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This fund was established in 1997 by François Houle and Gilles Labelle, professors in the School of Political Studies, in honour of André Laurendeau. Mr. Laurendeau (1912-1968) was a thinker, writer, journalist and politician who significantly influenced the political and social development of Quebec and Canada in the 1960s. He promoted the implementation of major reforms advocated be the Parent report, such as the creation of a Ministry of Education in Quebec, the democratization of teaching through the introduction of free schooling at all levels, and increased grants to universities. He was Editor in Chief of the newspaper Le Devoir and hosted a television series called Pays et Merveilles on CBC French-language network, which opened a window to the world and other cultures. In the political arena, he was one of the founding members of the Bloc populaire in 1942 and was elected to a riding for this party. In 1962, the Pearson Liberal government appointed him co-chairman of the Royal Commission on Bilingualism and Biculturalism. This Commission was formed to review relations between Francophones and Anglophones in Canada. This Commission's recommendations included recognition of French as an official language.
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