youths aged 17 to 21 who are drawn from all across Canada. They travel together to one or two different places in Canada for a period of six months. During the 2007-2008 program year there were 99 such groups spread across Canada...
program for Canadian youth, which he created in 1977.
In 1978, he was made an Officer of the Order of Canada
Order of Canada
The Order of Canada is a Canadian national order, admission into which is, within the system of orders, decorations, and medals of Canada, the second highest honour for merit...
. He was awarded two honourary doctorates: one from Ryerson University in 1997, and one from the University of Prince Edward Island
University of Prince Edward Island
The University of Prince Edward Island is a public liberal arts university in Charlottetown, Prince Edward Island, Canada, and the sole university in the province. Founded in 1969, it traces its roots back to its two earlier predecessor organizations, St. Dunstan's University and Prince of Wales...
in 2004. In 2007, shortly before his death, he was the recipient of the Distinguished Service Award of the Canadian Association of Former Parliamentarians
Canadian Association of Former Parliamentarians
The Canadian Association of Former Parliamentarians is a non-profit organization, established by an Act of the Parliament of Canada, the membership of which is composed of former members of the Senate or House of Commons of Canada.-History:...
, "presented annually to a former parliamentarian who has made an outstanding contribution to the country and its democratic institutions."
Selected Bibliography
- Coffin était innocent (1958)
- Deux Innocents en Chine Rouge, Jacques Hebert and Pierre E. Trudeau, Les Editions de L'Homme 1961
- J'accuse les assassins de Coffin (1963)
- Two Innocents in Red China (in collaboration with Pierre Elliott Trudeau) (English Translation, Oxford University Press, Toronto, 1968)
- The World is Round (McClelland & Stewart, Toronto, 1976)
- Have Them Build a Tower Together (McClelland & Stewart, Toronto, 1979)
- 21 Days - One Man's Fight for Canada's Youth (Optimum Publishing, Montreal, 1986)
- Travelling in Tropical Countries (Hurtig Publishers, Edmonton, 1986)
- "Hello, World!" (English Translation, Robert Davis Publishing, 1996)
- Duplessis, non merci! (Les Éditions du Boréal, Montreal, 2000)
- Katima...What? (Cosmopolite Communication, Montreal, 2001)
- En 13 points Garamond (Éditions Trois-Pistoles, Trois-Pistoles, 2002)
- Good Morning Cuba! (SIAP Publishing, Montreal, 2003)
- "红色中国的两位天真汉"(Chinese translation of "Two Innocents In Red China"), Shanghai People's Press, 2005
External links
- CBC archives
- "Two Innocents in Red China" CBC Radio interview.
- CTV.ca - Former senator Jacques Hébert dead at 84
See also
- Canada World YouthCanada World YouthCanada World Youth is an international non-profit organization dedicated to providing dynamic youth, ages 15–25, with an opportunity to learn about other communities, cultures and people while developing leadership and communications skills....
- KatimavikKatimavik-Overview:Each Katimavik program consists of groups of 11 youths aged 17 to 21 who are drawn from all across Canada. They travel together to one or two different places in Canada for a period of six months. During the 2007-2008 program year there were 99 such groups spread across Canada...