Gérald Godin

Gérald Godin (November 13, 1938 – October 12, 1994) was a Quebec poet and politician.

Born in Trois-Rivières, Quebec, he worked as a journalist at La Presse and other newspapers and magazines. His most important poetry collection, Les cantouques: poèmes en langue verte, populaire et quelquefois française, was published in 1967. He was among those arrested under the War Measures Act during the October Crisis in 1970.

In the 1976 Quebec provincial election, he won a seat as a candidate for the Parti Québécois, defeating incumbent Premier of Quebec Robert Bourassa in his own riding of Mercier. He served in various cabinet posts in the governments of René Lévesque and Pierre-Marc Johnson. His life companion was the Québécois singer Pauline Julien.

As a poet, he won the Prix Québec-Paris for his 1987 work Ils ne demandaient qu'à brûler.

Places named for him

The area surrounding the Mont-Royal metro station has been named Place Gérald-Godin in his honour. One of his poems is displayed as a mural overlooking the square.

The Cégep Gérald-Godin (college) in Sainte-Geneviève, Montreal is named for him.

See also

Electoral record

Quebec general election, 1989: Mercier
Party Candidate Votes%±%
Parti QuébécoisGérald Godin13,37157.15+10.04
LiberalDaniel Gagnon7,11730.42−12.39
GreenManon Dubé1,9618.38+6.67
New DemocraticRobert Saint-Louis5672.42−2.27
WorkersPhilippe Pouyer1680.72+0.60
Marxist–LeninistArnold August1080.46–
Socialist MovementGérard Talbot1060.45–
Source: Official Results, Le Directeur général des élections du Québec.
Quebec general election, 1985: Mercier
Party Candidate Votes%±%
Parti QuébécoisGérald Godin12,06247.11−7.42
LiberalJohn Parisella10,96042.81+1.43
New DemocraticRoger Couvrette1,2004.69
GreenYves Blanchette4371.71
HumanistColette Renaud3481.36
Parti indépendantisteDenis Bourgeois3191.24
IndependentGilles Côté970.38−0.02
Commonwealth of CanadaElena Mendez750.29
CommunistGaetan Trudel730.29
No designationPhilippe Pouyer310.12
Total valid votes 25,602
Rejected and declined votes 451
Turnout 26,053 71.12
Electors on the lists 36,635
Source: Official Results, Le Directeur général des élections du Québec.
Quebec general election, 1981: Mercier
Party Candidate Votes%±%
Parti QuébécoisGérald Godin16,25254.53+3.15
LiberalYves Bériault12,33341.38+4.27
Union NationaleRoger Courtemanche4951.66−5.89
     Workers Communist Roger Rashi 250 0.84 -
Marxist–LeninistJacques Côté1250.42-
United Social CreditGilles Côté1180.40−2.07
 } Independent Richard Langlois 116 0.39 -
 } Workers Gérard Lachance 115 0.38 +0.08
Total valid votes 29,804 100.00
Rejected and declined votes 489
Turnout 30,293 79.92
Electors on the lists 37,904
Source: Official Results, Le Directeur général des élections du Québec.
Quebec general election, 1976: Mercier
Party Candidate Votes%±%
Parti QuébécoisGérald Godin13,45051.38+9.57
LiberalRobert Bourassa (incumbent)9,71437.11−15.76
Union NationaleGiuseppe Anzini1,9757.55+5.97
Ralliement créditisteRobert Roy6472.47−0.64
  NDP - RMS coalition Henri-François Gautrin 139 0.53 -
CommunistGuy Desautels1160.44-
 } Workers Gaston Morin 77 0.30 -
 } No designation Louise Ouimet 58 0.22 -
Source: Official Results, Le Directeur général des élections du Québec.
  • Gérald Godin's entry in The Canadian Encyclopedia
  • "Biography". Dictionnaire des parlementaires du Québec de 1792 à nos jours (in French). National Assembly of Quebec.


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