It's not often these days that someone has a 58-year radio and television career behind them and, above all, is still active.
The colorful Gilles Peloquin traveled around Quebec and was never afraid to take a stand, even if his opinions were sometimes controversial. The person who fixed him up was the late Claude Mouton of the Canadiens. Today, Gilles works at CINNFM, the French-language radio station in northern Ontario.
His wife Lisette, his daughters and he experienced a disturbing moment in their lives. Her daughter Marie-Christine's life was in danger. She had to undergo a bone marrow transplant to survive. She benefited from a donation from her sister Anne Josée.
Your parents didn't agree with your career choice.
My father Paul, a car salesman, and my mother Colette didn't see my future career in the same way. My father loved sports, while my mother wanted me to become a doctor or pharmacist.
Diction lessons.
At the age of three, my mother enrolled me in a diction course with Madame Déguise in Sorel. I have to admit that diction classes gave me an introduction to the world of communication, because back then you were hired for the quality of your voice and not for your knowledge. This was the beginning of my first steps into the world of communication.
Her mother owned a women's hair salon.
Her hair salon was in the middle of the living room of the house. In the adjacent living room I played with my toys, read or listened to TV to the sounds of the huge freestanding hairdryers.
They attended private schools.
It was common for some families in Sorel for their children to attend private schools. The long journey begins towards a primary school in Saint-Lambert with stops at my secondary school at Collège Brébeuf and Collège Notre-Dame.
You were a boarding school student.
When I went to college at Saint-Lambert my first fall, I was very sad. I left the house and only came back two weekends a month. You must remember that I was only six years old.
Describe your college life to us.
Let's start with the reality of life. I learned the various basics of life, including autonomy. I did household chores like cooking, washing and taking care of my clothes. This helped me enormously because when I was 16 I lived alone in an apartment in Trois-Rivières.
You began a career as a journalist at Notre Dame College.
Le Collégien was the college newspaper. The teachers assigned me to the sports section, while on the news it was the dynamic Jean-Luc Mongrain.
They had special permission from the Collège Notre-Dame.
My father had arranged with the principal that I could take extracurricular courses at the Advertisers Academy. After school I took the bus in front of the Saint-Joseph Oratory to the Berri terminus.
The famous and legendary Rocky Rhéaume Brisebois was your mentor.
The CJMS studios were located in the Palais du Commerce building. In the afternoons I would sometimes prepare sports news, and occasionally Rocky would allow me to go on the air to do a short report on junior hockey.
At 16 you go to work in Trois-Rivières.
The managers of Radio-Mutuel in Trois-Rivières offered me a job covering general news and sports. I still remember showing up at press conferences. The mayor looked at “that young Flo,” who weighed barely 150 pounds, had sideburns, hair that was too long, and was holding a microphone. “What are you doing here?” I told him that I was covering the news for Radio-Mutuel, and then the interview began.
You described junior hockey games.
I started in Drummondville and the following year I was hired by Ghislain Delage, the trainer of the Éperviers de Sorel, owned by the fiery Rodrigue Lemoyne. I then described the Sherbrooke Canadiens games, where I had the opportunity to work with Jean Hamel, Pierre Creamer, Pat Burns and Serge Savard.
Mario Lemieux presented your newscast.
I became friends with Mario when he played with Voisins de Laval. I asked him if he would like to do a 30-second segment to introduce my newscast.
They toured the province.
I had so much fun discovering the different regions of Quebec. I got involved in communities because it was important to me to be part of a city's community.
One of your colleagues, Gary Daigneault, pointed out that you are celebrating your 58th career anniversary this year.
Great ! Already in its 58th year on radio and television. When I began my classes at the Académie des Advertisers, located at the Palais du Commerce in Montreal on Berri Street, I was 14 years old. Now I want to turn 60.
You have been in a relationship for 38 years.
Lisette is a wonderful woman who has always guided me well, especially in turbulent moments when I challenged everything that moved. She was always willing to follow me to the cities where I worked. The salary often left much to be desired. Lisette is an exceptional mother to our two daughters, Marie-Christine and Anne Josée, of whom I am so proud.