Pierre Arcand
Encyclopedia
Pierre Arcand is a politician
, businessman, announcer
and journalist
in Quebec
, Canada
. He is the elected Member of the National Assembly of Quebec
(MNA) for the provincial riding of Mont-Royal
in the Island of Montreal
. He represents the Quebec Liberal Party. He is the current Minister of Environment, Sustainable Development and Parks and was previously the Minister of International Relations and for the Francophonie.
He is the brother of journalist Paul Arcand
.
(Hautes etudes commerciales) in the 1970s.
Arcand started his journalistic career in 1978 at CKAC
as a news editor and then the radio station's vice-president and the director of information. He was then the senior vice-president of Metromedia CMR Broadcasting Inc. in which the company acquired several radio and television stations across the province but mainly in the Montreal area. Among those included CKOI-FM
and CFCF-AM. In 2002, he would become the president of Corus Entertainment's Corus Quebec radio division
who purchased Metromedia's radio stations. During the glory days of CIQC AM 600 (1998–99) before its transformation to 940News CINW, Pierre Arcand and his business partner, Pierre Beland, were often jokingly referred to on-air as "The Two Pierres".
He was involved with the Tel-Aide community organization as an administration member.
for the riding of Mont-Royal which was left vacant by Health minister Philippe Couillard
who announced his candidacy in the riding of Jean-Talon in Quebec City
replacing Margaret Delisle. He decided to run in order to improve the province's competitiveness in the economic domain.
Prior to the start of the campaign, Arcand compared Action democratique du Quebec
(ADQ) leader Mario Dumont
to French
far-right politician and leader of France
's Front National
, Jean-Marie Le Pen
.
In an interview on Radio-Canada's radio show Christiane Charette
he said about Mario Dumont: http://www.radio-canada.ca/nouvelles/Politique/2007/02/14/003-arcand-dumont-lepen.shtml http://www.radio-canada.ca/radio/christiane/modele-document.asp?docnumero=32506&numero=1880
The controversy arose during a period when the issue of reasonable accommodations was a dominant topic prior to the start of the campaign. Shortly after the interview, Dumont had requested Arcand to retract his statements in which he later corrected it in a press conference. Despite the controversy, he was easily elected in Mont-Royal. He was named the Parliamentary Secretary
to the Minister
of Economic Development, Innovation, Export Trade and Tourism, portfolios currently held by Raymond Bachand
until April 16, 2008 when he was named the Assistant to the President of the Treasury Board and Minister of Finances Monique Jérôme-Forget
after Hull
MNA Roch Cholette
ended his political career and resigned.
who was promoted to President of the Treasury Board in remplacement of Monique Jerome-Forget
. Arcand was also given the portfolio of the Francophonie that was left vacant by Benoit Pelletier
who did not seek a re-election.
Politician
A politician, political leader, or political figure is an individual who is involved in influencing public policy and decision making...
, businessman, announcer
Announcer
An announcer is a presenter who makes "announcements" in an audio medium or a physical location.-Television and other media:Some announcers work in television production , radio or filmmaking, usually providing narrations, news updates, station identification, or an introduction of a product in...
and journalist
Journalist
A journalist collects and distributes news and other information. A journalist's work is referred to as journalism.A reporter is a type of journalist who researchs, writes, and reports on information to be presented in mass media, including print media , electronic media , and digital media A...
in 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....
, 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...
. He is the elected Member of the National Assembly of Quebec
National Assembly of Quebec
The National Assembly of Quebec is the legislative body of the Province of Quebec. The Lieutenant Governor and the National Assembly compose the Parliament of Quebec, which operates in a fashion similar to those of other British-style parliamentary systems.The National Assembly was formerly the...
(MNA) for the provincial riding of Mont-Royal
Mont-Royal (provincial electoral district)
Mont-Royal is a provincial electoral district in Quebec, Canada that elects members to the National Assembly of Quebec. The riding was created in 1972 from parts of D'Arcy-McGee, Dorion and Outremont...
in the Island of Montreal
Montreal
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...
. He represents the Quebec Liberal Party. He is the current Minister of Environment, Sustainable Development and Parks and was previously the Minister of International Relations and for the Francophonie.
He is the brother of journalist Paul Arcand
Paul Arcand
Paul Arcand is a radio host, journalist and film producer. He was a popular francophone radio host for many years. His latest film is "Québec sur ordonnance" a documentary filmed with a point of view, on the subject of Quebeckers taking ever more prescribed medication...
.
Studies and professional career
Arcand attended Cegep de Saint-Hyacinthe and the HECHautes Etudes Commerciales
Hautes Études Commerciales may refer to several business schools.*HEC Paris, France*HEC Lausanne, Switzerland*HEC Geneva, Switzerland*HEC Montréal, Canada*HEC Alger, Algiers*HECJF Paris, France...
(Hautes etudes commerciales) in the 1970s.
Arcand started his journalistic career in 1978 at CKAC
CKAC (AM)
CKAC is a French-language Canadian radio station located in Montreal, Quebec, currently broadcasting a traffic information format as Radio Circulation 730....
as a news editor and then the radio station's vice-president and the director of information. He was then the senior vice-president of Metromedia CMR Broadcasting Inc. in which the company acquired several radio and television stations across the province but mainly in the Montreal area. Among those included CKOI-FM
CKOI-FM
CKOI-FM is a French-language Canadian radio station located in Montreal, Quebec.Owned and operated by Cogeco, it broadcasts on 96.9 MHz from the roof of the CIBC Tower in Downtown Montreal with an effective radiated power of 307,000 watts using an omnidirectional antenna...
and CFCF-AM. In 2002, he would become the president of Corus Entertainment's Corus Quebec radio division
Corus Entertainment
Corus Entertainment Inc. is a publicly traded Canadian media and entertainment conglomerate.Corus is a leading Canadian specialty television and radio producer, with additional assets in pay television, advertising services, television broadcasting, children's book publishing and children's...
who purchased Metromedia's radio stations. During the glory days of CIQC AM 600 (1998–99) before its transformation to 940News CINW, Pierre Arcand and his business partner, Pierre Beland, were often jokingly referred to on-air as "The Two Pierres".
He was involved with the Tel-Aide community organization as an administration member.
2007 provincial elections and Jean-Marie Le Pen controversy
In 2007, Arcand decided to try in provincial politics when he announced his candidacy in the provincial electionsQuebec general election, 2007
The Quebec general election of 2007 was held in the Canadian province of Quebec on March 26, 2007 to elect members of the 38th National Assembly of Quebec. The Quebec Liberal Party led by Jean Charest managed to win a plurality of seats, but were reduced to a minority government, Quebec's first in...
for the riding of Mont-Royal which was left vacant by Health minister Philippe Couillard
Philippe Couillard
Philippe Couillard, PC was a politician, and former university professor and neurosurgeon in Quebec, Canada. Until June 25, 2008, he served as the Quebec Minister for Health and Social Services in the government of Jean Charest. Couillard holds a medical degree and a certification in neurosurgery...
who announced his candidacy in the riding of Jean-Talon in Quebec City
Quebec City
Quebec , also Québec, Quebec City or Québec City is the capital of the Canadian province of Quebec and is located within the Capitale-Nationale region. It is the second most populous city in Quebec after Montreal, which is about to the southwest...
replacing Margaret Delisle. He decided to run in order to improve the province's competitiveness in the economic domain.
Prior to the start of the campaign, Arcand compared Action democratique du Quebec
Action démocratique du Québec
The Action démocratique du Québec, commonly referred to as the ADQ is a centre-right political party in Quebec, Canada. On the sovereignty question, it defines itself as autonomist, and has support from both soft nationalists and federalists....
(ADQ) leader Mario Dumont
Mario Dumont
Mario Dumont is a television personality and former politician in the province of Quebec. He was a Member of the National Assembly of Quebec , and the leader of the Action démocratique du Québec , from 1994 to 2009...
to French
French people
The French are a nation that share a common French culture and speak the French language as a mother tongue. Historically, the French population are descended from peoples of Celtic, Latin and Germanic origin, and are today a mixture of several ethnic groups...
far-right politician and leader of France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
's Front National
Front National (France)
The National Front is a political party in France. The party was founded in 1972, seeking to unify a variety of French far-right currents of the time. Jean-Marie Le Pen was the party's first leader and the undisputed centre of the party from its start until his resignation in 2011...
, Jean-Marie Le Pen
Jean-Marie Le Pen
Jean-Marie Le Pen is a French far right-wing and nationalist politician who is founder and former president of the Front National party. Le Pen has run for the French presidency five times, most notably in 2002, when in a surprise upset he came second, polling more votes in the first round than...
.
In an interview on Radio-Canada's radio show Christiane Charette
Christiane Charette
Christiane Charette is a Canadian radio and television personality, who hosts the national morning program on the Première Chaîne radio network as of 2006...
he said about Mario Dumont: http://www.radio-canada.ca/nouvelles/Politique/2007/02/14/003-arcand-dumont-lepen.shtml http://www.radio-canada.ca/radio/christiane/modele-document.asp?docnumero=32506&numero=1880
The controversy arose during a period when the issue of reasonable accommodations was a dominant topic prior to the start of the campaign. Shortly after the interview, Dumont had requested Arcand to retract his statements in which he later corrected it in a press conference. Despite the controversy, he was easily elected in Mont-Royal. He was named the Parliamentary Secretary
Parliamentary Secretary
A Parliamentary Secretary is a member of a Parliament in the Westminster system who assists a more senior minister with his or her duties.In the parliamentary systems of several Commonwealth countries, such as the United Kingdom, Canada and Australia, it is customary for the prime minister to...
to the Minister
Minister (government)
A minister is a politician who holds significant public office in a national or regional government. Senior ministers are members of the cabinet....
of Economic Development, Innovation, Export Trade and Tourism, portfolios currently held by Raymond Bachand
Raymond Bachand
Raymond Bachand is a politician, a businessman and a lawyer in Quebec, Canada. He is the Member of the National Assembly of Quebec for the riding of Outremont, and a member of the Quebec Liberal Party caucus. He is also the current minister of Finances and Revenue in the cabinet of Premier of...
until April 16, 2008 when he was named the Assistant to the President of the Treasury Board and Minister of Finances Monique Jérôme-Forget
Monique Jérôme-Forget
Monique Jérôme-Forget is a psychologist and a former Quebec politician. She was the Member of National Assembly for the riding of Marguerite-Bourgeois in the Montreal region as a member of the Quebec Liberal Party between 1998 and 2009...
after Hull
Hull (provincial electoral district)
Hull is provincial electoral riding located in the province of Quebec, Canada. Located in the Outaouais region, the district includes the entire Hull sector of the city of Gatineau. It was created in 1919 and was previously part of the riding of Ottawa from 1887 to 1919 and Ottawa from 1867 to 1887...
MNA Roch Cholette
Roch Cholette
Roch Cholette is an accountant and a former municipal and provincial politician in Quebec, Canada. He served as the Member of the National Assembly of Quebec for the provincial riding of Hull from 1998 until 2008, as a member of the Quebec Liberal Party caucus.Cholette studied at the Université...
ended his political career and resigned.
Cabinet promotion
Following his easy re-election in 2008, Arcand was given his first cabinet position. He was named the Minister for International Relations, replacing Monique Gagnon-TremblayMonique Gagnon-Tremblay
Monique Gagnon-Tremblay is a politician in Quebec, Canada. She is the current MNA member for the riding of Saint-François in the Estrie region. She served as Liberal leader of the Opposition in the National Assembly of Quebec from May 1998 to December 1998 and Deputy Premier in 1994 and from 2003...
who was promoted to President of the Treasury Board in remplacement of Monique Jerome-Forget
Monique Jérôme-Forget
Monique Jérôme-Forget is a psychologist and a former Quebec politician. She was the Member of National Assembly for the riding of Marguerite-Bourgeois in the Montreal region as a member of the Quebec Liberal Party between 1998 and 2009...
. Arcand was also given the portfolio of the Francophonie that was left vacant by Benoit Pelletier
Benoît Pelletier
Benoît Pelletier is lawyer, academic, and politician in the Canadian province of Quebec. He was a Liberal member of the National Assembly of Quebec from 1998 to 2008 and was a prominent cabinet minister in the government of Jean Charest...
who did not seek a re-election.