Politicians and friends of Rodger Brulotte bid him a final ‘bonsoir!’

Politicians, friends, and admirers of Rodger Brulotte came to say one last “Bonsoir!” to him on Thursday, as he lay in repose at the former Jarry Park Stadium.

The location was deeply symbolic, as it was where everything began for the Montreal Expos — the love of his life, alongside his wife, Pascale Vallée.

In one of his final public appearances as premier, François Legault captured the mood of the evening well by declaring that “everyone loved Rodger.” And it was clearly mutual. Several people present described him as “a man of the people.”

Legault first met Brulotte when he was the Parti Québécois MNA for the riding of Rousseau, in the Lanaudière region. “Rodger was president of a foundation for academic success associated with the Commission scolaire des Affluents. He raised about $100,000 a year and gave it to disadvantaged schools to motivate young people to stay in school. It was a very positive first impression of Rodger.”

The two sports enthusiasts grew closer over the years. Legault’s partner, Isabelle Brais, even invited the famous sports commentator to her birthday party a few years ago. “It was one of the best birthday gifts I ever received,” the Premier said in his remarks, noting how the stories flowed freely that evening. “He was a former history teacher, so he was quite the storyteller!”

Like Legault, Parti Québécois leader Paul St-Pierre Plamondon and Bloc Québécois leader Yves-François Blanchet both grew up listening to Brulotte’s voice.

“I can’t count the number of afternoons or car rides spent listening to Rodger on CKAC,” said St-Pierre Plamondon. “All sorts of memories are coming back to me today. He had not only the ability to break down a fairly complicated sport and predict things, but also to create nicknames for players or present them in a way that stuck with you. There was colour and emotion, which is why a guy like me has loved baseball his whole life.”

“When I was very young, I used to fall asleep listening to baseball from the golden era, with Rodger Brulotte’s voice coming from my little clock radio,” recalled Blanchet.

He could still be heard calling Major League Baseball games last summer on TVA Sports, and had been writing columns in Le Journal de Montréal until very recently.

The iconic figure of baseball and media succumbed to cancer on March 20 at the age of 79. Brulotte had undergone surgery last September to remove a cancerous tumour from his back, but the illness returned in recent months.

Longevity and energy

Known for his famous catchphrase “Bonsoir, elle est partie!” ( said when a ball was hit out of the park), he began working for the Expos organization from the very start in 1969. He was notably involved in creating the mascot “Youppi!” during his time with the team.

Brulotte went on to have a long career in media. He called Expos and Major League Baseball games on radio at CKAC, then on television at RDS and TVA Sports, while also writing various columns for Le Journal de Montréal and Le Journal de Québec.

In 2015, he published a book titled Bonsoir..., in which he recounts his best anecdotes and reflects on the encounters that shaped his remarkable life.

Before joining TVA Sports in 2011 to call Toronto Blue Jays games, Brulotte spent nearly 20 years at RDS.

Beyond his media work, he was also central to the effort to bring the Expos back to Quebec, working alongside former Montreal Mayor Denis Coderre.

Brulotte also served as president of the Ligue de baseball junior élite du Québec for more than 10 years, and was inducted as a journalist into the Quebec Baseball Hall of Fame in 2014.

In 2024, he received the Jacques-Beauchamp tribute award from Sports Québec, recognizing him as a builder of the sport.

- This report by The Canadian Press was first published in French on April 9, 2026.