Former Conseil du Patronat president Ghislain Dufour dies

Quebec Premier Rene Levesque listens to Pierre Des Marais, (right), president of the Conseil du Patronat, during a meeting in Montreal Feb 17, 1978. At left is Ghislain Dufour, also a member of the Conseil du Patronat. THE CANADIAN PRESS/ Chuck Stoody

The man who spoke for Quebec employers under premiers René-Lévesque, Robert Bourrassa, Jacques Parizeau and Lucien Bouchard has died.

Ghislain Dufour, former president of the Conseil du patronat du Québec (CPQ), passed away recently, the association announced Monday. Dufour was its main spokesperson for nearly 28 years, from 1969 to 1997. He then worked for the public relations firm National until his retirement in 2013.

Dufour "died after a long 24-day battle in intensive care with COVID-19," his loved ones said in a statement.

"He fought with courage, strength and determination, as he always did in every sphere of his life," said his wife Denise and daughters Hélène, Johane, Lucie and Marie-Josée.

"Mr. Dufour's legacy is indisputable, as he is credited with founding the CPQ in its current form," said current CPQ President and CEO Karl Blackburn. "By serving as Director General and then President and CEO for nearly three decades, Mr. Dufour carried the voice of employers into pivotal years in Quebec's history."

Born in 1934 in Sainte-Jeanne-d'Arc, Bas-Saint-Laurent, Dufour earned a master's degree in industrial relations from the Université de Montréal. At the CPQ, he was the employers' voice during many social debates that shaped Quebec, from the tense labour relations of the 1970s to the constitutional and linguistic debates to the introduction of the Balanced Budget Act by the Bouchard government.

Dufour's work earned him the Université de Montréal's gold medal for "the excellence and exemplary nature of his contribution to the development of the School of Industrial Relations," as well as the Robert D. Murray Award from Manufacturiers et exportateurs du Québec for his contribution to the development of Quebec's manufacturing sector.

He also published five books and wrote hundreds of letters and articles in various publications. Dufour was made an Officer of the Order of Canada in 1989 and an Officer of the Ordre national du Québec in 1998.

Former Premier Jean Charest described Dufour as a "leader in business and labour relations" and said he was a "model of excellence, intelligence and generosity."

Quebec Labour Minister Jean Boulet said that Dufour had contributed to the "evolution of the Quebec workplace."

Manon Poirier, head of the Ordre des conseillers en ressources humaines agréés, lamented the loss of "a giant of the profession.”

"For three decades, he made a significant contribution to the evolution of the business world and labour relations in Quebec," she added.

In an interview with La Presse newspaper in 2000 to mark the launch of his memoirs, Dufour noted that labour relations had improved markedly since the tumultuous 1970s: "We have no idea how labor relations have improved. Today, imprisoning union leaders would be unthinkable. Back then, people didn't talk to each other. Today it's almost the opposite. Not only do people talk to each other, sometimes they talk too much."

This report by The Canadian Press was first published in French on July 17, 2023.