Bernard Lemaire, co-founder of Quebec pulp and paper flagship Cascades, died Wednesday at age 87.
“On November 8, 2023, it was with regret and deep sadness that the extended Cascades family learned of the death of one of its co-founders,” the company announced.
“Visionary, generous and charismatic, this extraordinary man will have convinced countless people and communities to take part in a huge project, the project of a lifetime: Cascades […]. The legacy he leaves behind is rich and will live on for a long time.”
Born in Drummondville in 1936, the businessman studied civil engineering at the University of Sherbrooke in 1957 before continuing his studies at McGill University.
Bernard Lemaire in 1989 archive photo
In 1960 he finally decided to join the family waste recycling business, Drummond Pulp and Fiber.
Three years later, he founded the company Papier Cascades Inc. with his father and brother Laurent, which produces paper from recycled fibers. Then Bernard Lemaire took the old Kingsey Falls mill in Centre-du-Québec into his hands to put it back into operation.
The multinational company became Cascades Inc. after its listing on the Montreal Stock Exchange in 1982.
The heart of “Québec Inc.”
Bernard Lemaire led Cascades for nearly 30 years before handing over the presidency to his brother Laurent in 1992. During his tenure, Cascades’ expansion strategy gained momentum in South America, the North and Europe.
Mr. Lemaire then turned his attention to the energy sector when Cascades Énergie developed its first natural gas cogeneration plant in Canada near its headquarters in 1990. After the acquisition of Boralex in 1995, he then focused on the development of Boralex.
Bernard Lemaire in 1994 archive photo
The businessman also sat on the board of various companies, including the National Bank, Gaz Métropolitain, the Laperrière and Verreault group and the Cambior company.
These many tasks made him one of the members of the economic revolution of the province of La Belle called “Québec Inc.”, which gave rise to several Quebec and French-speaking entrepreneurs in the 1960s.
A recognized entrepreneur
His entrepreneurial career has been recognized by several awards, including honorary doctorates from the University of Sherbrooke in 1986, the School of Hautes Études Commerciales in 1994 and the University of Quebec at Trois-Rivières in 2004.
He was also appointed an Officer of the Order of Canada in 1988 and an Officer of the National Order of Quebec in 1995.
CNW Group, Cascades
As proof of his international recognition, Mr. Lemaire received the Knight of the National Order of the Legion of Honor in France in 2002.
“For the first time in 1991, the Association of Human Resources Professionals of Quebec awarded him the Honorary Iris, recognizing the contribution of a person from the business world who has contributed significantly to the advancement of human resources management,” his National Order page continues from Quebec.