André Chagnon

Early Years and Education

André Chagnon was born in the Ahuntsic neighbourhood of Montreal in 1928. Following in the footsteps of his father, Edmé-Rosario Chagnon, an electrician and entrepreneur, André Chagnon trained as an electrical technician at the École technique de Montréal. In 1957, at the age of 29, he founded an electrical services company, E.R. Chagnon et Fils Ltée. Seven years later, he sold his company in order to focus on cable television.

Videotron

In 1964, André Chagnon founded Télécâble Vidéotron Ltée, a regional cable television distribution company. Under his leadership as its first president, Videotron became the third-largest company in its sector in Canada and the largest in Quebec (see Cable Television) through an acquisition-based growth strategy.

In 1986, Groupe Vidéotron acquired Télé-Métropole (now Groupe TVA), the largest private francophone television channel in the province. In 1988, the company set up operations in London, England and, in 1993, it entered the American market. The Videoway multimedia system, marketed in Canada, the United Kingdom, and the United States brought international recognition to André Chagnon and Groupe Vidéotron. In 1995, André Chagnon was named to the Information Highway Advisory Council and, along with three other leaders of Canadian companies, was invited to participate in the G7 Ministerial Conference on the Global Information Society in Brussels. In 1996, Videotron became an internet service provider.

In 2000, with the support of the Caisse de dépôt et placement du Québec, Pierre Karl Péladeau, the President of Quebecor Inc., acquired Groupe Vidéotron and TVA (see Radio and Television Broadcasting). These companies were combined into a new subsidiary of the Quebecor group, as Quebecor Media Inc. After a career spanning 37 years, André Chagnon retired from his management position with Groupe Vidéotron.

Lucie and André Chagnon Foundation

In 1988, the Chagnon Foundation Trust was established to supplement Groupe Vidéotron’s charitable activities. Following the sale of Videotron in 2000, the Chagnon family (André Chagnon, his wife Lucie and their children) decided to take back the foundation and renamed it the Lucie and André Chagnon Foundation. In 2000, the Chagnon family injected $1.4 billion into the Foundation to support its activities. In 2022, the Foundation supported more than 170 initiatives across Quebec.

Legacy

André Chagnon is recognized for the development of the telecommunications industry, not only in Quebec but Canada-wide. In addition to having been an innovator in this industry and having boosted the economy of Quebec, he has been recognized for his philanthropic work in the province.

Personal Life

Lucie Chagnon (née Dolan), André’s wife of 65 years, died in August 2014. Together, they had five children. André Chagnon died on 8 October 2022 at the age of 94.

Awards and Honours

• Officer of the Order of Canada (1993)
• Édouard-Montpetit Medal of Excellence (1993)
• Induction into the Canadian Business Hall of Fame (2002)
• Grand bâtisseur québécois des technologies de l’information et des communications, Fédération de l’informatique du Québec (2003)
• Award for Exceptional Contribution to Early Childhood Development, Centre of Excellence for Early Childhood Development (2003)
• Officer of the National Order of Quebec (2003)
• Philanthropy Merit Award (with Lucie Chagnon), Fédération des chambres de commerce du Québec (2004)
• Named Great Montrealer, in the social category, by the Board of Trade of Metropolitan Montreal (2004)
• Honorary Doctorate of Letters, McGill University (2004)
• Doctor of Laws, honoris causa, Concordia University (2004)
• Honorary Doctorate, University of Ottawa (2004)
• Entrepreneur Of The Year, Ernst & Young Quebec (2005)
• Honorary Doctorate, HEC Montréal (2008)
• Induction into the Telecommunications Hall of Fame (2009)
• BNP Paribas Prize for Individual Philanthropy (with his family), BNP Paribas, France (2010)
• Medal of Honour (with Lucie Chagnon), Quebec National Assembly (2015)