Mr. Speaker, yesterday, Claude Masson of the daily La Presse and his wife Jeannine Bourdages lost their lives in a tragic air crash. With his passing, the Quebec media has lost of one its leading figures.
Mr. Masson was born at L'Épiphanie in 1941, and began his career with the weekly newspapers of Montreal's Rosemont district. A high-profile journalist with La Presse from 1965 to 1974, he then moved to Quebec City's Le Soleil , where he was news chief and subsequently editor in chief.
In 1984, Mr. Masson was appointed president and publisher of the Nouvelliste in Trois-Rivières, the readership of which then expanded dramatically. He returned to La Presse as its vice-president in 1988.
In the eyes of his colleagues, Mr. Masson was a man of remarkable professional and human qualities. He was a journalist of integrity and an involved citizen. I personally have had several opportunities, one of them recently, to appreciate the pleasant manner this sincere and likeable man had with people. His passing will be felt far beyond the media world.
On behalf of the Bloc Quebecois, I offer deepest condolences to his family and friends.