On June 29, at the iconic Canadian Museum of History, a number of community leaders gathered to salute the career and retirement of Dr. Bernard Leduc.
This memorable evening, hosted by Michel Picard and the dynamic duo from the group Improtéine, Vincent Poirier and Martin Laporte, began with a stroll through a memory lane where guests discovered through images the story of Dr. Leduc, from his childhood to his latest achievements as CEO of Hôpital Montfort and, more personally, as a husband, father and grandfather.
It was in the Great Hall of the Canadian history that guests were invited to welcome Dr. Leduc and his wife, who were introduced to the crowd by the renowned town crier, Daniel Richer. The evening also began with respect for indigenous people, an important cause for Dr. Leduc, with a smoke purification ceremony.
In addition to recognition speeches by University of Ottawa Rector, Jacques Fremont, the Honourable Mona Fortier, President of the Treasury Board, and the Honourable Sylvia Jones, Ontario Minister of Health, guests were entertained by some rather comical anecdotes, in the context of a roast dinner, showcasing the guest of honour who, in front of 350 guests, saw his “friends” share both personal and professional stories that had the audience laughing as much as the main guest.
This main event, hosted by the dynamic Mr. Ronald Caza, featured roasters Carol Jolin, former president of the Assemblée de la francophonie de l’Ontario (AFO), Dr. John Joanisse, family physician at Montfort, Jean-Denis Fréchette, long-time friend, Dr. Lyne Pitre, family physician at Montfort, Christine Leduc, his eldest daughter, Mr. François Boileau, his friend, Pierre Lapointe, his brother-in-law, Dr. Guy Moreau, former Chief of Staff at Montfort, Alex Munter, his counterpart at the Children Hospital of Eastern Ontario (CHEO), and Stéphanie Leduc, his second daughter, who tried to take some of the shine off Dr. Leduc’s image. As with any roast dinner event, the guest of honor was given the opportunity to strike back at his “detractors”, and Dr. Leduc had a great time doing so, especially with his daughters, much to the audience’s delight.
Dr. Bernard Leduc concluded the evening by announcing the amount raised by the event – $142,715 – which is being invested in virtual mental health care, more specifically in the development and deployment of a digital platform called “Équilia”.