Pierre Trudeau

1919-2000

Pierre Trudeau was the 15^th prime minister of Canada, an office he held for nearly 16 years. Many of his policies evolved from the revolutionary ideas of the 1960s. He helped prevent Quebec from separating from the rest of Canada in 1980 and championed a new constitution for the country, which greatly advanced Canadians’ civil rights. His son, Justin Trudeau, followed in his footsteps to become Canadian prime minister, though not during Pierre’s lifetime. Trudeau died in 2000, just short of his 81^st birthday.

FULL NAME: Pierre Elliott Trudeau
BORN: October 18, 1919
DIED: September 28, 2000
BIRTHPLACE: Montreal, Quebec, Canada
SPOUSE: Margaret Trudeau (1971-1984)
CHILDREN: Justin Trudeau, Alexandre, Michel, and Sarah
ASTROLOGICAL SIGN: Libra

Pierre Elliott Trudeau was born on October 18, 1919, and raised in the wealthy Montreal suburb of Outremont. His mother, Grace Elliott, was of both French and Scottish descent, so Trudeau and his two siblings grew up speaking both French and English. His family was quite wealthy by the time he was a teenager, as his father, a businessman and lawyer named Charles-Emile Trudeau, had sold his gas station business to Imperial Oil some years prior.

After graduating from the elite Jesuit preparatory school Collège Jean-de-Brébeuf, Trudeau went on to receive a law degree from the University of Montreal. He earned a master’s degree from Harvard University and also studied at the London School of Economics and the Ecole des Science Politiques in Paris.

Shortly after graduating, he landed a position as a desk officer for the Privy Council. From 1951 to 1961, he practiced law, specializing in labor and civil liberty cases, issues he would later bring into focus for all of Canada.

In 1961, he joined the staff of the University of Montreal as a professor of constitutional law. Four years later, Liberal Party leaders were searching for potential candidates. Trudeau and two of his colleagues were invited to run for party seats. All three men won in the election that year; Trudeau became Minister of Justice.

His flamboyant and charismatic personality meshed well with the changing attitudes and opinions of the late 1960s. Within a year, he had reformed the divorce laws and liberalized the laws on abortion and homosexuality.

Pierre Trudeau served as the prime minister of Canada from 1968 to 1984.

When Canada’s then-prime minister Lester B. Pearson announced his plans to retire in 1967, Trudeau campaigned for leadership of the Liberal Party. His ideas were popular, and on April 6, 1968, he won the post. His election as prime minister benefited from an unprecedented wave of youth involvement. “Trudeaumania,” as it was called, was the nickname given to the excitement brought on by throngs of teenagers who supported Trudeau. Within 20 days of winning leadership of his party, 48-year-old Trudeau was sworn in as Canada’s 15^th prime minister.

Trudeau’s time in office started off with a bang. As soon as he was elected, he began fighting for universal health care. He also worked to reform governmental caucus meetings to make them more efficient. He also made headlines for his personal life, dating the likes of Barbra Streisand before marrying the much younger Margaret Sinclair in 1971.

Beyond his hip image, Trudeau had to lead his country through numerous challenges. The 1970 October Crisis tested his stance against terrorists. The crisis began when Quebec separatist group kidnapped a Quebec official and a British trade commissioner. To deal with this situation, Trudeau invoked the War Measures Act, giving the government overarching power to arrest without trial. On domestic matters, he championed the official implementation of bilingualism.

Losing his post in 1979, Trudeau served as the opposition leader for several months. He was back in power the following year, and he became the leading force against the 1980 referendum to give Quebec sovereignty. He helped keep Quebec part of Canada by defeating this initiative.

Trudeau also sought to officially and completely separate Canada from Queen Elizabeth II’s Britain. He accomplished this goal with the 1982 Constitution Act for Canada. This monumental act brought about new and widespread civil rights for all Canadians. After 16 years as prime minister, Trudeau retired from politics in 1984.

Pierre Trudeau with his sons Justin, Alexandre, and Michel in 1980

Trudeau was a well-known bachelor in his first years as prime minister, dating actors such as Barbra Streisand and Margot Kidder. He ultimately settled down with Margaret Sinclair. The couple married in a surprise wedding in March 1971 when he was 51 and she was 22.

With Margaret, Trudeau had three sons: Justin; Alexandre, who goes by “Sacha;” and Michel. However, their relationship didn’t last. The couple separated in 1977 while Trudeau was still prime minister and officially divorced in 1984. Trudeau was granted custody of their sons.

He never remarried, but in 1991, Trudeau welcomed a daughter, Sarah Elizabeth, with lawyer Deborah Coyne. Then in 1998, Trudeau experienced a terrible loss. His youngest son, Michel, died in an avalanche.

In his retirement, Trudeau took time to reflect on his life and career in the 1993 book Memoirs.

Trudeau died on September 28, 2000, in Montreal at age 80. He had been diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease, but the official cause of death was prostate cancer.

• The state has no business in the bedrooms of the nation.
• I believe a constitution can permit the coexistence of several cultures and ethnic groups with a single state.

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