Jean Drapeau

Elected mayor of Montréal for an initial mandate from 1954 to 1957, founder of the Parti civique de Montréal in 1960 and named Queen’s Counsel in 1961, Jean Drapeau was re-elected mayor of Montréal in 1960, 1962, 1966, 1970, 1974, 1978 and 1982.

Jean Drapeau’s impact, both on the Montréal scene and the Quebec political scene, was felt internationally. He was responsible for such major achievements as Place des Arts, the Montréal metro, Expo 67, the 1976 Montréal summer Olympic Games and the first international flower show in North America, the Floralies internationales, in 1980.

Jean Drapeau also distinguished himself by making Montréal the site for the coveted exhibitions Ramsès II and His Times, Treasures and Splendours of China and The Gold of Thrace.

Jean Drapeau received many awards and honours including doctorates from Université de Moncton, Université de Montréal, McGill University, Sir George Williams University, Université Laval and the Institut Goswell. In 1965, the departments of trade and industry of the 10 Canadian provinces awarded him the trophy for the Canadian who had done the most for industrial development in Canada. He also received the gold medal from the Architectural Institute of Canada in 1967. The same year, he was named a Companion of the Order of Canada.

Jean Drapeau was named a Commander of France’s Legion of Honour in 1984.

Jean Drapeau was made a special ambassador to UNESCO in Paris in December 1986 by the Government of Canada.

Jean Drapeau died in 1999. He was inducted into the Academy of Great Montrealers in the Economic category in 1978 and was named a Commander of the Ordre de Montréal in 2016.