Robert Bourassa was a Quebec politician, lawyer and economist. Leader of the Liberal Party, he was Premier of Quebec from 1970 to 1976, and again from 1985 to 1994.
Often criticized as premier, Robert Bourassa overcame several crises and a recession during his terms. He was the driving force behind major projects, such as the James Bay Project, and the introduction of a series of social measures.
Above all, it was his relentless work to make Quebec a distinct society within Canada, and for the status of the French language in Quebec, that made him an important figure on our political landscape.
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1933: Robert Bourassa is born in Montreal on July 14th.
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1970: On May 12th, he becomes the youngest premier in Quebec history. The same year, his government passes the Health Insurance Act.
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1970: The October Crisis shakes Quebec. Robert Bourassa asks Canadian Prime Minister Pierre Elliott Trudeau to introduce the War Measures Act.
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1971: His government passes the Crime Victims Compensation Act and the Consumer Protection Act.
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1972: To continue in the same vein as health insurance, Robert Bourassa establishes the CLSC (local community service centre).
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1973: Taking a social line, Robert Bourassa's government introduces the Quebec Family Allowance Plan, legal aid and the Council on the Status of Women.
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1974: Bill 22, or the Official Language Act, is passed to protect the French language in Quebec. The following year, the Quebec Charter of Human Rights and Freedoms comes into force.
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1987: Canadian Prime Minister Brian Mulroney begins Meech Lake Accord negotiations with provincial premiers.
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1990: From July to September, a conflict pits the Mohawks against the provincial and federal governments: the Oka Crisis. Once again, the army is called in.
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1991: In his second mandate, Robert Bourassa has the Civil Code of Quebec adopted.
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1992: The federal government makes a second attempt to negotiate constitutional reform with the Charlottetown Accord.
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1996: At the age of 63, on October 2nd, Robert Bourassa dies in Montreal of skin cancer.