QUEBEC LOSES A PIONEER IN ENGINEERING MR. PAUL-AIMÉ SAURIOL, FOUNDER OF
DESSAU, DIES AT AGE 79

MONTREAL, Sept. 23 /CNW Telbec/ - On September 22, 2010, in Laval, Mr. Paul-Aimé Sauriol succumbed after a courageous battle with cancer, at the age of 79. He will be sadly missed by his large family, as well as the people who had the privilege of knowing him professionally or personally.

"An influential figure in Quebec engineering, Paul-Aimé was a great visionary and leader. He leaves Dessau with a legacy of human values, which continue to influence the company, as well as the drive to innovate and take on new challenges. Known for being an active member of his community and for his generosity, he was respected by his peers and well-liked by all," stated Mr. Jean-Pierre Sauriol, son of Paul-Aimé Sauriol and the current President and CEO of Dessau. 

A pioneer in Quebec engineering

In 1957, Mr. Paul-Aimé Sauriol and Jean-Claude Desjardins founded Desjardins-Sauriol, now Dessau, in Laval, Quebec. Thanks to Mr. Sauriol's vision and leadership, the company grew to become one of the leading engineering companies in Canada and the world. Today, Dessau employs nearly 5,000 people in Canada and abroad. 

Mr. Sauriol's s exceptional career was marked by several major accomplishments that helped shape the history of engineering in Quebec. One example was the construction of the James Bay access road in the 1970s, which required 450 miles of road to be built in 450 days. This exceptional and unprecedented accomplishment entered the annals of Canadian engineering.

Widely recognized by his peers, Mr. Sauriol was the recipient of several important awards, including the 1997 Josef-Hode-Keyser Award for his contributions to Quebec's transportation sector, and the 1998 Dunamis Award for his contribution to the City of Laval's economic development. In 2004, Mr. Sauriol received the Jean-Jacques Archambault Award, the most prestigious award in Quebec's electric industry, and, in 2009, he was honoured by the Armand-Frappier Foundation for his outstanding career.

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For further information:

Katia Reyburn
Director, Communications
Dessau Inc.
Tel: [phone], extension 2814