Mr. Speaker, yesterday, Quebec lost a free man. Daniel Pinard passed away, and Quebec is greatly indebted to him.
He changed the relationship that Quebeckers have with food through his now legendary cooking show, Ciel! mon Pinard. With his deft touch, a tomato, some salt and a slice of bread became a gourmet meal. He did not worry about following an exact recipe, and he encouraged his thousands of viewers not to worry but to let their imaginations and tastebuds run wild.
We watched as Daniel Pinard laughed, raved, raged and rhapsodized over his food. He was a man who knew how to live. His two recipe books, Pinardises, told a story and encouraged readers to develop a zest for life. Daniel Pinard was a hedonist with gourmet tastes, but he also had a keen social conscience and was concerned about social injustice and inequality.
Daniel Pinard was a sociologist, a democrat and a humanist, who taught people how to make eating an enjoyable experience.
On behalf of the Bloc Québécois, I want to extend my condolences to the enormous list of people who loved him.