Quebec Cinema will rename Jutra awards; cities renaming streets

Following the latest pedophilia revelations regarding Claude Jutra, Quebec Cinema is renaming the Jutra awards.

The organizers of the annual award ceremony say they don't yet know what they will call the gala that takes place on March 20, and don't have a new name for the trophies handed out, nor do they know what they will do with the awards that have been handed out over the past few decades.

Segolene Roederer, CEO of Quebec Cinema, said the agency would likely come up with a temporary name for next month's gala, and come up with a permanent name at a later date.

This week a biography about the legendary Quebec actor and film director said that Jutra was a pedophile.

Following the publication of the book, entitled Claude Jutra, one victim came forward and told La Presse that Jutra began sexually assaulting him when he was six years old.

Patrick Roy, chair of the board of directors for Quebec Cinema, said he was "devastated" by the allegations.

Earlier this week Culture Minister Helene David said the allegations were troubling, but now that more witnesses are coming forward they can no longer be ignored.

"I'm very, very troubled and so sad by what I have read," said David.

"We have to take it seriously, and given the insupportable criminal act we have to ask that the name of the Jutras be changed."

"Quebec Cinema will make its decision, but I'm asking them to change the name," said David on Wednesday.

The organizers of the award ceremony said they spoke to the minister on Wednesday morning, and they said they agreed with the change.

"We took her call, but it was our decision," said Roy.

Jutra was known to have sex with teenagers

Biographer Yves Lever said Jutra's behaviour was well-known within the film industry, but never discussed publicly.

Arnie Gelbart knew Jutra very well, and was the last person who saw him before his death. He said that while Jutra had sexual relations with teenagers.

"They weren't children, I mean they were young men, 16, 17, 18," he said.

Jutra began directing short films in 1948, and his best known works are Mon Oncle Antoine and Kamouraska.

He was also an actor, appearing in more than a dozen movies and TV shows until the early 1980s.

Jutra committed suicide in 1986 after being diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease. He was 56 years old.

Streets, parks to be renamed

She added that several cities and towns have streets or squares named after Jutra, and she was asking them to consider changing the names of those locations as well.

"I'm asking the Toponomy Commission to contact the various municipalities that have made contact with them in the past," said David.

Montreal Mayor Denis Coderre said a park at the corner of Clark St. and Prince Arthur St., as well as street in RDP-PAT would be renamed.

"There is a Claude Jutra Cres. in Riviere des Prairies-Pointe aux Trembles, so we'll talk to the borough mayor to look at that, but there's a park named Claude Jutra in the Plateau that's under the jurisdiction of the central city, so we're going to change the name of that park," said Coderre.

That park also contains a statue in the same shape as the Jutra awards.

The town of Levis announced Wednesday that a street named after the director would be renamed as well.