''Le Devoir'' (, "Duty") is a French-language newspaper published in

Montreal Montreal ( ; officially Montréal, ) is the List of the largest municipalities in Canada by population, second-most populous city in Canada and List of towns in Quebec, most populous city in the Provinces and territories of Canada, Canadian ...

and distributed 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 ...

and throughout Canada. It was founded by journalist and politician

Henri Bourassa Joseph-Napoléon-Henri Bourassa (; September 1, 1868 – August 31, 1952) was a French Canadian political leader and publisher. In 1899, Bourassa was outspoken against the British government's request for Canada to send a militia to fight fo ...

in 1910. ''Le Devoir'' is one of few independent large-circulation newspapers in Quebec (and one of the few in Canada) in a market dominated by the

media conglomerate A media conglomerate, media group, or media institution is a company that owns numerous companies involved in mass media enterprises, such as music, television, radio, publishing, motion pictures, theme parks, or the Internet. According to th ...

Quebecor Quebecor Inc. is a Canadian diversified media and telecommunications company serving Québec based in Montreal. It was spelled Quebecor in both English and French until May 2012, when shareholders voted to add the acute accent, Québecor, in F ...

(including '' Le Journal de Montréal''). Historically ''Le Devoir'' was considered Canada's francophone

newspaper of record A newspaper of record is a major national newspaper with large circulation whose editorial and news-gathering functions are considered authoritative and independent; they are thus "newspapers of record by reputation" and include some of the o ...

, although in the 21st century it has been challenged for that title by the increased status of competitor '' La Presse''.

History

, a young

Liberal Party The Liberal Party is any of many political parties around the world. The meaning of ''liberal'' varies around the world, ranging from liberal conservatism on the right to social liberalism on the left. __TOC__ Active liberal parties This is a li ...

MP from

, rose to national prominence in 1899 when he resigned his seat in

Parliament In modern politics, and history, a parliament is a legislative body of government. Generally, a modern parliament has three functions: representing the electorate, making laws, and overseeing the government via hearings and inquiries. Th ...

in protest at the Liberal government's decision to send troops to support the British in the South African War of 1899–1902.Bourassa, Henri
/ref> Bourassa was opposed to all Canadian participation in British wars and would go on to become a key figure in fighting for an independent Canadian foreign policy. He is considered both a forebear of French-Canadian nationalists as well as a Canadian nationalist more generally. He was also an early promoter of the bi-cultural Anglo-French concept of Canada, and an impassioned advocate for the political and cultural equality of all French Canadians within Confederation, wherever they may reside. In 1910, he founded ''Le Devoir'' as an outlet for his anti-imperialist

Ligue nationaliste The Ligue nationaliste canadienne, also known as the Ligue nationaliste, was a nationalist and anti-imperialist organization in Quebec, Canada, during the early 20th century. Founded by Henri Bourassa and journalist Olivar Asselin, the newspaper '' ...

and to fight for the rights of French Canadians within Confederation. In its first edition, published January 10, 1910, Bourassa explained the name ("the duty" in English) and the mandate of the newspaper as "To ensure the triumph of ideas over appetites, of the public good over partisan interests, there is but one means: awake in the people, and above all in the ruling classes, a sense of public duty in all its forms: religious duty, national duty, civic duty." Bourassa was both publisher and

editor-in-chief An editor-in-chief (EIC), also known as lead editor or chief editor, is a publication's editorial leader who has final responsibility for its operations and policies. The highest-ranking editor of a publication may also be titled editor, managing ...

of the newspaper until August 3, 1932, when he was replaced by Georges Pelletier. After the death of Pelletier in early 1947, the role of editor-in-chief would pass to

Gérard Filion Gérard Filion, (August 18, 1909 – March 26, 2005) was a Canadian businessman and journalist. Born in L'Isle-Verte, Quebec, the youngest of 17 children, he received a Bachelor of Arts from Université Laval in 1931 and a diploma in 1934 f ...

, former editor of ''La Terre de chez nous'', under whose editorship the paper would publish highly controversial critiques of

Maurice Duplessis Maurice Le Noblet Duplessis (; April 20, 1890 – September 7, 1959), was a Canadian lawyer and politician who served as the 16th premier of Quebec. A conservative, nationalist, anti-Communist, anti-unionist and fervent Catholic, he and hi ...

's government in Quebec by journalists and figures such as

André Laurendeau Joseph-Edmond-André Laurendeau (March 21, 1912 – June 1, 1968) was a journalist, politician, co-chair of the Royal Commission on Bilingualism and Biculturalism, and playwright in Quebec, Canada. He is usually referred to as André Lauren ...

Claude Ryan Claude Ryan, (January 26, 1925 – February 9, 2004) was a Canadian journalist and politician. He was the director of the newspaper ''Le Devoir'' from 1964 to 1978, leader of the Quebec Liberal Party from 1978 to 1982, National Assembly of Q ...

, a federalist, took the helm in 1964, followed by Jean-Louis Roy in 1980, then Benoit Lauzière in 1986. In 1990, the paper appointed its first woman editor-in-chief when

Lise Bissonnette Lise Bissonnette (born December 13, 1945) is a Canadian writer and journalist. Biography Born in Rouyn, Quebec, Bissonnette studied education science at the Université de Montréal from 1965 to 1970. She later pursued doctoral studies at th ...

succeeded Lauzière, and firmly establishing the paper's sovereignist orientation following the federalist years of Ryan and his successors. She would continue on in her post until 1998, with the current editor-in-chief, Bernard Descôteaux, taking over the following year. While the paper has in recent times become associated with the Quebec nationalist movement, Bourassa himself was in fact opposed to the notion of a separate Francophone state, believing instead in an Anglo-French conception of Canada in which French-speaking Canadians would see their culture recognized as equal and protected and encouraged from coast to coast. Instances of this view can be found in both his campaign for Franco-Ontarian rights as well as his ardent opposition to controversial priest and historian

Lionel Groulx Lionel Groulx (; 13 January 1878 – 23 May 1967) was a Canadian Roman Catholic priest, historian, and Quebec nationalist. Biography Early life and ordination Lionel Groulx, né Joseph Adolphe Lyonel Groulx, the son of a farmer and lumber ...

in the 1920s following Groulx's musing on the possibility and desirability of a separate Quebec state. That said, the history of ''Le Devoir'' would become characterized by varying phases (as well as shades) of French-Canadian and later Québécois nationalism, opening its pages in the troubled 1930s to Groulx and his followers, yet seeing a federalist at its helm in 1964 in the form of Claude Ryan, who in 1978 would go on to become leader of the federalist Quebec Liberal Party. Ideologically, ''Le Devoir'' has been a chief voice against military intervention and in favour of

pacifism Pacifism is the opposition or resistance to war, militarism (including conscription and mandatory military service) or violence. Pacifists generally reject theories of Just War. The word ''pacifism'' was coined by the French peace campaign ...

and

social democracy Social democracy is a Political philosophy, political, Social philosophy, social, and economic philosophy within socialism that supports Democracy, political and economic democracy. As a policy regime, it is described by academics as advocati ...

, opposing conscription in

World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...

(see

Conscription Crisis of 1944 The Conscription Crisis of 1944 was a political and military crisis following the introduction of forced military service for men in Canada during World War II. It was similar to the Conscription Crisis of 1917, but not as politically damaging. B ...

) and endorsing, under federalist Ryan's tenure, the election of

René Lévesque René Lévesque (; August 24, 1922 – November 1, 1987) was a Québécois politician and journalist who served as the 23rd premier of Quebec from 1976 to 1985. He was the first Québécois political leader since Confederation to attempt ...

's new socialist-inspired

Parti Québécois The Parti Québécois (; ; PQ) is a sovereignist and social democratic provincial political party in Quebec, Canada. The PQ advocates national sovereignty for Quebec involving independence of the province of Quebec from Canada and establishin ...

in the 1976 election, despite its platform centred on Québécois nationalism. Once considered a reformist paper, it has recently been associated less with ideas that challenge the status quo of Quebec's economic, political and cultural issues.

Business

''Le Devoir'' began as several other businesses besides the newspaper. These ventures included a general printer and publishing house, a bookstore, and a travel agency. Trips were initially organized to coincide with Catholic congresses around the world, as well as for "pilgrimages", allowing Quebecois to visit the French diaspora across North America. Such trips included Acadia (1924, 1927), Ontario (1925), and Louisiana (1931). The purpose of the travel venture was, said Napoleon Lafortune, to "extend the 'work' of the newspaper to defend the French language and the Catholic faith, but by other means." The unusual service officially lasted from 1924 to 1947, though it effectively ended at the start of World War II when international civilian travel became very difficult. ''Le Devoir'' has a relatively low circulation of about 34,000 on weekdays and 58,000 on Saturdays. Its financial situation has often been precarious, and recent years are no exception: in 2002, it had revenues of $14,376,530, with a meager profit of $13,524, while the previous year it had made a small loss.

Other information

The newspaper's original slogan was ''"Fais ce que dois"'' (Do what oumust). ''"Le Devoir"'' means "the duty" in French. Its current slogan is ''"Libre de penser"'' (Free to think). In 1993, following a redesign by Lucie Lacava, a Montreal-based design consultant, the

Society for News Design The Society for News Design (SND), formerly known as the Society of Newspaper Design, is an international organization for professionals working in the news sector of the media industry, specifically those involved with graphic design, illustration ...

awarded ''Le Devoir'' Best of Show award for "Overall Design Excellence" and in 1994 the same group awarded it its Gold award in the Feature Design category. In September 2011, the

National Film Board of Canada The National Film Board of Canada (NFB; french: Office national du film du Canada (ONF)) is Canada's public film and digital media producer and distributor. An agency of the Government of Canada, the NFB produces and distributes documentary f ...

and ''Le Devoir'' announced that they will be jointly hosting three interactive essays on their websites, ONF.ca and ledevoir.com. ''Le Devoir'' headquarters have been located in Montreal at 71A rue Saint-Jacques from 1910 to 1914; at 443 rue Saint-Vincent in

Old Montreal Old Montreal (French: ''Vieux-Montréal'') is a historic neighbourhood within the municipality of Montreal in the province of Quebec, Canada. Home to the Old Port of Montreal, the neighbourhood is bordered on the west by McGill Street, on th ...

from 1914 to 1924; at 430 rue Notre-Dame East from 1924 to 1972; at 211 rue du Saint-Sacrement from 1972 to 1992, at 2050 rue de Bleury from 1992 to 2016; before moving to 1265 rue Berri on December 11, 2016.«Le Devoir», un journal qui déménage
Jean Dion, ''Le Devoir'', December 10, 2016.

Publishers

(1910–1932) * Georges Pelletier (1932–1947) *

(1947–1963) *

(1963–1978) *

Jean-Louis Roy Jean-Louis Roy (born 1 February 1941 in Normandin, Quebec) is a Canadian historian, journalist and diplomat. He was editor of ''Le Devoir'' from 1980 to 1986, the government of Quebec's delegate-general to Paris as well as the province's internat ...

(1980–1986) * Benoît Lauzière (1986–1990) *

(1990–1998) *

Bernard Descôteaux Bernard Descôteaux (; 1947 – 13 January 2024) was a Canadian journalist. He was the editor-in-chief and director of the Montreal-based newspaper ''Le Devoir'' from 1999 through 2016. In a career spanning over four decades, he covered Montrea ...

(1999–2016) * Brian Myles (2016–current)

Contributors

Notable contributors have included the following. * Stéphane Baillargeon *

Pierre Bourgault Pierre Bourgault (January 23, 1934 – June 16, 2003) was a politician and essayist, as well as an actor and journalist, from Quebec, Canada. He is most famous as a public speaker who advocated Quebec sovereignty movement, sovereignty for Quebec ...

* Sylvain Cormier * Gil Courtemanche *

Michel David Michel David (born in 1951) has been a Québécois journalist since 1978, and is a columnist for the Montreal, Quebec, Canada, newspaper '' Le Devoir''. David was parliamentary correspondent at the National Assembly of Quebec for Quebec City's ...

* Fabien Deglise * Henriette Dessaulles (Fadette) *

Jean Dion Jean may refer to: People * Jean (female given name) * Jean (male given name) * Jean (surname) Fictional characters * Jean Grey, a Marvel Comics character * Jean Valjean, fictional character in novel ''Les Misérables'' and its adaptations * J ...

Louis Hamelin Louis Hamelin (born June 9, 1959 in Saint-Séverin-de-Proulxville, Quebec)Louis Hamelin< ...

Chantal Hébert Chantal St-Cyr Hébert (born 1954) is a Canadian journalist and political commentator. Life and career Hébert was born on April 24, 1954, in Ottawa, Ontario. She is the oldest of five children. In 1966 her family moved to Toronto where the 12 ...

* Normand Hudon * Napoléon Lafortune *

Pierre Laporte Pierre Laporte (25 February 1921 – 17 October 1970) was a Canadian lawyer, journalist and politician. He was deputy premier of the province of Quebec when he was kidnapped and murdered by members of the Front de libération du Québec (FLQ ...

* Jean-Marc Léger *

Gilles Marcotte The Gilles are the oldest and principal participants in the Carnival of Binche in Belgium. They go out on Shrove Tuesday from 4 am until late hours and dance to traditional songs. Other cities, such as La Louvière and Nivelles, have a traditi ...

* Christian Rioux *

Michel Roy Michel may refer to: * Michel (name), a given name or surname of French origin (and list of people with the name) * Míchel (nickname), a nickname (a list of people with the nickname, mainly Spanish footballers) * Míchel (footballer, born 1963), ...

Paul Sauriol Paul may refer to: *Paul (given name), a given name (includes a list of people with that name) *Paul (surname), a list of people People Christianity * Paul the Apostle (AD c.5–c.64/65), also known as Saul of Tarsus or Saint Paul, early Chri ...

Michel Venne Michel Venne (born in 1960) is a Canadian journalist, author and intellectual. He is a columnist for the Montreal newspaper ''Le Devoir''. He is founder and director of the Institut du Nouveau Monde. Venne is a vocal advocate of Quebec independenc ...

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Devoir, Le French-language newspapers published in Quebec Newspapers published in Montreal Quebec sovereigntist media Daily newspapers published in Quebec Newspapers established in 1910 1910 establishments in Quebec