Jean-Louis Lévesque
Encyclopedia
Jean-Louis Lévesque, (April 13, 1911 – December 28, 1994) was a Canadian entrepreneur
, thoroughbred racehorse
owner, and philanthropist
.
J. Louis Lévesque was born in Nouvelle
in Quebec's
Gaspé Peninsula
to an Acadian
father and an Irish mother. In 1934, he graduated with a B.A.
degree from St. Dunstan's University in Charlottetown
, Prince Edward Island
. He then went to work for the Provincial Bank of Canada
in Moncton, New Brunswick
. After a few years in banking, his contacts led to an offer to join a Montreal stock broker
age firm as a salesman and his success led to his founding the investment firm Crédit Interprovincial Ltée. in 1941. Lévesque began buying small businesses that he believed were undervalued. He reorganized the companies and then sold some of them for a substantial profit while maintaining others where he saw long-term potential. He eventually merged his business with the securities firm L.G. Beaubien et Cie to form Lévesque, Beaubien Inc. Specializing in government bonds, his brokerage company replaced LJ Forget et Cie as the largest French Canadian
securities firm in Canada.
Highly respected throughout the country for his business acumen, Lévesque was appointed by the Government of Canada
to serve on the 1957 Royal Commission
on energy
that resulted in the creation of the National Energy Board
. He was invited to sit on the Board of Directors
of numerous large corporations such as Air Canada
, Dupuis Frères, Canadian National Railways, Provincial Bank of Canada
, General Trust of Canada
, Equitable Insurance, and Hilton Hotels of Canada
, among others.
J. Louis Lévesque had a special affinity with the bilingual city of Moncton, New Brunswick and was appointed Chancellor of the University of Moncton in 1967, serving until 1972. He once famously invited a few Montreal friends to join him for dinner at a restaurant – one his surprised guests were flown to aboard a private jet that landed in Moncton where they dined on fresh lobster
.
Having amassed a fortune, in his late sixties Lévesque set about planning his retirement with an eye to becoming more involved with the sport of horse racing
. He began divesting himself of the various companies he controlled including the sale to Power Corporation of Canada
of his holding company
, TransCanada Funds. In 1988, the brokerage firm Lévesque, Beaubien Inc. became a National Bank of Canada
subsidiary.
Among his many accolades, J. Louis Lévesque was voted into the Canadian Business Hall of Fame
.
s for harness racing
and then began investing in thoroughbred
s. Through one of his holding companies, he purchased Blue Bonnets Raceway
in Montreal in 1958 where a few years later he added a schedule of Thoroughbred horse race
s. In addition, he acquired the Richelieu Raceway near Montreal and the Windsor Raceway
in Windsor, Ontario
. But it would be in Thoroughbred racing where Lévesque left his mark as a breeder and owner of champions. After hiring future Hall of Fame trainer, Yonnie Starr
, in 1972 his two-year-old filly
La Prevoyante
went unbeaten and was voted the United States Eclipse Award for Outstanding 2-Year-Old Filly
and the Canadian Sovereign Award for Horse of the Year
. In 1975 he won the prestigious Queen's Plate
with L'Enjoleur
and won his second Canadian Horse of the Year award in 1978 with Fanfreluche
.
In 1976, La Prevoyante was part of the first group of inductees into the Canadian Horse Racing Hall of Fame
. A daughter of Buckpasser
, La Prevoyante was also inducted into the American Racing Hall of Fame
in 1995. As well, Lévesque was part of the breeding syndicate that purchased the Triple Crown
champion, Secretariat
for a then-record price of $6.08 million.
A friend of prominent racing owners Bud McDougald and E. P. Taylor
, in 1973 Lévesque became one of the founding members and a Trustee of the Jockey Club of Canada
. He was inducted into the Canadian Horse Racing Hall of Fame
in 1976 and in 1983 was voted the Sovereign Award
as Canadian horse racing's "Man Of The Year."
Beyond horse racing, Lévesque was a driving force behind the creation of the Canadian Women's Open
golf championship. Known at the time as La Canadienne, it was the first-ever LPGA
tournament in Canada.
In 1986, Jean-Louis Lévesque was inducted into Canada's Sports Hall of Fame
.
and his eleven-year-old brother to typhoid fever
. Their deaths profoundly impacted him and as an adult, when he had made his fortune, he became a very substantial contributor to philanthropic causes such as hospital
s and medical research.
The Lévesque Foundation, established in 1961 and today run by his daughter Suzanne Lévesque, has provided significant financial support to universities and other charitable organizations. Major benefactors include J. Louis Lévesque's alma mater
, the University of Prince Edward Island
, plus the University of Moncton in New Brunswick
, and Laval and Concordia
universities in Quebec. He donated to the Florida Heart Research Institute, where he had a winter home, and gave more than $10 million to the Montreal Heart Institute
. Other medical institutions that have benefited from his philanthropic foundation include the Maisonneuve-Rosemont Hospital, the Royal Victoria Hospital, and the Montreal General Hospital
. As well, Lévesque provided support for the Gaspé Museum in Gaspé, Quebec
.
Included in his numerous laurels, Jean-Louis Lévesque received several honorary degrees from Canadian universities. In 1972 he and his wife were recipients of the Eleanor Roosevelt Humanitarian Award and the Pope
made him a Commander of the Order of St. Gregory the Great
. In 1976 he was made a member of the Order of Canada
and in 1991 an officer of the National Order of Quebec
.
Jean-Louis Lévesque died in Montreal on December 28, 1994 and was interred in the Notre Dame des Neiges Cemetery
in Montreal.
Entrepreneur
An entrepreneur is an owner or manager of a business enterprise who makes money through risk and initiative.The term was originally a loanword from French and was first defined by the Irish-French economist Richard Cantillon. Entrepreneur in English is a term applied to a person who is willing to...
, thoroughbred racehorse
Thoroughbred horse race
Thoroughbred horse racing is a worldwide sport and industry involving the racing of Thoroughbred horses. It is governed by different national bodies. There are two forms of the sport: Flat racing and National Hunt racing...
owner, and philanthropist
Philanthropist
A philanthropist is someone who engages in philanthropy; that is, someone who donates his or her time, money, and/or reputation to charitable causes...
.
J. Louis Lévesque was born in Nouvelle
Nouvelle, Quebec
Nouvelle is a municipality in eastern Quebec, Canada on the south shore of the Gaspésie at the confluence of the Nouvelle River and Baie des Chaleurs. It is the seat of the MRC d'Avignon....
in Quebec's
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....
Gaspé Peninsula
Gaspé Peninsula
The Gaspésie , or Gaspé Peninsula or the Gaspé, is a peninsula along the south shore of the Saint Lawrence River in Quebec, Canada, extending into the Gulf of Saint Lawrence...
to an Acadian
Acadian
The Acadians are the descendants of the 17th-century French colonists who settled in Acadia . Acadia was a colony of New France...
father and an Irish mother. In 1934, he graduated with a B.A.
Bachelor of Arts
A Bachelor of Arts , from the Latin artium baccalaureus, is a bachelor's degree awarded for an undergraduate course or program in either the liberal arts, the sciences, or both...
degree from St. Dunstan's University in Charlottetown
Charlottetown
Charlottetown is a Canadian city. It is both the largest city on and the provincial capital of Prince Edward Island, and the county seat of Queens County. Named after Queen Charlotte, the wife of George III, Charlottetown was first incorporated as a town in 1855 and designated as a city in 1885...
, Prince Edward Island
Prince Edward Island
Prince Edward Island is a Canadian province consisting of an island of the same name, as well as other islands. The maritime province is the smallest in the nation in both land area and population...
. He then went to work for the Provincial Bank of Canada
Provincial Bank of Canada
The Provincial Bank of Canada was a Quebec-based bank in Canada that was the product of mergers between the Banque Jacques-Cartier , the Banque d'économie de Québec , the Banque populaire de Québec , and the Unity Bank of Canada .It merged with the Banque Canadienne Nationale to form the National...
in Moncton, New Brunswick
New Brunswick
New Brunswick is one of Canada's three Maritime provinces and is the only province in the federation that is constitutionally bilingual . The provincial capital is Fredericton and Saint John is the most populous city. Greater Moncton is the largest Census Metropolitan Area...
. After a few years in banking, his contacts led to an offer to join a Montreal stock broker
Stock broker
A stock broker or stockbroker is a regulated professional broker who buys and sells shares and other securities through market makers or Agency Only Firms on behalf of investors...
age firm as a salesman and his success led to his founding the investment firm Crédit Interprovincial Ltée. in 1941. Lévesque began buying small businesses that he believed were undervalued. He reorganized the companies and then sold some of them for a substantial profit while maintaining others where he saw long-term potential. He eventually merged his business with the securities firm L.G. Beaubien et Cie to form Lévesque, Beaubien Inc. Specializing in government bonds, his brokerage company replaced LJ Forget et Cie as the largest French Canadian
French Canadian
French Canadian or Francophone Canadian, , generally refers to the descendents of French colonists who arrived in New France in the 17th and 18th centuries...
securities firm in Canada.
Highly respected throughout the country for his business acumen, Lévesque was appointed by the Government of Canada
Government of Canada
The Government of Canada, formally Her Majesty's Government, is the system whereby the federation of Canada is administered by a common authority; in Canadian English, the term can mean either the collective set of institutions or specifically the Queen-in-Council...
to serve on the 1957 Royal Commission
Royal Commission
In Commonwealth realms and other monarchies a Royal Commission is a major ad-hoc formal public inquiry into a defined issue. They have been held in various countries such as the United Kingdom, Australia, Canada, New Zealand, and Saudi Arabia...
on energy
Energy
In physics, energy is an indirectly observed quantity. It is often understood as the ability a physical system has to do work on other physical systems...
that resulted in the creation of the National Energy Board
National Energy Board
The National Energy Board is an independent economic regulatory agency created in 1959 by the Government of Canada to oversee "international and inter-provincial aspects of the oil, gas and electric utility industries"...
. He was invited to sit on the Board of Directors
Board of directors
A board of directors is a body of elected or appointed members who jointly oversee the activities of a company or organization. Other names include board of governors, board of managers, board of regents, board of trustees, and board of visitors...
of numerous large corporations such as Air Canada
Air Canada
Air Canada is the flag carrier and largest airline of Canada. The airline, founded in 1936, provides scheduled and charter air transport for passengers and cargo to 178 destinations worldwide. It is the world's tenth largest passenger airline by number of destinations, and the airline is a...
, Dupuis Frères, Canadian National Railways, Provincial Bank of Canada
Provincial Bank of Canada
The Provincial Bank of Canada was a Quebec-based bank in Canada that was the product of mergers between the Banque Jacques-Cartier , the Banque d'économie de Québec , the Banque populaire de Québec , and the Unity Bank of Canada .It merged with the Banque Canadienne Nationale to form the National...
, General Trust of Canada
National Bank of Canada
National Bank of Canada is the 6th largest bank and 8th largest financial institution in Canada. The bank's headquarters are in Montreal, Quebec....
, Equitable Insurance, and Hilton Hotels of Canada
Hilton Hotels
Hilton Hotels & Resorts is an international chain of full-service hotels and resorts founded by Conrad Hilton and now owned by Hilton Worldwide. Hilton hotels are either owned by, managed by, or franchised to independent operators by Hilton Worldwide. Hilton Hotels became the first coast-to-coast...
, among others.
J. Louis Lévesque had a special affinity with the bilingual city of Moncton, New Brunswick and was appointed Chancellor of the University of Moncton in 1967, serving until 1972. He once famously invited a few Montreal friends to join him for dinner at a restaurant – one his surprised guests were flown to aboard a private jet that landed in Moncton where they dined on fresh lobster
Lobster
Clawed lobsters comprise a family of large marine crustaceans. Highly prized as seafood, lobsters are economically important, and are often one of the most profitable commodities in coastal areas they populate.Though several groups of crustaceans are known as lobsters, the clawed lobsters are most...
.
Having amassed a fortune, in his late sixties Lévesque set about planning his retirement with an eye to becoming more involved with the sport of horse racing
Horse racing
Horse racing is an equestrian sport that has a long history. Archaeological records indicate that horse racing occurred in ancient Babylon, Syria, and Egypt. Both chariot and mounted horse racing were events in the ancient Greek Olympics by 648 BC...
. He began divesting himself of the various companies he controlled including the sale to Power Corporation of Canada
Power Corporation of Canada
Power Corporation of Canada is a Canadian company with assets in North America and Europe in a number of industries. These industries include media, pulp and paper, and financial services....
of his holding company
Holding company
A holding company is a company or firm that owns other companies' outstanding stock. It usually refers to a company which does not produce goods or services itself; rather, its purpose is to own shares of other companies. Holding companies allow the reduction of risk for the owners and can allow...
, TransCanada Funds. In 1988, the brokerage firm Lévesque, Beaubien Inc. became a National Bank of Canada
National Bank of Canada
National Bank of Canada is the 6th largest bank and 8th largest financial institution in Canada. The bank's headquarters are in Montreal, Quebec....
subsidiary.
Among his many accolades, J. Louis Lévesque was voted into the Canadian Business Hall of Fame
Canadian Business Hall of Fame
The Canadian Business Hall of Fame honours "Canada's most distinguished business leaders", selected by an independent panel representing Canadian business, academic and media institutions....
.
Horse racing
In 1956, J. Louis Lévesque bought a few standardbred horseStandardbred horse
Standardbreds are a breed of horse best known for their ability to race in harness at a trot or pace instead of under saddle at a gallop. Developed in North America, the breed is now recognized worldwide for its harness racing ability...
s for harness racing
Harness racing
Harness racing is a form of horse racing in which the horses race at a specific gait . They usually pull a two-wheeled cart called a sulky, although racing under saddle is also conducted in Europe.-Breeds:...
and then began investing in thoroughbred
Thoroughbred
The Thoroughbred is a horse breed best known for its use in horse racing. Although the word thoroughbred is sometimes used to refer to any breed of purebred horse, it technically refers only to the Thoroughbred breed...
s. Through one of his holding companies, he purchased Blue Bonnets Raceway
Hippodrome de Montréal
Blue Bonnets Raceway was a horse racing track and casino in Montreal, Canada. After 137 years of operation, it closed in October 2009.-History:...
in Montreal in 1958 where a few years later he added a schedule of Thoroughbred horse race
Thoroughbred horse race
Thoroughbred horse racing is a worldwide sport and industry involving the racing of Thoroughbred horses. It is governed by different national bodies. There are two forms of the sport: Flat racing and National Hunt racing...
s. In addition, he acquired the Richelieu Raceway near Montreal and the Windsor Raceway
Windsor Raceway
Windsor Raceway is a standardbred harness racing track located in Windsor, Ontario. The track is 5/8 of a mile in length.The inaugural race took place on October 22, 1965, with Castle Direct driven by Fred Roloson, the first horse to ever cross the line with a time of 2:10.Opening day attendance -...
in 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...
. But it would be in Thoroughbred racing where Lévesque left his mark as a breeder and owner of champions. After hiring future Hall of Fame trainer, Yonnie Starr
Yonnie Starr
Joseph "Yonnie" Starr was a Canadian Hall of Fame Thoroughbred racehorse trainer about whom the Canadian Horse Racing Hall of Fame says has a "record unmatched in Canadian racing history."...
, in 1972 his two-year-old filly
Filly
A filly is a young female horse too young to be called a mare. There are several specific definitions in use.*In most cases filly is a female horse under the age of four years old....
La Prevoyante
La Prevoyante
La Prevoyante was a Canadian-bred Thoroughbred race horse elected to the Racing Halls of Fame in the United States and Canada. A filly, she was bred and owned by Jean-Louis Lévesque...
went unbeaten and was voted the United States Eclipse Award for Outstanding 2-Year-Old Filly
Eclipse Award for Outstanding 2-Year-Old Filly
The American Champion Two-Year-Old Filly is an American Thoroughbred horse racing honor awarded annually to a female horse in Thoroughbred flat racing. It became part of the Eclipse Awards program in 1971....
and the Canadian Sovereign Award for Horse of the Year
Sovereign Award for Horse of the Year
The Canadian Horse of the Year is a thoroughbred horse racing honor given annually since 1951 by the Jockey Club of Canada. It is the most prestigious honor in Canadian thoroughbred horse racing....
. In 1975 he won the prestigious Queen's Plate
Queen's Plate
The Queen's Plate is Canada's oldest thoroughbred horse race. It is run at a distance of 1¼ miles for 3-year-old thoroughbred horses foaled in Canada. The race takes place each summer in June or July at Woodbine Racetrack, Etobicoke , Ontario...
with L'Enjoleur
L'Enjoleur
L'Enjoleur was a Canadian Thoroughbred race horse. Bred and owned by prominent Montreal businessman Jean-Louis Lévesque, L'Enjoleur was sired by U.S. Racing Hall of Fame inductee, Buckpasser, a son of another Hall of Famer, Tom Fool...
and won his second Canadian Horse of the Year award in 1978 with Fanfreluche
Fanfreluche (horse)
Fanfreluche was a Canadian-bred Champion Thoroughbred racehorse. She was named by her French Canadian owner for the title character of a popular children's television show on the French-language division of the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation...
.
In 1976, La Prevoyante was part of the first group of inductees into the Canadian Horse Racing Hall of Fame
Canadian Horse Racing Hall of Fame
The Canadian Horse Racing Hall of Fame was established in 1976 at the Woodbine Racetrack in Toronto, Ontario to honor those who have made a significant contribution to the sport of harness and thoroughbred horse racing in Canada....
. A daughter of Buckpasser
Buckpasser
Buckpasser was an American-bred Thoroughbred racehorse who won he won nine of his eleven race starts for international record winnings for a two-year-old of $586,090. Buckpasser was leading broodmare sire in 1983, 1984 and 1989....
, La Prevoyante was also inducted into the American Racing Hall of Fame
National Museum of Racing and Hall of Fame
The National Museum of Racing and Hall of Fame was founded in 1950 in Saratoga Springs, New York, to honor the achievements of American thoroughbred race horses, jockeys, and trainers...
in 1995. As well, Lévesque was part of the breeding syndicate that purchased the Triple Crown
Triple Crown of Thoroughbred Racing
The Triple Crown of Thoroughbred Racing consists of three races for three-year-old Thoroughbred horses. Winning all three of these Thoroughbred horse races is considered the greatest accomplishment of a Thoroughbred racehorse...
champion, Secretariat
Secretariat (horse)
Secretariat was an American Thoroughbred racehorse, that in 1973 became the first U.S. Triple Crown champion in 25 years, setting new race records in two of the three events in the Series—the Kentucky Derby , and the Belmont Stakes —records that still stand today.Secretariat was sired by Bold...
for a then-record price of $6.08 million.
A friend of prominent racing owners Bud McDougald and E. P. Taylor
E. P. Taylor
Edward Plunket Taylor was a Canadian business tycoon and famous breeder of thoroughbred race horses. Known to his friends as "Eddie", he is universally recorded as "E. P...
, in 1973 Lévesque became one of the founding members and a Trustee of the Jockey Club of Canada
Jockey Club of Canada
The Jockey Club of Canada was formed in 1973 to oversee thoroughbred horse racing in Canada. Based in Toronto, Ontario, the club is responsible for the annual Sovereign Awards program and the Canadian Graded Stakes Committee.Founding members:...
. He was inducted into the Canadian Horse Racing Hall of Fame
Canadian Horse Racing Hall of Fame
The Canadian Horse Racing Hall of Fame was established in 1976 at the Woodbine Racetrack in Toronto, Ontario to honor those who have made a significant contribution to the sport of harness and thoroughbred horse racing in Canada....
in 1976 and in 1983 was voted the Sovereign Award
Sovereign Award
The Sovereign Award is given annually since 1975 by the Jockey Club of Canada to the outstanding horses and people in Canadian Thoroughbred racing.The most prestigious award for horses is Sovereign Horse of the Year....
as Canadian horse racing's "Man Of The Year."
Beyond horse racing, Lévesque was a driving force behind the creation of the Canadian Women's Open
Canadian Women's Open
The CN Canadian Women's Open is a women's professional golf tournament managed by the Royal Canadian Golf Association. It has been Canada's national championship tournament since 1973, and is an official event on the LPGA Tour.-History:...
golf championship. Known at the time as La Canadienne, it was the first-ever LPGA
LPGA
The LPGA, in full the Ladies Professional Golf Association, is an American organization for female professional golfers. The organization, whose headquarters is in Daytona Beach, Florida, is best known for running the LPGA Tour, a series of weekly golf tournaments for elite female golfers from...
tournament in Canada.
In 1986, Jean-Louis Lévesque was inducted into Canada's Sports Hall of Fame
Canada's Sports Hall of Fame
Canada's Sports Hall of Fame is a hall of fame established in 1955 to "preserve the record of Canadian sports achievements and to promote a greater awareness of Canada's heritage of sport." It is located at Canada Olympic Park in Calgary, Alberta...
.
Philanthropy
As a boy, Jean-Louis Lévesque lost his five-year-old sister to meningitisMeningitis
Meningitis is inflammation of the protective membranes covering the brain and spinal cord, known collectively as the meninges. The inflammation may be caused by infection with viruses, bacteria, or other microorganisms, and less commonly by certain drugs...
and his eleven-year-old brother to typhoid fever
Typhoid fever
Typhoid fever, also known as Typhoid, is a common worldwide bacterial disease, transmitted by the ingestion of food or water contaminated with the feces of an infected person, which contain the bacterium Salmonella enterica, serovar Typhi...
. Their deaths profoundly impacted him and as an adult, when he had made his fortune, he became a very substantial contributor to philanthropic causes such as hospital
Hospital
A hospital is a health care institution providing patient treatment by specialized staff and equipment. Hospitals often, but not always, provide for inpatient care or longer-term patient stays....
s and medical research.
The Lévesque Foundation, established in 1961 and today run by his daughter Suzanne Lévesque, has provided significant financial support to universities and other charitable organizations. Major benefactors include J. Louis Lévesque's alma mater
Alma mater
Alma mater , pronounced ), was used in ancient Rome as a title for various mother goddesses, especially Ceres or Cybele, and in Christianity for the Virgin Mary.-General term:...
, the University of Prince Edward Island
University of Prince Edward Island
The University of Prince Edward Island is a public liberal arts university in Charlottetown, Prince Edward Island, Canada, and the sole university in the province. Founded in 1969, it traces its roots back to its two earlier predecessor organizations, St. Dunstan's University and Prince of Wales...
, plus the University of Moncton in New Brunswick
New Brunswick
New Brunswick is one of Canada's three Maritime provinces and is the only province in the federation that is constitutionally bilingual . The provincial capital is Fredericton and Saint John is the most populous city. Greater Moncton is the largest Census Metropolitan Area...
, and Laval and Concordia
Concordia University
Concordia University is a comprehensive Canadian public university located in Montreal, Quebec, one of the two universities in the city where English is the primary language of instruction...
universities in Quebec. He donated to the Florida Heart Research Institute, where he had a winter home, and gave more than $10 million to the Montreal Heart Institute
Montreal Heart Institute
The Montreal Heart Institute , in Montreal, Quebec, is a specialty hospital dedicated to the development of cardiology. Founded in 1954 by Paul David, it is currently affiliated with the Université de Montréal....
. Other medical institutions that have benefited from his philanthropic foundation include the Maisonneuve-Rosemont Hospital, the Royal Victoria Hospital, and the Montreal General Hospital
Montreal General Hospital
The Montreal General Hospital is a hospital in Montreal, Canada, established on May 1, 1819 and an early teaching hospital. First located on the corner of Craig and St-Lawrence Streets with only 24 beds, it moved in 1822 to a new 72-bed building on Dorchester Street. It is currently situated on...
. As well, Lévesque provided support for the Gaspé Museum in Gaspé, Quebec
Gaspé, Quebec
Gaspé is a city at the tip of the Gaspé Peninsula in the Gaspésie–Îles-de-la-Madeleine region of eastern Quebec, Canada. As of the 2006 census, the city had a total population of 14,819....
.
Included in his numerous laurels, Jean-Louis Lévesque received several honorary degrees from Canadian universities. In 1972 he and his wife were recipients of the Eleanor Roosevelt Humanitarian Award and the Pope
Pope
The Pope is the Bishop of Rome, a position that makes him the leader of the worldwide Catholic Church . In the Catholic Church, the Pope is regarded as the successor of Saint Peter, the Apostle...
made him a Commander of the Order of St. Gregory the Great
Order of St. Gregory the Great
The Pontifical Equestrian Order of St. Gregory the Great , was established on September 1, 1831, by Pope Gregory XVI, seven months after his election.It is one of the five orders of knighthood of the Holy See...
. In 1976 he was made a member of the Order of Canada
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...
and in 1991 an officer of the National Order of Quebec
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...
.
Jean-Louis Lévesque died in Montreal on December 28, 1994 and was interred in the Notre Dame des Neiges Cemetery
Notre Dame des Neiges Cemetery
Founded in 1854, Cimetière Notre-Dame-des-Neiges is a 343-acre cemetery located in the borough of Côte-des-Neiges—Notre-Dame-de-Grâce, Montreal, Quebec, Canada. The entrance and the grounds run along a part of chemin Côte-des-Neiges and up the slopes of Mount Royal...
in Montreal.