Gérald Godin

Gérald Godin (November 13, 1938 – October 12, 1994) was a Quebec poet and politician.

Born in Trois-Rivières, Quebec, he worked as a journalist at La Presse and other newspapers and magazines. He was among those arrested under the War Measures Act during the October Crisis in 1970.

In the 1976 Quebec provincial election, he won a seat as a candidate for the Parti Québécois, defeating incumbent Premier of Quebec Robert Bourassa in his own riding of Mercier. He served in various cabinet posts in the governments of René Lévesque and Pierre-Marc Johnson. His life companion was the Québécois singer Pauline Julien.

As a poet, he won the Prix Québec-Paris for his 1987 work Ils ne demandaient qu'à brûler.

The area surrounding the Mont-Royal metro station has been named Place Gérald-Godin in his honour. One of his poems is displayed as a mural overlooking the square.

The Cégep Gérald-Godin (college) in Sainte-Geneviève, Montreal is named for him.

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