MONTRÉAL, Feb. 16, 2016 /CNW Telbec/ - Mr. Denis Coderre, Mayor of Montréal, responded this morning to the announcement of the death of Dr. Victor Goldbloom, stressing the seminal contribution of this great Montrealer to dialogue between communities. "Dr. Goldbloom was above all a unifying force, an extremely talented politician and a great expert on compromise. He devoted the greater part of his life to reconciling the Jewish and Christian communities, as well as francophones and anglophones, and to advocating tolerance and respect. He will remain an exemplary model for anyone who wants to go into politics," said Mr. Coderre.
Born in Montréal in 1923, this doctor by training had an impressive career. First elected as provincial member for the Montréal riding of D'Arcy McGee in 1966, he was re-elected three times, in 1970, 1973 and 1976. In the Robert Bourassa government, he was Minister of the Environment and Minister of Municipal Affairs. He was the first Jewish cabinet minister to sit in the National Assembly.
"This visionary made a significant contribution to creating the first Quebec sustainable development policy, still an important issue today. As Minister responsible for the Olympic Facilities Board in 1975, he played a key role in hosting the 1976 Montréal Olympic Games," added the Mayor of Montréal.
After his resignation as a Member of the National Assembly in 1979, he held various positions: President of the Bureau d'audiences publiques sur l'environnement (BAPE), Commissioner of Official Languages and Chairman of the Board of Directors of the Regional Health and Social Services Board of Central Montréal, while pursuing his work of cultural rapprochement, in particular within the Council of Christians and Jews and the Canadian Jewish Congress.
"Last year, I had the immense honour of signing the French preface of his autobiography, Building Bridges, in which I emphasized my admiration for this true blooded Montrealer, for whom our city's diversity was a great asset that draws us all closer together. We will surely miss him. On behalf of all Montrealers, I wish to express my deep sympathy to his wife Sheila, to their children Michael, Jonathan, and Susan, to their families as well as to all their relatives," concluded Mr. Coderre.
SOURCE Ville de Montréal - Cabinet du maire et du comité exécutif
Source: Catherine Maurice, Press Secretary, Office of the Mayor and the Executive Committee, 514 346-7598
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