That front-page item's from Florida. The story had global legs, everywhere but here.At Montreal's La Patrie ("at the service of the French fact") -- that week's edition featured not even a word about Levesque's deadly driving abilities. (Click the picture and search for yourself!)
On the other hand, that same edition of La Patrie ran a huge, flattering spread on why their Quebec readers should flock to and spend plenty of money supporting Apartheid South Africa!
And the author of that article probably did O.K. Within four years, someone by that name was writing for the Government of Quebec. Even more recently, someone by that same name was directing a documentary (see clips) about black Montreal "gang" members for the public-sector broadcater Radio-Canada, i.e., the French CBC. That name -- Christine Gautrin -- sure gets around.
OMG, I had forgotten all about that. I guess it was a while ago.
ReplyDeleteSo do I understand correctly? You run someone over, and you get a street named after you as reward?
ReplyDeleteKiller!
Premier Rene Levesque was drunk driving after visiting his mistress Corinne -(not sure if she's the mother of his child born out of wedlock) and he ran into Edgar Trottier, 62, dragging him 140 feet at Cedar and Cote des Neiges (driving downhill). That douchebag hardcore separatist guy - can't remember his name- who later brought Lucien Bouchard down was with Levesque that night and claimed that Levesque hadn't been drunk driving. Some believed that he had been using that info as a blackmail against Levesque to further oppress the English community of Quebec. Levesque claimed that he stopped drinking after that incident but that was untrue.
ReplyDeleteNick Auf der Maur once suggested that if Dorchester were to be renamed Rene Levesque, then the Westmount portion - which was keeping its proper name - should be renamed Walter Trottier Boulevard, so that Rene Levesque could hit Walter Trottier in perpetuity. The only other thing they'd need would be to have a statue of George Wilson waving his arms, giving Levesque the unheeded warning to have his vehicle stop.
ReplyDeleteApropos of renaming thoroughfares after deceased premiers . . . what will be named after Parizeau?
ReplyDeleteMy vote would would be for L'Acadie, running as it is smack down the middle of money and ethnic votes . .
It was stupid to rename Park Avenue “Robert Bourassa”. A much more appropriate would have been Lansdowne Avenue in Montréal (not Westmount!!! — Google [maps] is your friend).
ReplyDeleteLandsdowne Ave., good one. I live about a block from there. I don't even think there's a sign for that former street. It's no street at all, but a clump of heaved-up pavement where an Ultramar station stood until this spring. It's part of, or adjacent to, the ETS parking lot.
ReplyDeleteEdgar Trottier was indeed a big story in Montreal at the time.
ReplyDeleteA slogan for some of the unions was proposed for the next common front (and quickly rejected) which would have said: Levesque, we are not Edgar Trottier. You can't run over us!