Marc Beaudoin
Encyclopedia
Marc Beaudoin is a judge and former politician in the Canadian
province of Quebec
. He served on the Montreal city council
from 1978 to 1986 as a member of mayor
Jean Drapeau
's Civic Party
and was a member of the Montreal executive committee
(i.e., the municipal cabinet). In 1991, he was appointed as a judge on the Quebec Superior Court
.
and was re-elected in 1982
. He served as vice-president of the Montreal executive committee for a time and was chair of council from 1982 to 1986. In May 1986, Beaudoin presided over the first Montreal city council meeting in which journalists were allowed to bring cameras and recording equipment into the chambers.
When Drapeau announced his retirement in 1986, Beaudoin supported Claude Dupras's successful bid to become the Civic Party's new leader and mayoral candidate. Dupras was defeated by Montreal Citizens' Movement
candidate Jean Doré
in the general election, while Beaudoin was defeated in Gabriel-Sagard by MCM candidate Vittorio Capparelli
.
Beaudoin became the Civic Party's vice-president after the election. He resigned from the party executive in February 1989, saying that the party's attempts at democratization "[had] not achieved the desired results."
at the federal level. He was chosen as president of the party's Rosemont association in August 1988, with support from the party establishment. Rosemont's Member of Parliament
(MP) at the time was Suzanne Blais-Grenier
, who questioned the legitimacy of Beaudoin's election and suggested that it was part of an effort to pressure her into resigning. Her supporters set up a rival association with a different president, and a quarrel ensued as to which group controlled the local party finances.
Blais-Grenier was ultimately kicked out of the Progressive Conservative party, and Beaudoin's association was recognized as official. Shortly thereafter, Beaudoin resigned as president to become the Progressive Conservative candidate for Saint-Léonard
in the 1988 federal election
. This contest was expected to be close, but it was not; Beaudoin finished a fairly distant second against Liberal
incumbent Alfonso Gagliano
.
Kim Campbell
appointed Beaudoin as a judge on the Quebec Superior Court
.
Notable rulings
Beaudoin ruled in July 1993 that the last remaining English-language school overseen by the Montreal Catholic School Commission
in Côte-des-Neiges
could be redesignated as a French-language school. Several parents of anglophone children argued that the commission made its decision without proper consultation; Beaudoin concluded that the parents did not prove their case.
In 1997, Beaudoin dismissed a lawsuit from a Quebec resident who had sued McDonald's
for $33,864 after suffering second-degree burns from spilled coffee. The litigant was seated in a car that was not moving at the time of the incident, and Beaudoin ruled that only the Quebec automobile-insurance board (rather than the company) could be held liable for "damage caused by an automobile." The Quebec Court of Appeal
later overturned Beaudoin's decision, concluding that there was no link between the litigant's injuries and the use or ownership of a car.
Beaudoin reviewed a class-action lawsuit by former Jonquière
Wal-Mart
employees in 2005, following the company's decision to close their Jonquière branch after a successful unionization drive by the employees. Wal-Mart claimed that the store was not sufficiently profitable, while opponents argued the company's decision was intended to intimidate workers in other branches. Beaudoin ultimately ruled that the lawsuit could not proceed, on the grounds that the dispute with Wal-Mart was the exclusive jurisdiction of the Quebec labour board. The former employees announced they would appeal the decision.
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....
. He served on the Montreal city council
Montreal City Council
The Montreal City Council is the governing body of Montreal, Quebec. The head of the city government in Montreal is the mayor, who is first among equals in the City Council. The mayor is Gérald Tremblay, who is a member of the Union des citoyens et des citoyennes de l'Île de Montréal...
from 1978 to 1986 as a member of 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...
's Civic Party
Civic 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:...
and was a member of the Montreal executive committee
Montreal Executive Committee
The Montreal Executive Committee is the executive branch of the municipal government of Montreal, Quebec, Canada. The committee reports directly to city hall and is responsible for generating documents such as budgets and by-laws, which are then sent to the Montreal city council for approval...
(i.e., the municipal cabinet). In 1991, he was appointed as a judge on the Quebec Superior Court
Quebec Superior Court
Quebec Superior Court is the highest trial Court in the Province of Quebec, Canada. It consists of 144 judges who are appointed by the federal government.Chief Justices : [partial listing]* Edward Bowen...
.
Private career
Beaudoin was a lawyer in private life. A Montreal Gazette report indicates that he was fifty years old in 1986.Councillor
Beaudoin was first elected to the Montreal city council in the 1978 municipal electionMontreal municipal election, 1978
The 1978 Montreal municipal election took place on November 12, 1978, to elect a mayor and city councillors in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. Longtime mayor Jean Drapeau was re-elected to another four-year term in office, defeating Canadian federal parliamentarian Serge Joyal.Elections were also held in...
and was re-elected in 1982
Montreal municipal election, 1982
The 1982 Montreal municipal election took place on November 14, 1982, to elect a mayor and city councillors in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. Longtime mayor Jean Drapeau was re-elected for what turned out to be his final term in office, defeating challenger Jean Doré.Elections were also held in...
. He served as vice-president of the Montreal executive committee for a time and was chair of council from 1982 to 1986. In May 1986, Beaudoin presided over the first Montreal city council meeting in which journalists were allowed to bring cameras and recording equipment into the chambers.
When Drapeau announced his retirement in 1986, Beaudoin supported Claude Dupras's successful bid to become the Civic Party's new leader and mayoral candidate. Dupras was defeated by 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:...
candidate 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...
in the general election, while Beaudoin was defeated in Gabriel-Sagard by MCM candidate 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:...
.
Beaudoin became the Civic Party's vice-president after the election. He resigned from the party executive in February 1989, saying that the party's attempts at democratization "[had] not achieved the desired results."
Federal politics
Beaudoin was a supporter of the Progressive Conservative Party of CanadaProgressive 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....
at the federal level. He was chosen as president of the party's Rosemont association in August 1988, with support from the party establishment. Rosemont's Member of Parliament
Member of Parliament
A Member of Parliament is a representative of the voters to a :parliament. In many countries with bicameral parliaments, the term applies specifically to members of the lower house, as upper houses often have a different title, such as senate, and thus also have different titles for its members,...
(MP) at the time was Suzanne Blais-Grenier
Suzanne Blais-Grenier
Suzanne Blais-Grenier, PC is a former Canadian politician.Blais-Grenier was elected to the Canadian House of Commons in the 1984 federal election that brought Brian Mulroney to power. She represented the riding of Rosemont, Quebec...
, who questioned the legitimacy of Beaudoin's election and suggested that it was part of an effort to pressure her into resigning. Her supporters set up a rival association with a different president, and a quarrel ensued as to which group controlled the local party finances.
Blais-Grenier was ultimately kicked out of the Progressive Conservative party, and Beaudoin's association was recognized as official. Shortly thereafter, Beaudoin resigned as president to become the Progressive Conservative candidate for Saint-Léonard
Saint-Léonard—Saint-Michel
Saint-Léonard—Saint Michel is a federal electoral district in Quebec, Canada, that has been represented in the Canadian House of Commons since 1988...
in the 1988 federal election
Canadian federal election, 1988
The Canadian federal election of 1988 was held November 21, 1988, to elect members of the Canadian House of Commons of the 34th Parliament of Canada. It was an election largely fought on a single issue: the Canada-U.S. Free Trade Agreement ....
. This contest was expected to be close, but it was not; Beaudoin finished a fairly distant second against 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...
incumbent Alfonso Gagliano
Alfonso Gagliano
Alfonso Gagliano, PC, FCGA is a Canadian accountant and a former Liberal Party politician.Born in Siculiana, Italy, his political career began in 1977 when he ran for a seat on the Montreal school board. In the 1984 federal election, he ran for Parliament for Saint-Léonard—Anjou narrowly...
.
Judge
In December 1991, Canadian federal justice ministerMinister of Justice (Canada)
The Minister of Justice is the Minister of the Crown in the Canadian Cabinet who is responsible for the Department of Justice and is also Attorney General of Canada .This cabinet position is usually reserved for someone with formal legal training...
Kim Campbell
Kim Campbell
Avril Phædra Douglas "Kim" Campbell, is a Canadian politician, lawyer, university professor, diplomat, and writer. She served as the 19th Prime Minister of Canada, serving from June 25, 1993, to November 4, 1993...
appointed Beaudoin as a judge on the Quebec Superior Court
Quebec Superior Court
Quebec Superior Court is the highest trial Court in the Province of Quebec, Canada. It consists of 144 judges who are appointed by the federal government.Chief Justices : [partial listing]* Edward Bowen...
.
Notable rulings
Beaudoin ruled in July 1993 that the last remaining English-language school overseen by the Montreal Catholic School Commission
Montreal Catholic School Commission
The Montreal Catholic School Commission was a Roman Catholic school district in Montreal, Quebec, Canada which operated both French-language and English-language schools. It was the largest school board in Quebec, and was created on June 9, 1846, at the same time as a Protestant school board...
in Côte-des-Neiges
Côte-des-Neiges
Côte-des-Neiges is a working class neighbourhood of Montreal, Quebec, Canada, situated at the geographic center of the Island of Montreal on the western slope of Mount Royal. The neighbourhood is part of the borough Côte-des-Neiges—Notre-Dame-de-Grâce...
could be redesignated as a French-language school. Several parents of anglophone children argued that the commission made its decision without proper consultation; Beaudoin concluded that the parents did not prove their case.
In 1997, Beaudoin dismissed a lawsuit from a Quebec resident who had sued McDonald's
McDonald's
McDonald's Corporation is the world's largest chain of hamburger fast food restaurants, serving around 64 million customers daily in 119 countries. Headquartered in the United States, the company began in 1940 as a barbecue restaurant operated by the eponymous Richard and Maurice McDonald; in 1948...
for $33,864 after suffering second-degree burns from spilled coffee. The litigant was seated in a car that was not moving at the time of the incident, and Beaudoin ruled that only the Quebec automobile-insurance board (rather than the company) could be held liable for "damage caused by an automobile." The Quebec Court of Appeal
Quebec Court of Appeal
The Court of Appeal for Quebec is the highest judicial court in Quebec, Canada....
later overturned Beaudoin's decision, concluding that there was no link between the litigant's injuries and the use or ownership of a car.
Beaudoin reviewed a class-action lawsuit by former Jonquière
Jonquière, Quebec
Jonquière was a city on the Saguenay River in the Saguenay-Lac-Saint-Jean region of Quebec, Canada, near Chicoutimi. In 2002, Jonquière became an arrondissement, or borough, of the merged city of Saguenay....
Wal-Mart
Wal-Mart
Wal-Mart Stores, Inc. , branded as Walmart since 2008 and Wal-Mart before then, is an American public multinational corporation that runs chains of large discount department stores and warehouse stores. The company is the world's 18th largest public corporation, according to the Forbes Global 2000...
employees in 2005, following the company's decision to close their Jonquière branch after a successful unionization drive by the employees. Wal-Mart claimed that the store was not sufficiently profitable, while opponents argued the company's decision was intended to intimidate workers in other branches. Beaudoin ultimately ruled that the lawsuit could not proceed, on the grounds that the dispute with Wal-Mart was the exclusive jurisdiction of the Quebec labour board. The former employees announced they would appeal the decision.