Gilles Lamontagne

Who is Gilles Lamontagne?

Joseph-Georges-Gilles-Claude Lamontagne, PC OC CQ CD was a Canadian politician and the 24th Lieutenant Governor of Quebec.

He was born in Montreal. During World War II, Lamontagne fought as a bomber pilot in the Royal Canadian Air Force. During the war he was shot down over the Netherlands and detained as a prisoner of war until 1945. He ended his air force service in the rank of flight lieutenant.

In 1946, he settled in Quebec City and entered the importing business became member of the Rotary's club of Quebec city with his partner and neighbour Jean Poliquin.

There, he met and married Mary Schaefer in 1949 and had four children, Michel, André, Pierre and Marie, and now, 5 grandchildren.

He entered politics and was elected mayor of Quebec City in 1965. He held that post until he won a seat in the Canadian House of Commons as a Liberal Party candidate in a 1977 by-election. In 1978, he entered the Cabinet of Prime Minister Pierre Trudeau as Postmaster General. He served in that position until the defeat of the government in the 1979 election.

When the Liberals returned to power in the 1980 election, Lamontagne returned to Cabinet as Minister of National Defence.