Death of Mr. André Chagnon, OC, OQ - 1928-2022
MONTRÉAL, Oct. 8, 2022 /CNW Telbec/ - After a very active life devoted to his family, his business endeavours and his philanthropic activities, surrounded by his beloved family, André Chagnon passed away peacefully in the very early morning of October 8th at the age of 94.
Mr. Chagnon was predeceased by his wife of 65 years, Lucie Dolan, his son Christian, and his granddaughter Caroline. He is survived by his children Johanne (Paul Grégoire), Claude (Adrienne Kelly), Élaine (Yvan Dumont) and Isabelle, his daughter-in-law Monique Lafond, his many grandchildren and great-grandchildren and numerous nephews, nieces and friends. His large extended family often gathered together to celebrate occasions both large and small.
André Chagnon was born in Montréal (in the parish of Saint-Nicolas d'Ahuntsic) in 1928. He grew up with his father (Edmé-Rosario Chagnon), a self-employed electrician, his mother (Aurore Brais), his sister Yvette and his brother Guy, who also predeceased him. His parents had a profound influence on him, instilling humanist values and an entrepreneurial spirit from a very young age.
After training as an electrician technician at the École technique de Montréal and working as an employee for a few years, at 31 he created his own electrical contracting company, E.R. Chagnon et Fils Ltée. In 1964, during a period of rapid change in Québec, he founded Vidéotron, a cable television company that became a market leader in less than three decades. With thousands of employees across Canada and abroad, Videotron offered a wide range of services. As the family business revolutionized the field of telecommunications, André Chagnon's achievements were recognized on many occasions by the industry, which bestowed many awards on the Videotron founder. In 1983, he was named the first Grand Lauréat du Prix des Communications by the Québec Communications Ministry. In 2003, he had the honour of being named Grand bâtisseur québécois des technologies de l'information et des communications (Pioneer in information and communication technologies in Québec) by the Fédération de l'informatique du Québec. In 2009, he was inducted into the Canada's Telecommunications Hall of Fame.
Throughout his entire career, André Chagnon was dedicated to helping the most disadvantaged members of society. This commitment led him to participate in the creation of several organizations and involve Videotron in supporting various causes in the areas of education, health, the arts and sports. In 2000, the year of the sale of Videotron, the Chagnon family created the Lucie and André Chagnon Foundation, a philanthropic organization endowed with significant capital dedicated to preventing poverty by helping to create conditions that will enable all young people living in Québec to develop their full potential. At the age of 72, with the full support of his wife and children, André Chagnon devoted the same energy to his foundation that he had applied to every endeavour he had undertaken during his life. He played an active role in developing one of the largest family foundations in Canada.
In addition to his remarkable achievements in business and philanthropy, André Chagnon was passionate about anything that could improve the lives of his fellow citizens. He personally supported numerous causes and passed on his knowledge and experience to many people. A visionary who brought people together, he firmly believed in the involvement of individuals and communities in determining their future.
He was also a loyal friend to many, maintaining close ties with his earliest collaborators throughout his life.
André Chagnon's career was marked by many awards and honours, which he always accepted with humility and shared with his collaborators. He was an Officer of the Order of Canada and the Ordre national du Québec. In 2004, he was awarded an honorary doctorate from McGill University. HEC Montréal granted him an honorary doctorate in 2008 in recognition of his remarkable professional success and exceptional generosity. In 2015, he was awarded the Medal of Honour of the National Assembly; Lucie Chagnon was awarded the Medal posthumously. In 2016, the Institute for Governance of Private and Public Organizations recognized André Chagnon's exceptional economic success and social engagement by naming him a major contributor to the Quebec economy: Grand bâtisseur de l'économie du Québec. Finally, in 2020, he was named an Honoree of the Cercle des Grands entrepreneurs du Québec, a distinction awarded to exceptional entrepreneurs whose achievements, ideals and commitment have contributed to Québec's entrepreneurial vitality and reach.
SOURCE Famille Chagnon
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