Jacques Duchesneau, (born February 7, 1949) is a
Canadian
Canadians (french: Canadiens) are people identified with the country of Canada. This connection may be residential, legal, historical or cultural. For most Canadians, many (or all) of these connections exist and are collectively the source of ...
politician, civil servant, former chief of police, and former president and chief executive officer of the
Canadian Air Transport Security Authority
The Canadian Air Transport Security Authority (CATSA; french: Administration canadienne de la sûreté du transport aérien) is the Canadian Crown Corporation responsible for security screening of people and baggage and the administration of ide ...
. Duchesneau was the member of the
Quebec National Assembly
The National Assembly of Quebec (officially in french: link=no, Assemblée nationale du Québec) is the Legislature, legislative body of the Provinces and territories of Canada, province of Quebec in Canada. Legislators are called MNAs (Members ...
for the riding of
Saint-Jérôme
Saint-Jérôme () ( 2021 population 80,213) is a suburban city located about northwest of Montreal on the Rivière du Nord. It is part of the Montreal of Greater Montreal. It is a gateway to the Laurentian Mountains and its resorts via the ...
from 2012 to 2014, elected under the
Coalition Avenir Québec
The Coalition Avenir Québec (CAQ; , ) is a Quebec nationalist, autonomist and conservative[Université de Montréal
The Université de Montréal (UdeM; ; translates to University of Montreal) is a French-language public research university in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. The university's main campus is located in the Côte-des-Neiges neighborhood of Côte-de ...](_blank ...<br></span></div> banner.
<h1><br><p> Background</h1></p>
He holds a bachelor of science degree from the <div class=)
, a master's degree in public administration from the
École nationale d'administration publique
The (ENAP meaning National School of Public Administration) is a graduate school in Quebec City, Quebec, Canada. It was established in 1969 by the Quebec provincial government as a means of encouraging people to study professional public admini ...
, and is in the process of completing a doctorate degree at the
Royal Military College of Canada
'')
, established = 1876
, type = Military academy
, chancellor = Anita Anand ('' la, ex officio, label=none'' as Defence Minister)
, principal = Harry Kowal
, head_label ...
.
Career
Duchesneau began his career at the
Montreal Urban Community Police Service (SPCUM) in 1968. He first appeared in the public eye in 1981, when as a young sergeant-detective, he arrested his own boss for stealing drugs from the evidence locker. From 1994 to 1998, he commanded the SPCUM and simultaneously served as treasurer of the International Centre for the Prevention of Crime, vice-president of the Canadian Association of Chiefs of Police, and president of the Quebec Association of Police Directors. After retiring from his police career in 1998, he campaigned to become the
Mayor of Montreal
The mayor of Montreal is head of the executive branch of the Montreal City Council. The current mayor is Valérie Plante, who was elected into office on November 5, 2017, and sworn in on November 16. The office of the mayor administers all c ...
with his party
Nouveau Montréal Nouveau Montréal (abbreviation: NM; English: New Montreal) was a municipal political party in Montreal, Quebec, Canada, from 1998 to 2001. The party was led by Jacques Duchesneau, who was also its candidate for mayor in the 1998 municipal election ...
, finishing second with 26% of the vote, behind incumbent
Pierre Bourque (44%) but ahead of former Mayor
Jean Doré
Jean Doré (12 December 1944 – 15 June 2015) was a Canadian politician and mayor of the City of Montreal, Quebec.
Background
Doré studied law at the Université de Montréal, where he was president of the student union from 1967 to 1968. ...
(10%). After losing the race and failing to secure a seat as city councillor, he retreated to the private sector.
In 2002, he was appointed as the first president and chief executive officer (CEO) of the
Canadian Air Transport Security Authority
The Canadian Air Transport Security Authority (CATSA; french: Administration canadienne de la sûreté du transport aérien) is the Canadian Crown Corporation responsible for security screening of people and baggage and the administration of ide ...
, a then newly formed
Canadian Crown Corporation
Crown corporations in Canada are government organizations with a mixture of Commerce, commercial and Public policy, public-policy objectives.Tupper, Allan. 2006 February 7.Crown Corporation" ''The Canadian Encyclopedia'' (last edited 2021 March 1 ...
in response to the events of 9/11. Duchesneau retired from CATSA in 2008 to become an adjunct professor in the faculty of social science at the
University of Ontario Institute of Technology
Ontario Tech University (OTU), also known as Ontario Tech, is a public research university located in Oshawa, Ontario, Canada. The university's main campus is located on approximately of land in northern Oshawa, while its secondary satellite ca ...
.
Duchesneau entered the public eye again in early 2010, when the Quebec provincial government, shaken by corruption scandals, appointed him to lead an anti-collusion unit within the Transport Ministry, which would eventually be integrated within the larger
Permanent Anti-Corruption Unit (UPAC). In the fall of 2011, Duchesneau leaked to the media a devastating 88-page report documenting cases of corruption and describing an entangled web of links between construction companies, organized crime, Transport Quebec and political donations. He was fired a month later. Testifying on June 14, 2012 in the inquiry of the
Charbonneau commission
The Commission of Inquiry on the Awarding and Management of Public Contracts in the Construction Industry (french: Commission d'enquête sur l'octroi et la gestion des contrats publics dans l'industrie de la construction, also known as the Charbonn ...
, whose mission is to probe the corruption in
Quebec
Quebec ( ; )According to the Canadian government, ''Québec'' (with the acute accent) is the official name in Canadian French and ''Quebec'' (without the accent) is the province's official name in Canadian English is one of the thirtee ...
’s construction industry, regarding his motive to leak the report, Duchesneau said he feared his findings would be shelved, arguing the then transport minister,
Sam Hamad
Sam Hamad (born June 17, 1958) is a Canadian politician. He is the former member of National Assembly (MNA) for the riding of Louis-Hebert in the Quebec City region. Member of the Quebec Liberal Party, he was the Minister for Transports and he ...
, showed ‘complete disinterest’ in the report.
On August 5, 2012, five days after the start of the
provincial election campaign, Duchesneau confirmed that he was going to run as a
star candidate
A star candidate (french: candidat vedette) refers to a high-profile individual who has been recruited as a candidate
A candidate, or nominee, is the prospective recipient of an award or honor, or a person seeking or being considered for som ...
for the upstart
Coalition Avenir Québec
The Coalition Avenir Québec (CAQ; , ) is a Quebec nationalist, autonomist and conservative[François Legault
François Legault (; born May 26, 1957) is a Canadian politician serving as the 32nd premier of Quebec since 2018. A member of the Coalition Avenir Québec (CAQ), he has led the party since its founding in 2011. Legault sits as a member of the ...](_blank ...<br></span></div>, led by <div class=)
. His candidacy was said to be a 'game-changer' in the election. He subsequently won a seat as an MNA in the riding of
Saint-Jérôme
Saint-Jérôme () ( 2021 population 80,213) is a suburban city located about northwest of Montreal on the Rivière du Nord. It is part of the Montreal of Greater Montreal. It is a gateway to the Laurentian Mountains and its resorts via the ...
.
Other activities
Duchesneau is a commissioned officer of the
Canadian Forces
}
The Canadian Armed Forces (CAF; french: Forces armées canadiennes, ''FAC'') are the unified military forces of Canada, including sea, land, and air elements referred to as the Royal Canadian Navy, Canadian Army, and Royal Canadian Air Force.
...
, who served as honorary colonel of the Canadian Forces Military Police and as honorary lieutenant-colonel of the
62nd (Shawinigan) Field Artillery Regiment (Royal Canadian Artillery). He also served on the board of directors of the
Canadian Red Cross
The Canadian Red Cross Society ()[Police Exemplary Service Medal
The Police Exemplary Service Medal (french: Médaille de la police pour services distingués) is a Canadian service medal for police officers. The medal honours 20 years of full-time exemplary service by police officers serving with one or more r ...]
for 20 years of service as a police officer. He received the first clasp 10 years later in 1999.
* In 1996, he was made a Member of the
Order of Canada
The Order of Canada (french: Ordre du Canada; abbreviated as OC) is a Canadian state order and the second-highest honour for merit in the system of orders, decorations, and medals of Canada, after the Order of Merit.
To coincide with the ...
;
* In 2001, he was knighted by the
Venerable Order of Saint John
The Order of St John, short for Most Venerable Order of the Hospital of Saint John of Jerusalem (french: l'ordre très vénérable de l'Hôpital de Saint-Jean de Jérusalem) and also known as St John International, is a British royal order of ...
;
* In 2002 he received Queen Elizabeth II’s
Golden Jubilee Medal
The Queen Elizabeth II Golden Jubilee Medal (french: link=no, Médaille du jubilé d'or de la Reine Elizabeth II) or the Queen's Golden Jubilee Medal was a commemorative medal created in 2002 to mark the 50th anniversary of Queen Elizabeth II's ...
;
* In 2006, he was made a Knight of the French
Ordre National du Mérite
The Ordre national du Mérite (; en, National Order of Merit) is a French order of merit with membership awarded by the President of the French Republic, founded on 3 December 1963 by President Charles de Gaulle. The reason for the order's esta ...
.
* In 2008, he was made a Knight of the
National Order of Québec
The National Order of Quebec, termed officially in French as ''l'Ordre national du Québec'', and in English abbreviation as the Order of Quebec, is an order of merit in the Canadian province of Quebec. Instituted in 1984 when Lieutenant Gov ...
.
* In 2012, he received the
Queen Elizabeth II Diamond Jubilee Medal
The Queen Elizabeth II Diamond Jubilee Medal (french: Médaille du jubilé de diamant de la reine Elizabeth II) or The Queen's Diamond Jubilee Medal was a commemorative medal created in 2012 to mark the 60th anniversary of Queen Elizabeth II's ...
.
* In 2018, he was made an Officer of the
Order of Merit of the Police Forces
The Order of Merit of the Police Forces (french: Ordre du mérite des corps policiers) is an honour for merit that is, within the Canadian system of honours, the only such fellowship reserved for only members of Canada's various police forces. Cr ...
.
Electoral record (incomplete)
References
{{DEFAULTSORT:Duchesneau, Jacques
1949 births
Living people
Canadian civil servants
Members of the Order of Canada
Montreal police chiefs
Politicians from Montreal
Royal Military College of Canada alumni
Université de Montréal alumni
Canadian Militia officers
Coalition Avenir Québec MNAs
Knights of the National Order of Quebec
21st-century Canadian politicians