Yves Blais
Encyclopedia
Yves Blais was a politician in the Canadian
province of Quebec. He served in National Assembly of Quebec
from 1981 to 1998 as a member of the Parti Québécois
(PQ).
and raised in Rouyn-Noranda, in the Témiscamingue
area. He took classical studies at College Mont-Laurier and received a bachelor's degree
in literature in 1950.
Blais worked for Hydro-Quebec
from 1951 to 1966, initially in land surveying and later at the installations department of the company's main office. He also studied in journalism, communications, administration, and social work in Montreal
during the 1960s and opened a series of nightclubs and coffee houses, including the Patriote de Montréal, the Théâtre de Saint-Sauveur, and the Comédie nationale.
He became a Quebec nationalist in his youth and joined the Rassemblement pour l'Indépendance Nationale
(RIN) on the recommendation of party leader Pierre Bourgault
in the 1960s. He also rented space in his Montreal nightclub to René Levesque
, who merged his own Mouvement Souveraineté-Association
with the RIN and a third group to create the Parti Québécois in 1969.
Blais was elected to the Quebec legislature for the Terrebonne
division in the 1981 provincial election
. The Parti Québécois won a majority government
in this election, and Blais entered the legislature as a backbench supporter of René Levesque
's government. He served on the party's executive during the mid-1980s.
In 1981, the federal government of Pierre Trudeau
reached an agreement with all provincial premiers except Levesque to patriate the Canadian constitution. Levesque was not included in the final negotiations (which took place overnight at a constitutional summit in Ottawa
) and described the agreement as a betrayal. In a subsequent legislative debate, Blais likened the constitutional agreement to the 1759 battle of the Plains of Abraham
and compared Trudeau and the other premiers to General James Wolfe
, who "climbed the banks of the Saint Lawrence
in the middle of the night to attack Montcalm
and his sleeping soldiers."
The PQ faced an extremely divisive internal debate
as to its position on Quebec independence in 1984. Some party members favoured a hardline stance, while others sought to win increased autonomy for Quebec within the Canadian federation (a position known as the "beau risque
"). Blais was not regarded as a hardliner in this period; he argued that the terms "separatist," "indépendantiste," and "sovereignist" had different meanings and said that the PQ was "sovereignist in a Canadian economic whole." The "beau risque" supporters won the debate (in the short term), and several of the more militant Péquistes left the party.
Blais served as parliamentary assistant to the minister of cultural communities and immigration from February 12 to October 23, 1985.
Opposition backbencher
Blais was re-elected in the 1985 provincial election
as the PQ was defeated by the Quebec Liberal Party. Fe was appointed as the PQ's environment critic in the official opposition after the election. He criticized the Liberal government's passage of a law guaranteeing English-language health and social services in 1985, on the grounds that it would give Quebec's anglophone population the "hope of becoming once again a dominant minority."
Blais fell out with PQ party leader Pierre-Marc Johnson
in 1987, after Johnson attempted to shift him from the environmental portfolio and subsequently dropped him from the shadow cabinet
entirely. Blais subsequently became affiliated with a dissident group of legislators who opposed Johnson's leadership, and, after Johnson resigned, he supported hardline indépendantiste Jacques Parizeau
's successful bid to lead the party. In the years that followed, Blais himself became more aligned the party's hardline separatist position. He was co-president of the PQ's fundraising efforts in early 1988.
He was elected to a third term in the Quebec legislature in the 1989 provincial election
, running in the division of Masson
after boundary changes. The Liberals were re-elected with a second consecutive majority government, and Blais was appointed as the PQ's communications critic. In 1990, he unsuccessfully called for the PQ to boycott premier
Robert Bourassa
's commission on Quebec's constitutional future.
Government backbencher (second time)
Blais was re-elected again in the 1994 provincial election
as the PQ returned to power until Parizeau's leadership. Following the election, he was appointed as the government's regional delegate for the Outaouais. This was not a ministerial position, although Parizeau said that it would be almost almost equal in power.
One day after his appointment, Blais announced that he would make a decision on the location of a promised casino for the Outaouais
within ten days and that the PQ government would act on his decision. The ten-day deadline was not kept, although the PQ government later approved a casino for Hull
. Blais subsequently indicated that only companies with offices in Quebec would be able to work on the building's construction.
Blais campaigned in favour of Quebec sovereignty in the Outaouais
region in the buildup to the 1995 provincial referendum and highlighted the need for the Parizeau government to ensure that federal civil service
workers would have job security in a sovereign Quebec. In January 1995, he promised that the PQ would soon provide "irrefutable proof" that all federal civil servants would be hired by the Quebec public service in the event of Quebec sovereignty. (A representative of the Public Service Alliance of Canada
responded that a promise would not suffice and demanded a signed legal document. The PSAC and the PQ government reached an agreement in principle
in June.) Blais also took part in the Parizeau government's public commission on sovereignty during the same period.
He suffered a heart attack in March 1995, but was back at his desk the following week. Fellow legislator Denis Perron
said as Blais, "`For him, it's Quebec before everything else. Before himself, before his health." Blais himself said, "Politics and humor are my two drugs. That's what keeps me alive. That, and the hope of having a new country very soon."
During Quebec's legislative debates on sovereignty in 1995, Blais compared Quebecers to the Jewish people in their search for a homeland, saying "We lost a war in 1760
and have been searching for a country since then." The sovereigntist side was narrowly defeated in the referendum, and Parizeau resigned as premier shortly thereafter.
When Lucien Bouchard
succeeded Parizeau as premier in January 1996, one of his first decisions was to eliminate the "regional delegate" positions. He appointed Blais as parliamentary assistant to the minister responsible for regional development on January 29, 1996; Blais held this position for the remainder of his time as a legislator.
. Premier Bouchard cancelled some campaign appearances as a tribute to Blais.
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...
province of Quebec. He served in National Assembly of Quebec
National Assembly of Quebec
The National Assembly of Quebec is the legislative body of the Province of Quebec. The Lieutenant Governor and the National Assembly compose the Parliament of Quebec, which operates in a fashion similar to those of other British-style parliamentary systems.The National Assembly was formerly the...
from 1981 to 1998 as a member of the Parti Québécois
Parti Québécois
The Parti Québécois is a centre-left political party that advocates national sovereignty for the province of Quebec and secession from Canada. The Party traditionally has support from the labour movement. Unlike many other social-democratic parties, its ties with the labour movement are informal...
(PQ).
Early life and career
Blais was born in Saint-Placide, QuebecSaint-Placide, Quebec
Saint-Placide is a municipality in the Laurentides region of Quebec, Canada, part of the Deux-Montagnes Regional County Municipality, along the north shore of the Ottawa River.-History:...
and raised in Rouyn-Noranda, in the Témiscamingue
Témiscamingue Regional County Municipality, Quebec
Témiscamingue is a county regional municipality in the Abitibi-Témiscamingue region of western Quebec, Canada. The county seat is Ville-Marie....
area. He took classical studies at College Mont-Laurier and received a bachelor's degree
Bachelor's degree
A bachelor's degree is usually an academic degree awarded for an undergraduate course or major that generally lasts for three or four years, but can range anywhere from two to six years depending on the region of the world...
in literature in 1950.
Blais worked for Hydro-Quebec
Hydro-Québec
Hydro-Québec is a government-owned public utility established in 1944 by the Government of Quebec. Based in Montreal, the company is in charge of the generation, transmission and distribution of electricity across Quebec....
from 1951 to 1966, initially in land surveying and later at the installations department of the company's main office. He also studied in journalism, communications, administration, and social work 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...
during the 1960s and opened a series of nightclubs and coffee houses, including the Patriote de Montréal, the Théâtre de Saint-Sauveur, and the Comédie nationale.
He became a Quebec nationalist in his youth and joined the Rassemblement pour l'Indépendance Nationale
Rassemblement pour l'indépendance nationale
The Rassemblement pour l'Indépendance Nationale was a political organization dedicated to the promotion of Quebec national independence from Canada.-History:...
(RIN) on the recommendation of party leader Pierre Bourgault
Pierre Bourgault
Pierre Bourgault was a French Canadian politician and essayist of Breton origin, as well as an actor and journalist from Quebec, Canada. He is most famous as a public speaker who advocated sovereignty for Quebec from Canada.- Profile :Bourgault was born in East Angus in the Estrie region of Quebec...
in the 1960s. He also rented space in his Montreal nightclub to René Levesque
René Lévesque
René Lévesque was a reporter, a minister of the government of Quebec, , the founder of the Parti Québécois political party and the 23rd Premier of Quebec...
, who merged his own Mouvement Souveraineté-Association
Mouvement Souveraineté-Association
The Mouvement Souveraineté-Association was formed on November 19, 1967 by René Lévesque to promote the concept of sovereignty-association between Quebec and the rest of Canada....
with the RIN and a third group to create the Parti Québécois in 1969.
Legislator
Government backbencherBlais was elected to the Quebec legislature for the Terrebonne
Terrebonne (provincial electoral district)
Terrebonne is a provincial electoral district in Quebec, Canada that elects members to the National Assembly of Quebec. Created in 1829, it includes large portions of the city of Terrebonne.-Members of Legislative Assembly:...
division in the 1981 provincial election
Quebec general election, 1981
The Quebec general election of 1981 was held on April 13, 1981, to elect members of the National Assembly of the Province of Quebec, Canada. The incumbent Parti Québécois, led by René Lévesque, won re-election, defeating the Quebec Liberal Party, led by Claude Ryan.The PQ won re-election despite...
. The Parti Québécois won a majority government
Majority government
A majority government is when the governing party has an absolute majority of seats in the legislature or parliament in a parliamentary system. This is as opposed to a minority government, where even the largest party wins only a plurality of seats and thus must constantly bargain for support from...
in this election, and Blais entered the legislature as a backbench supporter of René Levesque
René Lévesque
René Lévesque was a reporter, a minister of the government of Quebec, , the founder of the Parti Québécois political party and the 23rd Premier of Quebec...
's government. He served on the party's executive during the mid-1980s.
In 1981, the federal government of Pierre Trudeau
Pierre Trudeau
Joseph Philippe Pierre Yves Elliott Trudeau, , usually known as Pierre Trudeau or Pierre Elliott Trudeau, was the 15th Prime Minister of Canada from April 20, 1968 to June 4, 1979, and again from March 3, 1980 to June 30, 1984.Trudeau began his political career campaigning for socialist ideals,...
reached an agreement with all provincial premiers except Levesque to patriate the Canadian constitution. Levesque was not included in the final negotiations (which took place overnight at a constitutional summit in Ottawa
Ottawa
Ottawa is the capital of Canada, the second largest city in the Province of Ontario, and the fourth largest city in the country. The city is located on the south bank of the Ottawa River in the eastern portion of Southern Ontario...
) and described the agreement as a betrayal. In a subsequent legislative debate, Blais likened the constitutional agreement to the 1759 battle of the Plains of Abraham
Battle of the Plains of Abraham
The Battle of the Plains of Abraham, also known as the Battle of Quebec, was a pivotal battle in the Seven Years' War...
and compared Trudeau and the other premiers to General James Wolfe
James Wolfe
Major General James P. Wolfe was a British Army officer, known for his training reforms but remembered chiefly for his victory over the French in Canada...
, who "climbed the banks of the Saint Lawrence
Saint Lawrence
Lawrence of Rome was one of the seven deacons of ancient Rome who were martyred during the persecution of Valerian in 258.- Holy Chalice :...
in the middle of the night to attack Montcalm
Louis-Joseph de Montcalm
Louis-Joseph de Montcalm-Gozon, Marquis de Saint-Veran was a French soldier best known as the commander of the forces in North America during the Seven Years' War .Montcalm was born near Nîmes in France to a noble family, and entered military service...
and his sleeping soldiers."
The PQ faced an extremely divisive internal debate
Parti Québécois Crisis, 1984
The Parti Québécois Crisis of 1984 was one of the most severe internal party crises in Quebec politics.-Origins:In September 1984, Progressive Conservative politician Brian Mulroney became Prime Minister of Canada, with the backing of many Parti Québécois supporters...
as to its position on Quebec independence in 1984. Some party members favoured a hardline stance, while others sought to win increased autonomy for Quebec within the Canadian federation (a position known as the "beau risque
Beau risque
In Quebec politics, le beau risque is a political catch phrase describing the "risk" the Parti Québécois took in asking Quebecers to support Progressive Conservative Brian Mulroney and accept the Constitution Act, 1982...
"). Blais was not regarded as a hardliner in this period; he argued that the terms "separatist," "indépendantiste," and "sovereignist" had different meanings and said that the PQ was "sovereignist in a Canadian economic whole." The "beau risque" supporters won the debate (in the short term), and several of the more militant Péquistes left the party.
Blais served as parliamentary assistant to the minister of cultural communities and immigration from February 12 to October 23, 1985.
Opposition backbencher
Blais was re-elected in the 1985 provincial election
Quebec general election, 1985
The Quebec general election of 1985 was held on December 2, 1985, to elect members of the National Assembly of the Province of Quebec, Canada. The Quebec Liberal Party, led by former premier Robert Bourassa, defeated the incumbent Parti Québécois, led by premier Pierre-Marc Johnson.This election...
as the PQ was defeated by the Quebec Liberal Party. Fe was appointed as the PQ's environment critic in the official opposition after the election. He criticized the Liberal government's passage of a law guaranteeing English-language health and social services in 1985, on the grounds that it would give Quebec's anglophone population the "hope of becoming once again a dominant minority."
Blais fell out with PQ party leader Pierre-Marc Johnson
Pierre-Marc Johnson
Pierre-Marc Johnson, , is a Quebec lawyer, physician and politician. He was the 24th Premier of Quebec from October 3 to December 12, 1985.- Early background :...
in 1987, after Johnson attempted to shift him from the environmental portfolio and subsequently dropped him from the shadow cabinet
Shadow Cabinet
The Shadow Cabinet is a senior group of opposition spokespeople in the Westminster system of government who together under the leadership of the Leader of the Opposition form an alternative cabinet to the government's, whose members shadow or mark each individual member of the government...
entirely. Blais subsequently became affiliated with a dissident group of legislators who opposed Johnson's leadership, and, after Johnson resigned, he supported hardline indépendantiste Jacques Parizeau
Jacques Parizeau
Jacques Parizeau, is an economist and noted Quebec sovereignist who was the 26th Premier of the Canadian province of Quebec from September 26, 1994 to January 29, 1996.-Early life and career:...
's successful bid to lead the party. In the years that followed, Blais himself became more aligned the party's hardline separatist position. He was co-president of the PQ's fundraising efforts in early 1988.
He was elected to a third term in the Quebec legislature in the 1989 provincial election
Quebec general election, 1989
The Quebec general election of 1989 was held on September 25, 1989, to elect members of the National Assembly of the Province of Quebec, Canada...
, running in the division of Masson
Masson (electoral district)
Masson is a provincial electoral district in Quebec, Canada that elects members to the National Assembly of Quebec. The riding was created in 1988 from parts of Terrebonne and L'Assomption...
after boundary changes. The Liberals were re-elected with a second consecutive majority government, and Blais was appointed as the PQ's communications critic. In 1990, he unsuccessfully called for the PQ to boycott premier
Premier of Quebec
The Premier of Quebec is the first minister of the Canadian province of Quebec. The Premier is the province's head of government and his title is Premier and President of the Executive Council....
Robert Bourassa
Robert Bourassa
Jean-Robert Bourassa, was a politician in Quebec, Canada. He served as the 22nd Premier of Quebec in two different mandates, first from May 12, 1970, to November 25, 1976, and then from December 12, 1985, to January 11, 1994, serving a total of just under 15 years as Provincial Premier.-Early...
's commission on Quebec's constitutional future.
Government backbencher (second time)
Blais was re-elected again in the 1994 provincial election
Quebec general election, 1994
The Quebec general election of 1994 was held on September 12, 1994, to elect members of the National Assembly of Quebec, Canada. The Parti Québécois, led by Jacques Parizeau, defeated the incumbent Quebec Liberal Party, led by Daniel Johnson, Jr.....
as the PQ returned to power until Parizeau's leadership. Following the election, he was appointed as the government's regional delegate for the Outaouais. This was not a ministerial position, although Parizeau said that it would be almost almost equal in power.
One day after his appointment, Blais announced that he would make a decision on the location of a promised casino for the Outaouais
Casino du Lac Leamy
The Casino du Lac-Leamy is a government run casino in Gatineau, Quebec.The casino was opened in 1996, the third of a group of casinos built by the provincial government to raise funds. Ottawa, the larger city across the river, was also planning to build a casino in the early 1990s, but these plans...
within ten days and that the PQ government would act on his decision. The ten-day deadline was not kept, although the PQ government later approved a casino for Hull
Hull, Quebec
Hull is the central and oldest part of the city of Gatineau, Quebec, Canada. It is located on the west bank of the Gatineau River and the north shore of the Ottawa River, directly opposite Ottawa. As part of the Canadian National Capital Region, it contains offices for twenty thousand...
. Blais subsequently indicated that only companies with offices in Quebec would be able to work on the building's construction.
Blais campaigned in favour of Quebec sovereignty in the Outaouais
Outaouais
Outaouais is a region of western Quebec, Canada. It includes the city of Gatineau , the Pontiac region, and the town of Maniwaki, and is located on the north side of the Ottawa River opposite Canada's capital, Ottawa...
region in the buildup to the 1995 provincial referendum and highlighted the need for the Parizeau government to ensure that federal civil service
Civil service
The term civil service has two distinct meanings:* A branch of governmental service in which individuals are employed on the basis of professional merit as proven by competitive examinations....
workers would have job security in a sovereign Quebec. In January 1995, he promised that the PQ would soon provide "irrefutable proof" that all federal civil servants would be hired by the Quebec public service in the event of Quebec sovereignty. (A representative of the Public Service Alliance of Canada
Public Service Alliance of Canada
The Public Service Alliance of Canada is one of Canada’s largest national labour unions, with members in every province and territory. In fact, it is the biggest union in the Canadian Federal Public Sector...
responded that a promise would not suffice and demanded a signed legal document. The PSAC and the PQ government reached an agreement in principle
Agreement in principle
In law, an agreement in principle is a stepping stone to a contract. Such agreements with regards to the principle are usually considered fair and equitable. Even if all details are not known, an agreement in principle may outline a percentage of royalty for example.- External links :****[...
in June.) Blais also took part in the Parizeau government's public commission on sovereignty during the same period.
He suffered a heart attack in March 1995, but was back at his desk the following week. Fellow legislator Denis Perron
Denis Perron
Denis Perron was Canadian politician, who represented the riding of Duplessis in the National Assembly of Quebec from 1976 to 1997. He was a member of the Parti Québécois....
said as Blais, "`For him, it's Quebec before everything else. Before himself, before his health." Blais himself said, "Politics and humor are my two drugs. That's what keeps me alive. That, and the hope of having a new country very soon."
During Quebec's legislative debates on sovereignty in 1995, Blais compared Quebecers to the Jewish people in their search for a homeland, saying "We lost a war in 1760
French and Indian War
The French and Indian War is the common American name for the war between Great Britain and France in North America from 1754 to 1763. In 1756, the war erupted into the world-wide conflict known as the Seven Years' War and thus came to be regarded as the North American theater of that war...
and have been searching for a country since then." The sovereigntist side was narrowly defeated in the referendum, and Parizeau resigned as premier shortly thereafter.
When Lucien Bouchard
Lucien Bouchard
Lucien Bouchard, is a Canadian lawyer, diplomat, politician and former Minister of the Environment of the Canadian Federal Government. He was the Leader of Opposition in the Canadian House of Commons from 1993 to 1996, and the 27th Premier of Quebec from January 29, 1996 to March 8, 2001...
succeeded Parizeau as premier in January 1996, one of his first decisions was to eliminate the "regional delegate" positions. He appointed Blais as parliamentary assistant to the minister responsible for regional development on January 29, 1996; Blais held this position for the remainder of his time as a legislator.
Death
Blais died of a heart attack on November 22, 1998. At the time, he was seeking re-election to the Quebec legislature in the 1998 provincial electionQuebec general election, 1998
The Quebec general election of 1998 was held on November 30, 1998, to elect members of the National Assembly of the Province of Quebec, Canada. The incumbent Parti Québécois, led by Lucien Bouchard, won re-election, defeating the Quebec Liberal Party, led by Jean Charest.After the narrow defeat of...
. Premier Bouchard cancelled some campaign appearances as a tribute to Blais.