Léonce Mercier
Encyclopedia
Léonce Mercier is a retired Canadian Senator from Quebec as well as a retired businessman and consultant.
Mercier is a long-time activist and organizer in the Liberal Party of Canada
in Quebec under Pierre Trudeau
and Jean Chrétien
and Quebec Liberal Party during the leadership of Jean Lesage
and Robert Bourassa
. He began his involvement in northern Quebec in the Saguenay-Lac-Saint-Jean
region.
In 1995, he was in charge of the Action Canada national unity
campaign in the region during the 1995 Quebec referendum
and was also an organizer for the "No" side during the 1980 Quebec referendum
.
He was director general of the Liberal Party of Quebec from 1978 to 1985.
Mercier was a leading Quebec organizer of Jean Chrétien
's campaigns for the leadership of the federal Liberal Party at the 1984 and 1990 federal Liberal leadership convention.
He was an organizer of Jean Lesage
's successful campaign to lead the Quebec Liberal Party and also organized for Bourassa's leadership campaign. He was a canadidate for the Quebec Liberal Party in the 1970 provincial election
in the electoral district of Dubuc
but was defeated by the Union Nationale candidate. In 1978, he was an organizer for the unsuccessful leadership campaign of Raymond Garneau
.
Mercier was appointed to the Canadian Senate by Jean Chrétien in 1996 and retired in 2001 upon reaching the mandatory retirement age of 75. He served as Whip of the Senate Liberal caucus from 1998 until his retirement.
He also served from 1988 until 1995 as a commissioner of Quebec's Régie des alcools, des courses et des jeux
regulatory agency.
In his earlier life he worked variously as a car salesman in a Ford dealership, an inspector for a lumber company, an agent for independent truckers. In the 1980s he was a business and public relations consultant.
Mercier is a long-time activist and organizer in the Liberal Party of Canada
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...
in Quebec under Pierre Trudeau
Pierre Trudeau
Joseph Philippe Pierre Yves Elliott Trudeau, , usually known as Pierre Trudeau or Pierre Elliott Trudeau, was the 15th Prime Minister of Canada from April 20, 1968 to June 4, 1979, and again from March 3, 1980 to June 30, 1984.Trudeau began his political career campaigning for socialist ideals,...
and Jean Chrétien
Jean Chrétien
Joseph Jacques Jean Chrétien , known commonly as Jean Chrétien is a former Canadian politician who was the 20th Prime Minister of Canada. He served in the position for over ten years, from November 4, 1993 to December 12, 2003....
and Quebec Liberal Party during the leadership of Jean Lesage
Jean Lesage
Jean Lesage, PC, CC, CD was a lawyer and politician in Quebec, Canada. He served as the 19th Premier of Quebec from 22 June 1960, to 16 August 1966...
and Robert Bourassa
Robert Bourassa
Jean-Robert Bourassa, was a politician in Quebec, Canada. He served as the 22nd Premier of Quebec in two different mandates, first from May 12, 1970, to November 25, 1976, and then from December 12, 1985, to January 11, 1994, serving a total of just under 15 years as Provincial Premier.-Early...
. He began his involvement in northern Quebec in the Saguenay-Lac-Saint-Jean
Saguenay-Lac-Saint-Jean
Saguenay–Lac-Saint-Jean is a region in Quebec, Canada. It contains the Saguenay Fjord, the estuary of the Saguenay River, stretching through much of the region...
region.
In 1995, he was in charge of the Action Canada national unity
Quebec federalist ideology
Quebec federalist ideology revolves around the concept of Quebec remaining within Canada, in opposition to the desires of Quebec sovereigntists and proponents of Quebec independence....
campaign in the region during the 1995 Quebec referendum
1995 Quebec referendum
The 1995 Quebec referendum was the second referendum to ask voters in the Canadian province of Quebec whether Quebec should secede from Canada and become an independent state, through the question:...
and was also an organizer for the "No" side during the 1980 Quebec referendum
1980 Quebec referendum
The 1980 Quebec referendum was the first referendum in Quebec on the place of Quebec within Canada and whether Quebec should pursue a path toward sovereignty. The referendum was called by Quebec's Parti Québécois government, which strongly favoured secession from Canada...
.
He was director general of the Liberal Party of Quebec from 1978 to 1985.
Mercier was a leading Quebec organizer of Jean Chrétien
Jean Chrétien
Joseph Jacques Jean Chrétien , known commonly as Jean Chrétien is a former Canadian politician who was the 20th Prime Minister of Canada. He served in the position for over ten years, from November 4, 1993 to December 12, 2003....
's campaigns for the leadership of the federal Liberal Party at the 1984 and 1990 federal Liberal leadership convention.
He was an organizer of Jean Lesage
Jean Lesage
Jean Lesage, PC, CC, CD was a lawyer and politician in Quebec, Canada. He served as the 19th Premier of Quebec from 22 June 1960, to 16 August 1966...
's successful campaign to lead the Quebec Liberal Party and also organized for Bourassa's leadership campaign. He was a canadidate for the Quebec Liberal Party in the 1970 provincial election
Quebec general election, 1970
The Quebec general election of 1970 was held on April 29, 1970 to elect members of the National Assembly of Quebec, Canada. The former Legislative Assembly had been renamed the "National Assembly" in 1968...
in the electoral district of Dubuc
Dubuc (electoral district)
Dubuc is a provincial electoral district in Quebec, Canada that elects members to the National Assembly of Quebec. The riding was created in 1965 from parts of Chicoutimi and Jonquière-Kénogami...
but was defeated by the Union Nationale candidate. In 1978, he was an organizer for the unsuccessful leadership campaign of Raymond Garneau
Raymond Garneau
Raymond Garneau, OC is a Canadian businessman and politician.-Early life:Born in Plessisville, Quebec , the son of Daniel Garneau and Valérie Gosselin, he received a Master's degree in Commercial Sciences from Université Laval in 1958 and a licence in economics from the University of Geneva in...
.
Mercier was appointed to the Canadian Senate by Jean Chrétien in 1996 and retired in 2001 upon reaching the mandatory retirement age of 75. He served as Whip of the Senate Liberal caucus from 1998 until his retirement.
He also served from 1988 until 1995 as a commissioner of Quebec's Régie des alcools, des courses et des jeux
Régie des alcools, des courses et des jeux
The Régie des alcools, des courses et des jeux is the board established by the government of Quebec to regulate the alcohol, lottery, publicity contests, gambling, racing, and combat sports industries...
regulatory agency.
In his earlier life he worked variously as a car salesman in a Ford dealership, an inspector for a lumber company, an agent for independent truckers. In the 1980s he was a business and public relations consultant.
Source
- Senate of Canada retirement tributes to Léonce Mercier, October 24, 2001
- http://www2.parl.gc.ca/Parlinfo/Files/Parliamentarian.aspx?Item=42318365-3387-45da-800f-e6001f0d37b2&Language=E&MenuID=lists.senators.aspx&MenuQuery=http%3A%2F%2Fwww2.parl.gc.ca%2FParlinfo%2Flists%2Fsenators.aspx%3FLanguage%3DE%26Parliament%3Dd189f2cb-ecaa-47c9-aa82-593e522d0c01%26Name%3Dmercier%26Party%3D%26Province%3D%26Gender%3D%26Current%3DFalse%26PrimeMinister%3D%26TermEnd%3D%26Ministry%3D%26Picture%3DFalseParliament of Canada biography]