Mr. Speaker, it was with sadness that we learned of the passing of Noël Lacas last week.
I want to acknowledge his exceptional contributions to the union movement and to the development of the Lanaudière region for over 50 years.
In 1952, the Conseil central des syndicats nationaux de Joliette hired him as a union advisor. It was in this role that he became instrumental in forming new unions and in negotiating for the public sector and for prison guards in Quebec.
Since his retirement in 1984, Noël Lacas had been heavily involved in sovereignist activities.
With his passing, the Lanaudière region and Quebec as a whole have lost a great unionist and staunch defender of Quebec.
A historian as well, he brought us a well-researched history of the Conseil central de Joliette, now the Conseil central de Lanaudière
His funeral was held on September 22 at the Joliette Cathedral. The Bloc Québécois offers its condolences to his family and loved ones.