Quebec entrepreneur and philanthropist Daniel Langlois was found dead on Friday in Dominica, Caribbean, where he ran a hotel with his partner Dominique Marchand, who was also found lifeless. Their bodies were in a burned vehicle.
Published at 1:23 am. Updated at 5:00 am.
According to local media outlet Dominica News Online, which first reported the news, the vehicle matched the one driven by the recently missing couple. Two charred bodies were discovered inside.
La Presse was able to confirm the disappearance of Daniel Langlois and Dominique Marchand from various sources.
“Our little community has lost a hero,” lamented Simon Walsh, a friend of the couple and owner of a dive shop in Dominica.
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Quebec entrepreneur and philanthropist Daniel Langlois
With his partner, Daniel Langlois owned the Coulibri Ridge Resort, a self-sufficient luxury hotel on the small Caribbean island between Guadeloupe and Martinique.
The circumstances surrounding the discovery of the two bodies remained unclear on Saturday evening. According to our information, a murder investigation has been initiated.
According to the same local media, three people were arrested and questioned in connection with this affair.
In an email to La Presse, Global Affairs Canada wrote that it was aware of “information regarding the deaths of two Canadian citizens in Dominica,” but did not confirm their identities.
“Our thoughts are with the families and relatives of the affected citizens. Consular officials stand ready to provide consular assistance and support to the family and are in contact with local authorities for further information,” added Marilyne Guèvremont, spokesperson for global affairs.
“They were very much appreciated”
The couple’s disappearance shocked the Dominican community, according to their friend Simon Walsh, who was preparing a memorial service with hotel workers when contacted by La Presse. “They were really special people. They were very much appreciated,” he shared.
Daniel Langlois was born in Jonquière in 1957 and is considered one of the pioneers of new cinema technologies in Quebec.
He gained international recognition by founding Softimage, a 3D animation software company used in Hollywood blockbusters such as Jurassic Park and Titanic.
In 1994, he sold the company to Microsoft for approximately $200 million and used a portion of the proceeds to establish the Daniel Langlois Foundation, a private, nonprofit, philanthropic organization dedicated to advancing knowledge in the arts and sciences.
His career is marked by awards. In 1994 he was named Canada’s National Entrepreneur of the Year and three years later received the Scientific and Technical Award from the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences. In 2000 he was appointed an Officer of the Order of Canada.
“I know he was popular in his home country. We have all lost a lot,” said Simon Walsh.
An ambitious project
The self-sufficient hotel on the southern tip of Dominica was Daniel Langlois’ latest project, which he tackled together with his partner.
PHOTO PROVIDED BY COULIBRI RIDGE RESORT
Le Coulibri Ridge Resort, on the island of Dominica
Coulibri Ridge Resort welcomed its first guests in 2021. The internationally awarded complex produces all the energy required for operation with solar panels and two wind turbines. “The hotel was built entirely by training island employees. This is expected to extend the construction period of the project by four to five years,” Mr Langlois told La Presse in 2022.
“They were passionate about creating a hotel that was sustainable and completely self-sufficient. It was admirable. It was her baby. We felt at home when we were there,” said Sutherland Haskell, the Quebec chef at Laco Melrose House restaurant in Dominica.
It hit me pretty hard [vendredi d’apprendre leur décès]. They were our friends here from Quebec. I saw her last week [précédente] to the restaurant.
Sutherland Haskell, chef at the Lacou Melrose House restaurant in Dominica
Recently, Daniel Langlois devoted most of his time to his Resilient Dominica Foundation, which was established after Hurricane Maria in 2017 with the aim of rebuilding affected communities.
PHOTO FROM FACEBOOK
Daniel Langlois was honored by the government of Dominica last November to mark the small island nation’s Independence Day.
Last November, on Dominica’s Independence Day, the government honored him for his contribution to the sustainable development of the small island nation.
An entrepreneur turned patron
Daniel Langlois, holder of a bachelor’s degree in design from the University of Quebec in Montreal, co-directed the 1985 animated short film Tony de Peltrie, which received an enthusiastic response when it premiered at a festival in San Francisco. “With the creation of Peltrie, the Montreal team may have achieved a breakthrough: a digital character that a human audience can identify with,” commented the Time magazine critic.
Daniel Langlois has since received honorary doctorates from the University of Sherbrooke, McGill University, the John Molson School of Management at Concordia University, the Faculty of Arts at UQAM and the University of Ottawa.
PHOTO FRANÇOIS ROY, LA PRESS ARCHIVE
Daniel Langlois, in 2009
One of the highlights of his career was founding the Ex-Centris Cinema in 1999, which became a meeting place for Montreal film fans until its closure in 2016.
He is also known for purchasing the summit of Mount Pinacle in Frelighsburg to protect the area’s fauna and flora.
In 1997, he purchased an old building on Rue de la Commune Ouest in Old Montreal, which he converted into a private club called 357C. The club closed in 2019.
In collaboration with Vincent Larouche and Yves Boisvert, La Presse