Mr. Speaker, Quebec has lost one of its greats and I have lost a friend. Born in Saint‑Hyacinthe in 1930, Yves Michaud has taken his last breath.
Whether as a journalist and editorial writer, activist, MNA, diplomat, CEO of the Palais des congrès de Montréal, or “Robin Hood of the banks”, Yves Michaud was a man of unshakable convictions who lived his life free and proud.
He was a larger-than-life figure, a generous man whom everybody liked. He was an impressive scholar who could recite the classics by heart. The French language was his home and Quebec his country. Whenever I was in Paris, a city he adored, I always used to phone him as I was crossing his beloved Place du Québec, the square named for the nation to which he was so devoted.
I have lasting memories of the hospitality offered by this bon vivant and notable wine connoisseur. On behalf of the Bloc Québécois, I offer my condolences to his family, to his loved ones and to all separatists. Quebec will remember.
Thank you for everything, Mr. Michaud.