Press release
The Board of Trade of Metropolitan Montreal pays homage
to the four Great Montrealers 2005:
Paul Desmarais jr., O.C., Margaret Lock,
Henry Mintzberg, and Alain Simard
Montreal, October 5, 2005 The Board of Trade of Metropolitan Montreal pays homage tonight to the four new Great Montrealers, 2005 edition, at a tribute reception in the Hall of Honour of Montreal City Hall . In the presence of Ms. Isabelle Hudon, president and CEO of the Board of Trade, and Mr. Gérald Tremblay, mayor of Montreal , the four renowned figures are welcomed into the Academy of Great Montrealers under the presidency of Mr. Robert Lacroix.
The Academy of Great Montrealers, a group of Montreal's most illustrious personalities, welcomes to its ranks: in the economic sector, Mr. Paul Desmarais jr., O.C., chairman and Co-CEO, Power Corporation of Canada; in the social sector, Dr. Margaret Lock, anthropologist, Marjorie Bronfman Professor of Social Studies of Medecine, McGill University; in the cultural sector, Mr. Alain Simard, president-managing director, L'Équipe Spectra; and, in the scientific sector, Dr. Henry Mintzberg, John Cleghorn Professor of Management Studies, Faculty Director, International Masters for Health Leadership, McGill University.
The Board of Trade is proud to organize and to sponsor this prestigious annual event to publicly recognize these true ambassadors to our metropolis, these extraordinary people whose talent, vision, boldness, passion, and determination help to make our city more humane, more vibrant, more creative, and more prosperous. On behalf of the Board of Trade, our members, and myself, I would like to extend our warmest congratulations to the 2005 Great Montrealers, who, through their remarkable commitment to the development of our community, serve as inspirations to all Montrealers. Their exceptional accomplishments enhance the reputation of our metropolis, both here in Canada and beyond our borders, and for that we are also grateful, declared Isabelle Hudon, president and CEO of the Board of Trade.
Once again we have the pleasure of celebrating the merits of Great Montrealers. They have earned this title through their work in various fields. They have put forward ideas, promoted projects, enriched our awareness, humanized our life in society. They have added their contributions to those of the men and women who built our metropolis. They have made Montreal a stronger city with higher hopes and broader influence. Montreal develops every day thanks to the men and women who participate in its life. In the future it will have an even greater need for their support to occupy a place of choice among the cities whose names are synonymous with quality of life, openness to the world, and talent, added Gérald Tremblay, mayor of Montreal .
Not only have this year's Great Montrealers innovated in their respective fields but they also serve as unique symbols of the vitality, wealth, and diversity of Montreal . Their talent and their contributions to our community in the cultural, economic, social, and scientific sectors are a remarkable source of inspiration for present and future generations, noted Robert Lacroix, chairman of the Academy of Great Montrealers .
Mr. Gérald Tremblay, the mayor of Montreal , invited the 2005 Great Montrealers to sign the Gold Book in the presence of Ms. Hudon and Mr. Lacroix.
The Board of Trade of Metropolitan Montreal created the Academy of Great Montrealers in 1988. It now has 94 members, including the four selected this year.
This annual Board of Trade event is made possible this year through the financial support of Canada Economic Development, the main partner, in collaboration with CN and TD Bank Financial Group, and is a unique opportunity to meet and congratulate the Great Montrealers personally. B iographical notes and photographs may be found on the Board of Trade's Web site at the following address: http://www.ccmm.qc.ca/tribute05
The Academy of Great Montrealers of the Board of Trade of Metropolitan Montreal takes this yearly occasion to present an award of excellence to three students who are PhD candidates at any one of Montreal 's universities or their affiliated schools, for the excellence of their research. The 2005 laureates are: in Social sciences and humanities category, Ms. Catherine Leclerc, Department of Ph.D. in humanities program, Concordia University; in Natural sciences and engineering category, Mr. Pierre Deschamps, Département sciences de la terre et de l'atmosphère, Université du Québec à Montréal; in Health sciences category, Ms. Carole Abi Farah, Département de physiologie, Université de Montréal.
The Board of Trade of Metropolitan Montreal has some 7,000 members. Its mission is to represent the interests of the business community for the greater Montreal area and to offer a full range of specialized services to individuals, merchants and companies of all sizes so as to help them achieve their full potential in terms of innovation, productivity and competitiveness. The Board of Trade is the largest private organization in Quebec dedicated to economic development.
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Source:
Sylvie Paquette
Coordinator, Media relations
Board of Trade of Metropolitan Montreal
Tel.: (514) 871-4000, ext. 4015
sylvie.paquette@ccmm.qc.ca