Gérald Godin

Gérald Godin (November 13, 1938 – October 12, 1994) was a Quebec poet and politician.

Born in Trois-Rivières, Quebec, he worked as a journalist at La Presse and other newspapers and magazines. His most important poetry collection, Les cantouques: poèmes en langue verte, populaire et quelquefois française, was published in 1967. He was among those arrested under the War Measures Act during the October Crisis in 1970.

In the 1976 Quebec provincial election, he won a seat as a candidate for the Parti Québécois, heavily defeating incumbent Premier Robert Bourassa in his own riding of Mercier. He served in various cabinet posts in the governments of René Lévesque and Pierre-Marc Johnson. His life companion was the Québécois singer Pauline Julien.

As a poet, he won the Prix Québec-Paris for his 1987 work Ils ne demandaient qu'à brûler.

Godin died from brain cancer in October 1994.[1]

Places named for him

The area surrounding the Mont-Royal metro station has been named Place Gérald-Godin in his honour. One of his poems, Tango de Montréal, is displayed as a mural overlooking the square.

The Cégep Gérald-Godin (college) in Sainte-Geneviève, Montreal is named for him.

See also

Electoral record
1989 Quebec general election: Mercier
Party Candidate Votes%±%
Parti QuébécoisGérald Godin13,37157.15+10.04
LiberalDaniel Gagnon7,11730.42−12.39
GreenManon Dubé1,9618.38+6.67
New DemocraticRobert Saint-Louis5672.42−2.27
WorkersPhilippe Pouyer1680.72+0.60
Marxist–LeninistArnold August1080.46–
Socialist MovementGérard Talbot1060.45–
Source: Official Results, Le Directeur général des élections du Québec.
1985 Quebec general election: Mercier
Party Candidate Votes%±%
Parti QuébécoisGérald Godin12,06247.11−7.42
LiberalJohn Parisella10,96042.81+1.43
New DemocraticRoger Couvrette1,2004.69
GreenYves Blanchette4371.71
HumanistColette Renaud3481.36
Parti indépendantisteDenis Bourgeois3191.24
IndependentGilles Côté970.38−0.02
Commonwealth of CanadaElena Mendez750.29
CommunistGaetan Trudel730.29
No designationPhilippe Pouyer310.12
Total valid votes 25,602
Rejected and declined votes 451
Turnout 26,053 71.12
Electors on the lists 36,635
Source: Official Results, Le Directeur général des élections du Québec.
1981 Quebec general election: Mercier
Party Candidate Votes%±%
Parti QuébécoisGérald Godin16,25254.53+3.15
LiberalYves Bériault12,33341.38+4.27
Union NationaleRoger Courtemanche4951.66−5.89
Workers CommunistRoger Rashi2500.84-
Marxist–LeninistJacques Côté1250.42-
United Social CreditGilles Côté1180.40−2.07
  Independent Richard Langlois 116 0.39
  Workers Gérard Lachance 115 0.38
0.08
Total valid votes 29,804100,00
Total rejected ballots 4891,61
Turnout 30,29379.92
Eligible voters 37,904
Parti Québécois hold Swing −0.56
Source: Official Results, Le Directeur général des élections du Québec.
1976 Quebec general election: Mercier
Party Candidate Votes%±%
Parti QuébécoisGérald Godin13,45051.38+9.57
LiberalRobert Bourassa (incumbent)9,71437.11−15.76
Union NationaleGiuseppe Anzini1,9757.55+5.97
Ralliement créditisteRobert Roy6472.47−0.64
  NDP - RMS coalition Henri-François Gautrin 139 0.53 -
CommunistGuy Desautels1160.44-
  Workers Gaston Morin 77 0.30 -
  No designation Louise Ouimet 58 0.22 -
Source: Official Results, Le Directeur général des élections du Québec.
Parti Québécois gain from Liberal Swing +12.67

References
  1. "Passages". Maclean's. Rogers Media. 24 October 1994.


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