The year 2025 saw Quebec bid farewell to a remarkable generation of trailblazers whose contributions shaped the province's social fabric, political landscape, cultural identity, and scientific frontiers. From the hockey rink to the halls of Parliament, and from hospital wards to concert stages, their legacies leave an indelible mark.
Leaders in Public Service and Advocacy
The province lost several figures who dedicated their lives to public service and community support. Sid Stevens, who co-founded the Sun Youth Organization at just 13 years old, passed away at 85. Over seven decades, he helped build the charity into a cornerstone of Montreal philanthropy, assisting 90,000 people in 2024 alone.
In politics, Lise Bacon died at 91. A true pioneer, she was the first woman elected president of a political party in Canada and later Quebec's first female deputy premier. Her work included helping secure French-language availability for American films distributed in the province.
Another space-age pioneer turned politician, Marc Garneau, Canada's first astronaut, died at 76. After his historic 1984 space shuttle flight and two subsequent missions, he served as a federal Liberal MP and minister for 15 years.
On the municipal front, Michèle Biron, the first woman elected to St-Laurent's city council in 1982, served her community for 39 years until her retirement in 2021.
Cultural Icons and Business Innovators
Quebec's arts and business communities also suffered profound losses. Serge Fiori, the 73-year-old founder of the legendary folk-rock band Harmonium, left behind a soundtrack to the province's Quiet Revolution with anthems like Pour un instant.
The literary world mourned Victor-Lévy Beaulieu, 79, a prolific novelist, essayist, and staunch sovereignist whose work often stirred controversy. The acting community lost Béatrice Picard, 96, a beloved figure known for voicing Marge Simpson in the Quebec French dub for 33 seasons.
In business, Francesco Bellini, 77, the scientist who co-founded BioChem Pharma and helped develop the groundbreaking HIV/AIDS drug 3TC, passed away. The retail sector lost Herschel Segal, 94, founder of the Le Château fashion chain and co-founder of DavidsTea.
Pierre Jeanniot, 92, the former Air Canada CEO who led its privatization and championed smoke-free flights, also died this year.
Pioneers in Medicine, Academia, and Sports
The field of medicine said goodbye to a giant. Dr. Balfour Mount, 86, widely recognized as the father of palliative care in Canada, coined the term itself and founded North America's first hospital-based palliative care unit at Montreal's Royal Victoria Hospital.
Transplant surgery pioneer Dr. Pierre Daloze, 88, performed Canada's first liver transplant and first combined kidney-pancreas transplant.
Academia mourned the loss of two centenarians who shaped modern Quebec. Sociologist Guy Rocher, 101, was a key architect of the Quiet Revolution's education reforms and helped draft Bill 101, the Charter of the French Language. Linguist Jean-Denis Gendron, 100, chaired the inquiry that led to Bill 22, making French Quebec's official language.
The sports world lost a legend in Ken Dryden. The 78-year-old Hall of Fame goaltender backstopped the Montreal Canadiens to six Stanley Cups in the 1970s and later served as a federal Liberal MP and minister. The Canadiens family also lost former coach Al MacNeil, 89, who led the team to a Stanley Cup in 1971, and four-time Cup-winning winger Marcel Bonin, 93.
Other notable passings included Éric St-Pierre, 77, co-founder of the Mira Foundation guide-dog school; Rita Briansky, 99, an acclaimed painter and printmaker; and economist and media personality Dian Cohen, 92, who demystified finance for a generation of Canadians.
Their collective passing marks the end of an era for Quebec, reminding us of the diverse and profound ways individuals can shape a society's heart, mind, and future.
