Gérald Godin

Gérald Godin (November 13, 1938 – October 12, 1994) was a Canadian poet and politician from Quebec. During his time as a politician, he served in various cabinet posts in the governments of René Lévesque and Pierre-Marc Johnson. As cabinet minister, Godin has been noted for his openness towards immigrants. [1]

Biography

Born in Trois-Rivières, 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.[2] He was among those arrested under the War Measures Act during the October Crisis in 1970.[1]

Political career

In the 1976 Quebec provincial election, he won a seat as a candidate for the Parti Québécois (PQ), heavily defeating incumbent Premier Robert Bourassa in his own riding of Mercier.[2]

He served in various cabinet posts in the governments of René Lévesque and Pierre-Marc Johnson. His most notable role was Minister of Cultural Communities and Immigration.[1] Godin saw immigrants as the future of Quebec’s sovereigntist movement[3] by believing that they should be welcomed and acknowledged that they left due to negative impact of authoritarianism in their home country. However, he felt that immigrants should respect Quebec history and integrate into Québécois society.[4]

Godin also avoided scapegoating immigrants.[3] In 1984, during an interview with Radio Canada on the topic of undocumented immigrants, he rejected the idea of that Canada borders should be tighten towards poorer countries, by responding that countries like Canada should utilize their strengths.[5] In 1993, after the Charlottetown Accord failed to pass, Godin was furious when Jacques Parizeau, who proclaimed that sovereignty could be achieved without Anglophones and Allophones of Quebec, by telling Le Devoir that Parizeau comment 'scraped' previous effort of outreach done by the PQ.[6]

Personal life and death

His life companion was the Québécois singer Pauline Julien.[1] Godin died from brain cancer in October 1994.[7]

Legacy

As a poet, he won the Prix Québec-Paris for his 1987 work Ils ne demandaient qu'à brûler.[2]

The area surrounding the Mont-Royal metro station has been named Place Gérald-Godin in his honour.[1] One of his poems, Tango de Montréal, described as a lyrical tribute to the immigrants in Montreal, is displayed as a mural overlooking the square.[8][1]

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

Electoral record

1989 Quebec general election: Mercier
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Parti Québécois Gérald Godin 13,371 57.15 +10.04
Liberal Daniel Gagnon 7,117 30.42 −12.39
Green Manon Dubé 1,961 8.38 +6.67
New Democratic Robert Saint-Louis 567 2.42 −2.27
Workers Philippe Pouyer 168 0.72 +0.60
Marxist–Leninist Arnold August 108 0.46 –
Socialist Movement Gérard Talbot 106 0.45 –
Source: Official Results, Le Directeur général des élections du Québec.
1985 Quebec general election: Mercier
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Parti Québécois Gérald Godin 12,062 47.11 −7.42
Liberal John Parisella 10,960 42.81 +1.43
New Democratic Roger Couvrette 1,200 4.69
Green Yves Blanchette 437 1.71
Humanist Colette Renaud 348 1.36
Parti indépendantiste Denis Bourgeois 319 1.24
Independent Gilles Côté 97 0.38 −0.02
Commonwealth of Canada Elena Mendez 75 0.29
Communist Gaetan Trudel 73 0.29
No designation Philippe Pouyer 31 0.12
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 Québécois Gérald Godin 16,252 54.53 +3.15
Liberal Yves Bériault 12,333 41.38 +4.27
Union Nationale Roger Courtemanche 495 1.66 −5.89
Workers Communist Roger Rashi 250 0.84 -
Marxist–Leninist Jacques Côté 125 0.42 -
United Social Credit Gilles Côté 118 0.40 −2.07
Independent Richard Langlois 116 0.39 -
Workers Gérard Lachance 115 0.38 +0.08
Total valid votes 29,804 100,00
Total rejected ballots 489 1,61
Turnout 30,293 79.92
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 Québécois Gérald Godin 13,450 51.38 +9.57
Liberal Robert Bourassa (incumbent) 9,714 37.11 −15.76
Union Nationale Giuseppe Anzini 1,975 7.55 +5.97
Ralliement créditiste Robert Roy 647 2.47 −0.64
  New Democratic Party of Quebec - RMS coalition Henri-François Gautrin 139 0.53 -
Communist Guy Desautels 116 0.44 -
  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. ^ a b c d e f Wyatt, Kyle (2024-02-04). "The Poet Politician". Literary Review of Canada. Retrieved 2025-12-07.
  2. ^ a b c "Gérald Godin". thecanadianencyclopedia.ca (in French). Retrieved 2025-12-07.
  3. ^ a b Patriquin, Martin (2025-08-11). "The prospect of independence looms over Quebec once more". The Logic. Retrieved 2025-12-07.
  4. ^ "De quel Godin te souviens-tu?". L'aut’journal (in French). Archived from the original on 2024-11-20. Retrieved 2025-12-07.
  5. ^ Livernois, Jonathan (October 21, 2023). "Saint Gérald".
  6. ^ Livernois, Jonathan (November 17, 2025). "Du bon usage de Godin". Le Devoir.
  7. ^ "Passages". Maclean's. Rogers Media. 24 October 1994. Archived from the original on 1 October 2020. Retrieved 13 March 2020.
  8. ^ "Tango de Montréal". Art Public Montréal. Retrieved 2021-05-23.
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