Le Devoir

Last updated

Le Devoir
Logo Le Devoir.svg
The battle of three begins. Le Devoir
on the 2003 Quebec election. 2003 Quebec general election, Le Devoir.jpg
The battle of three begins.Le Devoir on the 2003 Quebec election.
TypeDaily newspaper
Format Broadsheet
Owner(s)Le Devoir Inc.
PublisherBrian Myles
EditorMarie-Andrée Chouinard
Founded1910;113 years ago (1910)
Political alignment Quebec nationalism, social democracy
Headquarters1265, rue Berri
Montreal, Quebec
H3A 3M9
Circulation 29,812 daily
48,228 Saturday(as of 2011) [1]
ISSN 0319-0722
Website ledevoir.com

Le Devoir ( [də.vwɑʁ] , "Duty") is a French-language newspaper published in Montreal and distributed in Quebec and throughout Canada. It was founded by journalist and politician Henri Bourassa in 1910.

Contents

Le Devoir is one of few independent large-circulation newspapers in Quebec (and one of the few in Canada) in a market dominated by the media conglomerate Quebecor (including Le Journal de Montréal ).

Historically Le Devoir was considered Canada's francophone newspaper of record, [2] although by the end of the 20th century, that title was mostly used for its competitor La Presse . [lower-alpha 1] [3]

History

Henri Bourassa, a young Liberal Party MP from Montreal, rose to national prominence in 1899 when he resigned his seat in Parliament in protest at the Liberal government's decision to send troops to support the British in the South African War of 1899–1902. [4] Bourassa was opposed to all Canadian participation in British wars and would go on to become a key figure in fighting for an independent Canadian foreign policy. He is considered both a forebear of French-Canadian nationalists as well as a Canadian nationalist more generally. He was also an early promoter of the bi-cultural Anglo-French concept of Canada, and an impassioned advocate for the political and cultural equality of all French Canadians within Confederation, wherever they may reside. [4]

In 1910, he founded Le Devoir as an outlet for his anti-imperialist Ligue nationaliste and to fight for the rights of French Canadians within Confederation. In its first edition, published January 10, 1910, Bourassa explained the name ("the duty" in English) and the mandate of the newspaper as "To ensure the triumph of ideas over appetites, of the public good over partisan interests, there is but one means: awake in the people, and above all in the ruling classes, a sense of public duty in all its forms: religious duty, national duty, civic duty." [5]

Bourassa was both publisher and editor-in-chief of the newspaper until August 3, 1932, when he was replaced by Georges Pelletier. After the death of Pelletier in early 1947, the role of editor-in-chief would pass to Gérard Filion, former editor of La Terre de chez nous, under whose editorship the paper would publish highly controversial critiques of Maurice Duplessis's government in Quebec by journalists and figures such as André Laurendeau. Claude Ryan, a federalist, took the helm in 1964, followed by Jean-Louis Roy in 1980, then Benoit Lauzière in 1986. In 1990, the paper appointed its first woman editor-in-chief when Lise Bissonnette succeeded Lauzière, and firmly establishing the paper's sovereignist orientation following the federalist years of Ryan and his successors. [4] She would continue on in her post until 1998, with the current editor-in-chief, Bernard Descôteaux, taking over the following year.

While the paper has in recent times become associated with the Quebec nationalist movement, Bourassa himself was in fact opposed to the notion of a separate Francophone state, believing instead in an Anglo-French conception of Canada in which French-speaking Canadians would see their culture recognized as equal and protected and encouraged from coast to coast. Instances of this view can be found in both his campaign for Franco-Ontarian rights as well as his ardent opposition to controversial priest and historian Lionel Groulx in the 1920s following Groulx's musing on the possibility and desirability of a separate Quebec state. [4] That said, the history of Le Devoir would become characterized by varying phases (as well as shades) of French-Canadian and later Québécois nationalism, opening its pages in the troubled 1930s to Groulx and his followers, yet seeing a federalist at its helm in 1964 in the form of Claude Ryan, who in 1978 would go on to become leader of the federalist Quebec Liberal Party.

Ideologically, Le Devoir has been a chief voice against military intervention and in favour of pacifism and social democracy, opposing conscription in World War II (see Conscription Crisis of 1944) and endorsing, under federalist Ryan's tenure, the election of René Lévesque's Parti Québécois in the 1976 election, despite its platform centred on Québécois nationalism. Once considered a reformist paper, it has recently been associated less with ideas that challenge the status quo of Quebec's economic, political and cultural issues.

Business

Le Devoir trip to Acadia (Grand-Pre), 1924 Croix Grand-Pre 1924.jpg
Le Devoir trip to Acadia (Grand-Pré), 1924

Le Devoir began as several other businesses besides the newspaper. These ventures included a general printer and publishing house, a bookstore, and a travel agency. Trips were initially organized to coincide with Catholic congresses around the world, as well as for "pilgrimages", allowing Quebecois to visit the French diaspora across North America. Such trips included Acadia (1924, 1927), Ontario (1925), and Louisiana (1931). The purpose of the travel venture was, said Napoleon Lafortune, to "extend the 'work' of the newspaper to defend the French language and the Catholic faith, but by other means." [6] The unusual service officially lasted from 1924 to 1947, though it effectively ended at the start of World War II when international civilian travel became very difficult.

Le Devoir has a relatively low circulation of about 34,000 on weekdays and 58,000 on Saturdays. Its financial situation has often been precarious. For example, in 2002 it had revenues of $14,376,530, with a meager profit of $13,524, while the previous year it had incurred a small loss.

Other information

The newspaper's original slogan was "Fais ce que dois" (Do what [you] must). "Le Devoir" means "the duty" in French. Its current slogan is "Libre de penser" (Free to think).

In 1993, following a redesign by Lucie Lacava, a Montreal-based design consultant, the Society for News Design awarded Le Devoir Best of Show award for "Overall Design Excellence" and in 1994 the same group awarded it its Gold award in the Feature Design category. [7]

In September 2011, the National Film Board of Canada and Le Devoir announced that they will be jointly hosting three interactive essays on their websites, ONF.ca and ledevoir.com. [8]

Le Devoir headquarters have been located in Montreal at 71A rue Saint-Jacques from 1910 to 1914; at 443 rue Saint-Vincent in Old Montreal from 1914 to 1924; at 430 rue Notre-Dame East from 1924 to 1972; at 211 rue du Saint-Sacrement from 1972 to 1992, at 2050 rue de Bleury from 1992 to 2016; before moving to 1265 rue Berri on December 11, 2016. [9]

Publishers

Contributors

Notable contributors have included the following.

See also

Montréal newspapers:

Notes

  1. La Presse ceased physical publication in 2016, and is now available only as a digital newspaper.

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Quebec Liberal Party</span> Political party in Quebec

The Quebec Liberal Party is a provincial political party in Quebec. It has been independent of the federal Liberal Party of Canada since 1955. The QLP has always been associated with the colour red; each of their main opponents in different eras have been generally associated with the colour blue.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Henri Bourassa</span> Canadian politician

Joseph-Napoléon-Henri Bourassa was a French Canadian political leader and publisher. In 1899, Bourassa was outspoken against the British government's request for Canada to send a militia to fight for Britain in the Second Boer War. Prime Minister Sir Wilfrid Laurier's compromise was to send a volunteer force, but the seeds were sown for future conscription protests during the World Wars of the next half-century. Bourassa unsuccessfully challenged the proposal to build warships to help protect the empire. He led the opposition to conscription during World War I and argued that Canada's interests were not at stake. He opposed Catholic bishops who defended military support of Britain and its allies. Bourassa was an ideological father of French-Canadian nationalism. Bourassa was also a defining force in forging French Canada's attitude to the Canadian Confederation of 1867.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Quebec nationalism</span> North American political ideology

Quebec nationalism or Québécois nationalism is a feeling and a political doctrine that prioritizes cultural belonging to, the defence of the interests of, and the recognition of the political legitimacy of the Québécois nation. It has been a movement and a central issue in Quebec politics since the beginning of the 19th century. Québécois nationalism has seen several political, ideological and partisan variations and incarnations over the years.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Timeline of Quebec history (1900–1930)</span>

This section of the Timeline of Quebec history concerns the events relating to the province of Quebec, Canada between the beginning of the 20th century and the Westminster statute.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Claude Ryan</span> Canadian journalist and politician

Claude Ryan, was a Canadian journalist and politician. He was the director of the newspaper Le Devoir from 1964 to 1978, leader of the Quebec Liberal Party from 1978 to 1982, National Assembly of Quebec member for Argenteuil from 1979 to 1994 and Minister of Education from 1985 to 1989.

Federalism in Quebec is concerned with the support of confederation in regards to the federal union of Canada: that is, support for the principles and/or political system of the government of Canada. This issue has been summarized as revolving around the concepts of Quebec remaining within Canada and opposition to the desires of Quebec sovereigntists.

L'Action nationale is a French-language monthly published in Quebec, Canada.

The Traitor and the Jew, a history by Esther Delisle, was published in French in 1992. She documented the history of antisemitism and support of fascism among Quebec nationalists and intellectuals during the 1930s and '40s.

Anti-Quebec sentiment is a form of prejudice which is expressed toward the government, culture, and/or the francophone people of Quebec. This prejudice must be distinguished from legitimate criticism of Quebec society or the Government of Quebec, though the question of what qualifies as legitimate criticism and mere prejudice is itself controversial. Some critics argue that allegations of Quebec bashing are sometimes used to deflect legitimate criticism of Quebec society, government, or public policies.

André Pratte is a Canadian journalist and former senator who represented the De Salaberry division in Quebec. Before being appointed to the Senate by Prime Minister Justin Trudeau on March 18, 2016, Pratte was a journalist for over 35 years and was editor-in-chief of the Montreal newspaper La Presse. He was a member of the Independent Senators Group.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Olivar Asselin</span> Canadian writer and journalist

Olivar Asselin was a writer and journalist in Quebec, Canada. He was a prominent nationalist, pamphleteer and polemist.

Le Nationaliste was a weekly newspaper and an organ of the Ligue nationaliste, an anti-imperialist and nationalist movement in Quebec, Canada.

Je me souviens is a 2002 documentary film about antisemitism and pro-Nazi sympathies in Quebec during the 1930s through post World War II made by Montreal filmmaker Eric Richard Scott. The title of the film is French for I remember, and is the official motto of Quebec. The film was inspired by The Traitor and the Jew (1992-1993), a history of Quebec from 1929-1939, showing the links among antisemitism, nationalism, and fascism among Quebec Catholic intellectuals.

<i>Pure laine</i> French term for Québécois people of full French-Canadian ancestry

The French term pure laine, refers to Québécois people of full French Canadian ancestry, meaning those descended from the original settlers of New France who arrived during the 17th and 18th centuries. Terms with a similar meaning include de souche and old stock as in "Old Stock Canadians".

<span class="mw-page-title-main">André Laurendeau</span> Canadian politician

Joseph-Edmond-André Laurendeau was a journalist, politician, co-chair of the Royal Commission on Bilingualism and Biculturalism, and playwright in Quebec, Canada. He is usually referred to as André Laurendeau. He was active in Québécois life, in various spheres and capacities, for three decades. Laurendeau's career also "spanned the most turbulent periods in the history of Canada".

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Napoléon Bourassa</span> Canadian architect, painter and writer

Napoléon Bourassa was a prominent Canadian architect, painter and writer whose offices were located in Montreal, Quebec.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Clerico-nationalism</span> Right-wing ideology

Clerico-Nationalism was a right-wing ideology current in Quebec from the years after World War I until the end of the 1950s,. Clerico-nationalism was a traditionalist, religious form of French Canadian nationalism focused on the Roman Catholic Church. In France, a similar ideology was referred to as National Catholicism.

Amulette Garneau was a Canadian actress living in Quebec.

Marcel Parent is a retired politician in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. He was chair of the Montreal Catholic School Commission (MCSC) from 1983 to 1984, a Liberal member of the National Assembly of Quebec from 1984 to 1998, and a member of the Montreal city council from 2001 to 2009.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Hélène Pelletier-Baillargeon</span>

Hélène Pelletier-Baillargeon is a Canadian femme de lettres, journalist, essayist, and biographer from Quebec.

References

  1. Audit Bureau of Circulations e-Circ data for the six months ending September 30, 2011. Retrieved February 16, 2012.
  2. "Les parlementaires québécois et Le Devoir dans le monde des médias". Communication, Vol. 29 No. 2 (2012).
  3. "Endorsements, opinions flourish in Quebec". cbc.ca . October 10, 2008. Retrieved January 17, 2010.
  4. 1 2 3 4 Bourassa, Henri
  5. Avant le combat – Le Devoir
  6. Paul Bennett, "Prendre la route avec Le Devoir," January 9, 2010
  7. "Society of News Design – Best of Newspaper Design". office.snd.org. Retrieved January 25, 2017.
  8. "L'ONF et Le Devoir s'associent pour diffuser des essais interactifs". Cyberpresse (in French). Montreal. September 13, 2011. Retrieved September 15, 2011.
  9. (in French) «Le Devoir», un journal qui déménage, Jean Dion, Le Devoir, December 10, 2016.