Former Quebec Liberal education minister Pierre Reid dies at age 73

Former Quebec education minister Pierre Reid announces Wednesday Jan. 12, 2005 his government will launch Canada's first student loan system to tie repayment plans to income, during a news conference in Quebec City. (CP PHOTO/Jacques Boissinot)

MONTREAL — Pierre Reid, who served as education minister in the Jean Charest's Liberal government, died Sunday at the age of 73.

According to his obituary, Reid died at the Fleurimont Hospital in Sherbrooke, Que.

First elected in 2003 as MNA for Orford, in the Eastern Townships, Reid was re-elected in 2007, 2008, 2012 and 2014.

He did not seek re-election in 2018.

Before entering politics, he was rector of the University of Sherbrooke from 1993 to 2001.

Born in Jonquière in 1948, Pierre Reid, the son of a merchant, obtained a bachelor's degree in science from Laval University in 1970 and a doctorate in mathematics in Paris in 1974. He first worked as a computer consultant for IBM Canada and then as a professor in business computing at the Université du Québec à Chicoutimi.

He joined the University of Sherbrooke in 1978, where he was successively professor, vice-dean, director of the MBA program, vice-rector (administration) and finally rector for eight years, until 2001.

In 2001, he joined the federal public service, first at the Department of Industry and then at Economic Development.

It was there that Liberal leader Jean Charest recruited him to run in the riding of Orford for the 2003 election, which the Liberals won after nine years of PQ governments.

As soon as he was elected, the academic became Minister of Education, and in 2005 was transferred to Government Services. Following a cabinet shuffle in 2006, Reid was no longer part of the cabinet.

After the brief Pauline Marois PQ minority government, the 2014 election brought the Liberals back to power, but then-leader Philippe Couillard did not appoint him as minister.

From 2014 to 2018, Reid served as chair of the Committee on Transportation and the Environment and then vice-chair of the Committee on the Economy and Labour. He did not seek re-election in 2018.

The family will welcome visitors on Friday evening, Dec. 3, and Saturday, Dec. 4, from 9 to 11:30 a.m., at the Charron & Lamoureux Funeral Complex in Magog.

The family suggests donations to the Coeur en tete foundation, via the CHUS Foundation.

-- This report by The Canadian Press was first published in French on Nov. 16, 2021.