Georges Brossard
Encyclopedia
Georges Brossard, CM
, CQ
(born in 1940 in La Prairie, Québec
, Canada
) is a famed entomologist and founder of the Montreal Insectarium
(Insectarium de Montréal).
, Jean Doré
, to open an insectarium. He and Pierre Bourque
, then director of the Montreal Botanical Gardens, began a partnership to govern and operate the Montreal Insectarium
. Georges Brossard has also founded four other insectariums across the globe, some of which are located as far as Shanghai
and South Africa
. Since the opening of the Montreal Insectarium
, his collection, which he continues to amass through his travels, has grown to over 500 000 specimens.
Brossard has also written and directed 20 episodes of Mémoires d'insectes (Insect Diaries), and was the creator and host of the televised series Insectia
. He is the cofounder and copresident of Montreal's Cinéma IMAX
les Ailes.
In 2004, he was the subject of the fiction film Le Papillon Bleu The Blue Butterfly (film)
, directed by Léa Pool
, based on an event in Brossard's life which occurred in 1987. Working for the Children's Wish Foundation of Canada
, Brossard traveled to South America with a boy in the terminal phase of cancer. It was the boy's dream to catch a mythical Blue Morpho
butterfly, which Georges goes to great lengths to find in the vast jungles, even putting his and the boy's lives in danger. They finally catch the butterfly, and upon returning to Québec, the cancer which had been slowly killing the child miraculously receded.
Order of Canada
The Order of Canada is a Canadian national order, admission into which is, within the system of orders, decorations, and medals of Canada, the second highest honour for merit...
, CQ
National Order of Quebec
The National Order of Quebec, termed officially in French as l'Ordre national du Québec, and in English abbreviation as the Order of Quebec, is a civilian honour for merit in the Canadian province of Quebec...
(born in 1940 in La Prairie, Québec
La Prairie, Quebec
La Prairie is an off-island suburb of Montreal, in southwestern Quebec, Canada at the confluence of the Saint-Jacques River and the Saint Lawrence River in the Regional County Municipality of Roussillon...
, Canada
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...
) is a famed entomologist and founder of the Montreal Insectarium
Montreal Insectarium
The Montreal Insectarium is a museum located in Montreal, Quebec, Canada, featuring a large quantity of insects from all around the world. It is the largest Canadian insectarium and among the largest insectariums worldwide. It was founded by Georges Brossard and opened on February 7, 1990. Its...
(Insectarium de Montréal).
Biography
An insect enthusiast from a very early age, Brossard held a career as a notary until the age of 38. He then started to travel, and on his travels studied the insects he came across with deep interest. In 1989, after having collected over 250 000 specimens, he solicited the then mayor of MontrealMontreal
Montreal is a city in Canada. It is the largest city in the province of Quebec, the second-largest city in Canada and the seventh largest in North America...
, Jean Doré
Jean Doré
Jean Doré is a Canadian politician and former mayor of the City of Montreal, Quebec.-Background:Jean Doré studied law at the Université de Montréal, where he was president of the student union from 1967 to 1968. He received a Master's Degree of Political Science from McGill University...
, to open an insectarium. He and Pierre Bourque
Pierre Bourque (politician)
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:...
, then director of the Montreal Botanical Gardens, began a partnership to govern and operate the Montreal Insectarium
Montreal Insectarium
The Montreal Insectarium is a museum located in Montreal, Quebec, Canada, featuring a large quantity of insects from all around the world. It is the largest Canadian insectarium and among the largest insectariums worldwide. It was founded by Georges Brossard and opened on February 7, 1990. Its...
. Georges Brossard has also founded four other insectariums across the globe, some of which are located as far as Shanghai
Shanghai
Shanghai is the largest city by population in China and the largest city proper in the world. It is one of the four province-level municipalities in the People's Republic of China, with a total population of over 23 million as of 2010...
and South Africa
South Africa
The Republic of South Africa is a country in southern Africa. Located at the southern tip of Africa, it is divided into nine provinces, with of coastline on the Atlantic and Indian oceans...
. Since the opening of the Montreal Insectarium
Montreal Insectarium
The Montreal Insectarium is a museum located in Montreal, Quebec, Canada, featuring a large quantity of insects from all around the world. It is the largest Canadian insectarium and among the largest insectariums worldwide. It was founded by Georges Brossard and opened on February 7, 1990. Its...
, his collection, which he continues to amass through his travels, has grown to over 500 000 specimens.
Brossard has also written and directed 20 episodes of Mémoires d'insectes (Insect Diaries), and was the creator and host of the televised series Insectia
Insectia
Insectia is a nature documentary program on the Discovery Channel. The show's host, Georges Brossard, explains the life of insects by traveling around the world and introducing specimens in their natural habitat.-Episodes - Season 1:...
. He is the cofounder and copresident of Montreal's Cinéma IMAX
IMAX
IMAX is a motion picture film format and a set of proprietary cinema projection standards created by the Canadian company IMAX Corporation. IMAX has the capacity to record and display images of far greater size and resolution than conventional film systems...
les Ailes.
In 2004, he was the subject of the fiction film Le Papillon Bleu The Blue Butterfly (film)
The Blue Butterfly (film)
The Blue Butterfly is a 2004 Canadian drama/adventure film, directed by Léa Pool, produced by Porchlight Entertainment and Alliance Atlantis, distributed by Monterey Media and starring Marc Donato as Pete Carlton, a boy terminally ill with cancer, whose final wish is to find the elusive Blue Morpho...
, directed by Léa Pool
Léa Pool
Léa Pool is a Swiss-Canadian filmmaker who has also taught film at UQAM. She is openly lesbian. Her 1986 film Anne Trister was entered into the 36th Berlin International Film Festival. Her 1999 film Emporte-moi was entered into the 49th Berlin International Film Festival where it won the Special...
, based on an event in Brossard's life which occurred in 1987. Working for the Children's Wish Foundation of Canada
Children's Wish Foundation of Canada
The Children's Wish Foundation of Canada is a Canadian charitable organization whose mission is to fulfill the wishes of children diagnosed with life-threatening illnesses. Founded in 1983, the foundation has chapters in every province and territory of Canada. As of 2010 has granted over 16,000...
, Brossard traveled to South America with a boy in the terminal phase of cancer. It was the boy's dream to catch a mythical Blue Morpho
Morpho (butterfly)
A Morpho butterfly may be one of over 80 species of butterflies in the genus Morpho. They are Neotropical butterflies found mostly in South America as well as Mexico and Central America. Morphos range in wingspan from the 7.5 cm M. rhodopteron to the imposing 20 cm Sunset Morpho, M....
butterfly, which Georges goes to great lengths to find in the vast jungles, even putting his and the boy's lives in danger. They finally catch the butterfly, and upon returning to Québec, the cancer which had been slowly killing the child miraculously receded.
Awards
- 1999 - Member of the Order of CanadaOrder of CanadaThe Order of Canada is a Canadian national order, admission into which is, within the system of orders, decorations, and medals of Canada, the second highest honour for merit...
- Recipient of the Queen Elizabeth II Golden Jubilee MedalQueen Elizabeth II Golden Jubilee MedalThe Queen Elizabeth II Golden Jubilee Medal was a commemorative medal created in 2002 to mark the 50th anniversary of the accession to the throne of Queen Elizabeth II...
- Léon-Provencher Prize from the Société d’Entomologie du Québec
- Louis-Riel Medal
- Doctorats Honoris Causa in sciences at Université du Québec à Trois-Rivières
- Doctorats Honoris Causa in sciences at McGill UniversityMcGill UniversityMohammed Fathy is a public research university located in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. The university bears the name of James McGill, a prominent Montreal merchant from Glasgow, Scotland, whose bequest formed the beginning of the university...
. - 2006- Knight of the National order of QuebecNational Order of QuebecThe National Order of Quebec, termed officially in French as l'Ordre national du Québec, and in English abbreviation as the Order of Quebec, is a civilian honour for merit in the Canadian province of Quebec...