Pierre Trudeau
1919-2000 Pierre Trudeau was first elected Canada's prime minister in 1968 He remained in power over the following 16 years, April 20, 1968 - June 3, 1979 and March 3, 1980 - June 30, 1984
The prime minister is the leader of Canada. He or she is sometimes called "first among equals." This means that even though all members of the Cabinet are equal, he or she is the most powerful. Cabinet: The group of people chosen by the prime minister to help him or her run the country. They are also usually Members of Parliament, which means that Canadians have elected them.
PERSONAL LIFE:
Born Octuber 18, 1919 in Montreal, Quebec His father was a wealthy Quebecois, his mother was of Scottish descent. Trudeau's given names thus captured the bilingual, bicultural personality of Canada. Married to Margaret Sinclair in 1971..she was born 1948 they had 3 sons, one died accidentally in 1998, they divorced in 1984.. Later on..he had a daughter.. Died September 28, 2000, Montreal, Quebec
He drove sports cars, wore capes, ascots and floppy hats, and always the signature red rose in his lapel. He slid down bannisters, canoed in white-water rapids, did pirouettes behind the Queen's back at Buckingham Palace. He made politics fashionable He dated some of the most interesting women in the world More than once in his life his unusual taste in clothing has landed him in hot water. After he became an M.P. in 1965, Trudeau often upset his conservatively-dressed colleagues in the House of Commons with his casual clothes, His long hair, sandals and loosely-tied cravat were definitely beyond the usual standards of dress in Parliament. After a total of sixteen years as prime minister, he resigned from politics in 1984. He returned to practicing law, travelled extensively and published his memoirs. His death on September 28, 2000, just short of his eighty-first birthday, prompted an outpouring of grief and tributes from across the country.
PIERRE TRUDEAU AND CANADA
Pierre Trudeau held his philosophy of one Canada and a strong federal government before he became prime minister and he maintained it throughout his political career his patriation of the Constitution and promotion of official bilingualism are all manifestations of this belief. Having accomplished his goal of strengthening Canadian federalism, Trudeau turned his attention to international affairs, campaigning for world peace and improving the relationship between the industrialized nations and Third World countries.
During his 16 years as prime minister he championed seminal changes in the Canadian political landscape, among them: * Official Languages Act, 1969 (french and english) * Implementation of War Measure Act, 1970 ("Just watch me…") * Wage and Price controls, 1975 * Appointed Jeanne Sauve first woman Speaker of House of Commons, 1980 * Canadian Charter of Rights, 1982 * Patriation of Canadian Constitution, 1982 "I believe a constitution can permit the co-existence of several cultures and ethnic groups with a single state." -- Trudeau, September 30, 1965 In December 1999, Pierre Elliott Trudeau was named top Canadian newsmaker of the 20th century. Trudeau's status as a political giant in Canadian history is indisputable. One of Our Best and Brightest. The Toronto Star noted in an editorial: "…for those of us who were there when Pierre Trudeau was prime minister it was the magic of the man that is etched and cherished in the mind's eye. We embraced his diamond-sharp intellect, his irreverence, and the style of his leadership and life. "For the better he changed us as a nation.
By Sergio E Cepeda Edit by Alicia