Mr. Speaker, the City of Victoriaville is in mourning. One of its outstanding citizens, Pierre Roux, died last night at the age of 70. Mr. Roux was the mayor of Arthabaska and Victoriaville for 27 years.
A renowned businessman and administrator, Mr. Roux was greatly involved in the community and participated in various community, sports and cultural causes. Despite his retirement from politics, Mr. Roux was still committed to the region through chairing local organizations such as the Fondation Hôtel-Dieu d'Arthabaska. He was, without question, a source of inspiration and a role model for many of his colleagues on municipal council and for the public in general.
No one will forget the role he played in the project to amalgamate Victoriaville, Arthabaska and Sainte-Victoire, in helping to bring the Tigres, a major junior hockey team, to Victoriaville, and in running Thiro Inc., a business established in Victoriaville in the middle of the last century.
On behalf of my Bloc Québécois colleagues, I would like to offer condolences to the friends and family of Pierre Roux.