The souvenir of Marcel Béliveau (1939-2009)

I became a friend of Marcel Béliveau as soon as Pierre Péladeau introduced me at his house in Ste-Adèle. I remember very well because we were sitting by the pool and Marcel had offered to go get me a coffee in the kitchen. He brought me a cup that was dripping ...

Pierre Péladeau loved Marcel Béliveau and I would say it was one of his few real friends. On numerous occasions, Pierre suggested to me that I use Marcel for this or that. The last time was on acquisition of the television network TQS by Quebecor. Pierre Péladeau wanted that Marcel manages its operations. "This is our man and he will make a kill of the station ..."

Unfortunately the founder of Quebecor died before taking hold of TQS and Marcel was never appointed by the successors at Quebecor ...

I kept contact with Béliveau after the death of Pierre Péladeau but we have only seen each other four or five times between 1998 and his death. On each occasion, the meeting was always very pleasant and I felt that the man regarded me as a closed friend. Yet I was not an intimate friend as the friendship depended from my relation with Pierre Péladeau. Marcel Béliveau loved someone if he had confidence in him and because I had been the right arm of the founder of Quebecor, who was his great friend, Béliveau always considered me as his friend.

The last time I talked to him was on his Facebook. He had written me a message to thank me for having mentioned him in a column at LeStudio1.com where I had highlighted his contribution to humor in Quebec. He confessed to live one day at a time but he did not fear death. I visited his site regularly to check its projects, but it was not very active. He had hundreds of Facebook friends.

The news of his death saddened me but I expected it. He said himself that this would happen before next September. He left our world on May 28.

To those who often asked him how he planned life despite his poor health, he always answered: "Live fully now and forget the rest! We must accept the events of life if you cannot change them and never fight against the impossible. We must look forward and never cling to the past"

Marcel Béliveau was a millionaire from television. How to explain his financial failure at the end of his life. He committed two errors:

1. He wanted to repeat his success of television in areas that he did not know, restaurants and travel agencies;

2. He invested his personal money, a gesture that is not financial wise ...

I invite you to watch one of the last interviews of Marcel Béliveau available on the website of the television network TVA.
Bernard Bujold = www.LeStudio1.com
Link Interview (French) Marcel Béliveau - TVA
Link Les Meilleurs LeStudio1.com 2009
Photo 1: Marcel Béliveau (Picture by Bernard Bujold)
Photo 2: Pierre Péladeau and Bernard Bujold
Photo 3: Marcel Béliveau playing golf (Picture from Marcel Béliveau collection)