Claude Beauchamp
Encyclopedia
Claude Beauchamp is a journalist, publisher, and political activist in the Canadian
province of Quebec
.
in the late 1970s. He became president and general manager of Publications Les Affaires Inc. in 1980, one year after the company purchased the business journal Les Affaires
. Beauchamp relaunched the journal as a tabloid and later oversaw the company's purchase of smaller, niche-oriented papers such as Quebec Construction, Revue Commerce, Quebec Yachting, VeliMag, Voile Libre, Ski Quebec, and Sports Marketing Canada. Corporate revenues rose under Beauchamp's leadership from less than $1 million in 1980 to $13 million in 1985. He remarked on his success in November 1985, "The market was there for years, but nobody was serving it."
Beauchamp was awarded the Saint-Jean-Baptiste Society
's Olivar-Asselin Award
for excellence in journalism in 1984. Two years later, he presided over a Montreal economic summit called by mayor
Jean Drapeau
. Between 1987 and 1990, he launched English-language papers entitled This Week in Business and Good Times, The Magazine for Successful Retirement, and oversaw the purchase of a French-language seniors' weekly called Le temps de vivre. He resigned as president of Publications Les Affaires Inc. in 1990.
In late 1990, Beauchamp was named as co-chair of a "rescue brigade" set up by the Quebec government via the Société de developpement industrielle du Québec to provide assistance for Quebec companies threatened by the financial downturn of the early 1990s. Beauchamp described the program as an "extraordinary success" in June 1991, saying that it had overseen loans to 158 companies.
Beauchamp began hosting the financial issues program "Capital Action" on the Réseau de l'information
television network in 1995. He resigned from this position in 2004.
. Beauchamp said the group would promote federalism in Quebec while also explaining Quebec's needs to the rest of Canada. He added that, in the view of his organization, "the fundamental problems of Quebec and Canada are first of all economic, not political or constitutional," and that sustained financial growth would be impossible in an unstable political climate. In December 1991, he proposed the creation of a "Council of Federation" with mixed federal and provincial representation, to oversee a new Canadian economic union.
Beauchamp participated in several forums on reforming the Canadian Constitution in 1992. On one occasion, he tried to break a impasse in negotiations on Senate reform
by proposing that all provinces have an equal number of senators, with those from larger provinces having more heavily weighted votes. Beauchamp acknowledged that this proposal was "not perfect" but added that he did not want to see the entire constitutional reform package fall apart due to disagreements on this issue from various parties.
Beauchamp ultimately supported and campaigned for the Charlottetown Accord
, a constitutional reform package introduced in August 1992 by the Canadian federal government of Brian Mulroney
. During the 1992 referendum campaign on the accord, he argued that between 30,000 and 50,000 jobs could be lost in Quebec if the accord was defeated. The accord was ultimately defeated, both in Quebec and across Canada as a whole.
After the accord's demise, Beauchamp recommended that both the Canadian and Quebec governments embark on a major public works program, building highways and a high-speed rail connection from Quebec City
to Windsor, Ontario
.
There were rumours that Beauchamp would run in the 1993 Canadian federal election
as either a Liberal
or Progressive Conservative
, but this did not come to pass. There were also rumours that he would seek to replace Robert Bourassa as leader of the Quebec Liberal Party, but this too did not happen.
(CPM) urged Beauchamp to become their party's candidate for mayor in the 1994 municipal election
. He declined the offer, saying that he was too busy with talks on the constitution.
Beauchamp announced in November 1993 that he would run for mayor of Montreal, not as a Civic Party candidate but as the leader of his own political movement. Supported by incumbent councillor Nick Auf der Maur
and former Civic Party leader Claude Dupras, he cast himself as a reformer who could change the culture of city hall, fix the economy, and create jobs. He formally launched the Action Montreal
party in February 1994, pledging to "modernize" city hall, reduce the number of civil servants, and turn some municipal services over to the private sector. After the party's creation, Beauchamp received support from incumbent councillors Gérard Legault and Vittorio Capparelli
, both formerly of the Montreal Citizens' Movement
(MCM).
Some of Beauchamp's opponents criticized his focus on business issues, charging that he was little more than a representative the city's business lobby. After a Le Devoir
poll put him in fourth place, he withdrew from the contest in April 1994 to support Vision Montreal
candidate Pierre Bourque
. There were rumours that Beauchamp would run for mayor again in the 1998 municipal election
, but ultimately he did not do so.
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
province of Quebec
Quebec
Quebec or is a province in east-central Canada. It is the only Canadian province with a predominantly French-speaking population and the only one whose sole official language is French at the provincial level....
.
Journalist and publisher
Beauchamp began his career as a financial writer for La Presse and served as assistant publisher and editor-in-chief of Le SoleilLe Soleil
Le Soleil is a French-language daily newspaper in Quebec City, Quebec. It was founded on December 28, 1896 and is published in compact format since April 2006...
in the late 1970s. He became president and general manager of Publications Les Affaires Inc. in 1980, one year after the company purchased the business journal Les Affaires
Les Affaires
Les Affaires is a French language weekly business newspaper, based in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. It is owned by Transcontinental Media.-External links:*...
. Beauchamp relaunched the journal as a tabloid and later oversaw the company's purchase of smaller, niche-oriented papers such as Quebec Construction, Revue Commerce, Quebec Yachting, VeliMag, Voile Libre, Ski Quebec, and Sports Marketing Canada. Corporate revenues rose under Beauchamp's leadership from less than $1 million in 1980 to $13 million in 1985. He remarked on his success in November 1985, "The market was there for years, but nobody was serving it."
Beauchamp was awarded the Saint-Jean-Baptiste Society
Saint-Jean-Baptiste Society
The Saint-Jean-Baptiste Society is an institution in Quebec dedicated to the protection of Quebec francophone interests and to the promotion of Quebec Sovereignism. Its current President is Mario Beaulieu....
's Olivar-Asselin Award
Olivar-Asselin Award
The Olivar-Asselin Award is an award created in 1955. It is given by the Saint-Jean-Baptiste Society of Montreal to a Quebec journalist having distinguished himself or herself in the field of journalism...
for excellence in journalism in 1984. Two years later, he presided over a Montreal economic summit called by mayor
Mayor of Montreal
The Mayor of Montreal is head of the executive branch of Montreal City Council.The Mayor's office administers all city services, public property, police and fire protection, most public agencies, and enforces all city and provincial laws within Montreal....
Jean Drapeau
Jean Drapeau
Jean Drapeau, was a Canadian lawyer and politician who served as mayor of Montreal from 1954 to 1957 and 1960 to 1986...
. Between 1987 and 1990, he launched English-language papers entitled This Week in Business and Good Times, The Magazine for Successful Retirement, and oversaw the purchase of a French-language seniors' weekly called Le temps de vivre. He resigned as president of Publications Les Affaires Inc. in 1990.
In late 1990, Beauchamp was named as co-chair of a "rescue brigade" set up by the Quebec government via the Société de developpement industrielle du Québec to provide assistance for Quebec companies threatened by the financial downturn of the early 1990s. Beauchamp described the program as an "extraordinary success" in June 1991, saying that it had overseen loans to 158 companies.
Beauchamp began hosting the financial issues program "Capital Action" on the Réseau de l'information
Réseau de l'information
Réseau de l'information is a Canadian French language Category C news channel operated by CBC/Radio-Canada. RDI began broadcasting on January 1, 1995, and is considered the French-language equivalent of the CBC News Network, also owned by the CBC....
television network in 1995. He resigned from this position in 2004.
Political activist
In September 1991, Beauchamp became president of the newly formed Regroupement économie et constitution (Group for the Economy and the Constitution), an alliance of business leaders whose purpose was to promote private sector growth in a framework of renewed Canadian federalismCanadian federalism
Canada is a federation with two distinct jurisdictions of political authority: the country-wide federal government and the ten regionally-based provincial governments. It also has three territorial governments in the far north, though these are subject to the federal government...
. Beauchamp said the group would promote federalism in Quebec while also explaining Quebec's needs to the rest of Canada. He added that, in the view of his organization, "the fundamental problems of Quebec and Canada are first of all economic, not political or constitutional," and that sustained financial growth would be impossible in an unstable political climate. In December 1991, he proposed the creation of a "Council of Federation" with mixed federal and provincial representation, to oversee a new Canadian economic union.
Beauchamp participated in several forums on reforming the Canadian Constitution in 1992. On one occasion, he tried to break a impasse in negotiations on Senate reform
Canadian Senate
The Senate of Canada is a component of the Parliament of Canada, along with the House of Commons, and the monarch . The Senate consists of 105 members appointed by the governor general on the advice of the prime minister...
by proposing that all provinces have an equal number of senators, with those from larger provinces having more heavily weighted votes. Beauchamp acknowledged that this proposal was "not perfect" but added that he did not want to see the entire constitutional reform package fall apart due to disagreements on this issue from various parties.
Beauchamp ultimately supported and campaigned for the Charlottetown Accord
Charlottetown Accord
The Charlottetown Accord was a package of proposed amendments to the Constitution of Canada, proposed by the Canadian federal and provincial governments in 1992. It was submitted to a public referendum on October 26 of that year, and was defeated.-Background:...
, a constitutional reform package introduced in August 1992 by the Canadian federal government of Brian Mulroney
Brian Mulroney
Martin Brian Mulroney, was the 18th Prime Minister of Canada from September 17, 1984, to June 25, 1993 and was leader of the Progressive Conservative Party of Canada from 1983 to 1993. His tenure as Prime Minister was marked by the introduction of major economic reforms, such as the Canada-U.S...
. During the 1992 referendum campaign on the accord, he argued that between 30,000 and 50,000 jobs could be lost in Quebec if the accord was defeated. The accord was ultimately defeated, both in Quebec and across Canada as a whole.
After the accord's demise, Beauchamp recommended that both the Canadian and Quebec governments embark on a major public works program, building highways and a high-speed rail connection from Quebec City
Quebec City
Quebec , also Québec, Quebec City or Québec City is the capital of the Canadian province of Quebec and is located within the Capitale-Nationale region. It is the second most populous city in Quebec after Montreal, which is about to the southwest...
to Windsor, Ontario
Windsor, Ontario
Windsor is the southernmost city in Canada and is located in Southwestern Ontario at the western end of the heavily populated Quebec City – Windsor Corridor. It is within Essex County, Ontario, although administratively separated from the county government. Separated by the Detroit River, Windsor...
.
There were rumours that Beauchamp would run in the 1993 Canadian federal election
Canadian federal election, 1993
The Canadian federal election of 1993 was held on October 25 of that year to elect members to the Canadian House of Commons of the 35th Parliament of Canada. Fourteen parties competed for the 295 seats in the House at that time...
as either a Liberal
Liberal Party of Canada
The Liberal Party of Canada , colloquially known as the Grits, is the oldest federally registered party in Canada. In the conventional political spectrum, the party sits between the centre and the centre-left. Historically the Liberal Party has positioned itself to the left of the Conservative...
or Progressive Conservative
Progressive Conservative Party of Canada
The Progressive Conservative Party of Canada was a Canadian political party with a centre-right stance on economic issues and, after the 1970s, a centrist stance on social issues....
, but this did not come to pass. There were also rumours that he would seek to replace Robert Bourassa as leader of the Quebec Liberal Party, but this too did not happen.
Montreal municipal politics
In June 1992, several leading figures in the opposition Civic Party of MontrealCivic Party of Montreal
The Civic Party of Montreal was a municipal political party in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. It existed from 1960 to 1994. Throughout its history the Civic Party was dominated by the personality of its leader Jean Drapeau.-Origins:...
(CPM) urged Beauchamp to become their party's candidate for mayor in the 1994 municipal election
Montreal municipal election, 1994
The 1994 Montreal municipal election took place on November 6, 1994. Pierre Bourque was elected to his first term as mayor, defeating incumbent Jean Doré...
. He declined the offer, saying that he was too busy with talks on the constitution.
Beauchamp announced in November 1993 that he would run for mayor of Montreal, not as a Civic Party candidate but as the leader of his own political movement. Supported by incumbent councillor Nick Auf der Maur
Nick Auf der Maur
Nick Auf der Maur was a journalist, politician and "man about town" boulevardier in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. He was also the father of rock musician Melissa Auf der Maur, through his marriage to Linda Gaboriau....
and former Civic Party leader Claude Dupras, he cast himself as a reformer who could change the culture of city hall, fix the economy, and create jobs. He formally launched the Action Montreal
Action Montreal
Action Montreal was a short-lived municipal political party in Montreal, Quebec, Canada, that existed from February to April 1994 under the leadership of entrepreneur Claude Beauchamp.-Origins and platform:...
party in February 1994, pledging to "modernize" city hall, reduce the number of civil servants, and turn some municipal services over to the private sector. After the party's creation, Beauchamp received support from incumbent councillors Gérard Legault and Vittorio Capparelli
Vittorio Capparelli
Vittorio Capparelli is a politician in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. He served on the Montreal city council from 1986 to 1998 and was a member of the Montreal executive committee from 1994 to 1996.-Early life and career:...
, both formerly of the Montreal Citizens' Movement
Montreal Citizens' Movement
The Montreal Citizens' Movement was a municipal political party in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. It existed from 1973 to 2001.-Origins:...
(MCM).
Some of Beauchamp's opponents criticized his focus on business issues, charging that he was little more than a representative the city's business lobby. After a Le Devoir
Le Devoir
Le Devoir is a French-language newspaper published in Montreal and distributed in Quebec and the rest of Canada. It was founded by journalist, politician, and nationalist Henri Bourassa in 1910....
poll put him in fourth place, he withdrew from the contest in April 1994 to support Vision Montreal
Vision Montreal
Vision Montreal is a municipal political party in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. It has been in existence since 1994 and presently forms the Official opposition on Montreal City Council under leader Louise Harel.-Origins:...
candidate Pierre Bourque
Pierre Bourque
Pierre Bourque, CQ is a businessman and politician in Quebec, Canada. He founded the Vision Montreal political party and served as mayor of Montreal from 1994 to 2001.-Background:...
. There were rumours that Beauchamp would run for mayor again in the 1998 municipal election
Montreal municipal election, 1998
The city of Montreal, Quebec, Canada held municipal elections on November 1, 1998, to elect a mayor and city councillors. Pierre Bourque was returned to a second term as mayor against a divided opposition....
, but ultimately he did not do so.