born Dec. 20, 1918, Champlain, Que., Can.
died Aug. 28, 1988, Saint-Augustin, Que.
Canadian politician.
After graduating from Laval University, he became a prominent union leader in Quebec. From 1961 to 1965 he was president of the Confederation of National Trade Unions. He was elected to the Canadian House of Commons in 1965 and served in the cabinet of Lester Pearson until 1968. From 1968 to 1976 he held cabinet posts under Pierre Trudeau . Elected to the Canadian Senate in 1976, he served as speaker from 1980 to 1983.