Lucien Bouchard is one of Canada's most interesting politicians. Born in the 1930s to a rural town in Quebec, Bouchard rose to become Quebec's present premier. Most federalists have characterized Bouchard as an enemy of Canada but it is important to recognize the events that shaped the political figure we see today. Bouchard's version of Canadian history was based on his experiences living in an isolated area ruled by Anglophones, his education, the nationalism of his homeland and the influences of many sovereigntists. His version differs considerably from the federalist perspective and sometimes even the history books. However, the fact remains that a fire burns within this charismatic leader to lead his province to the future of sovereignty he desperately believes is the only solution for the emancipation of Quebec.
English: Lionel Jospin and Lucien Bouchard at Univ...
English: Lionel Jospin and Lucien Bouchard at Univ...
English: Lucien Bouchard at Université de Montré...It is often believed that a person is most often a reflection of their environment, this true for Lucien Bouchard.. Lucien grew up in the town of Jonquiere in the northern part of Quebec. It was a small, poor Francophone town virtually cut off from the rest of Quebec and Canada by the Laurentian Mountains. Bouchard grew up in a family of five children in a strict french catholic household. Their family was relatively poor, as were most of the Francophones in the area. Philippe Bouchard, Lucien's father, worked fourteen hour days delivering lumber. When the boys were old enough, they too had to work to support the family. One summer, Lucien was sent to the labour camps in the Laurentides forests. The camps were owned and operated by the English who ruled the major industries in the Saguenay. This was Lucien's first real taste of the division between the English and the French. Bouchard was a young intellectual who had already developed a strong sense of pride and...