Our History
Foundation of the first Regroupement de gens d’affaires in Canada
On December 3, 1983, more than 300 prominent French-speaking business men and women gathered at the Château Laurier Hotel to hear Jacques de Courville Nicol and Jacques Francoeur (owner of the Unimédia network, who had recently purchased the LeDroit newspaper) invite them to found and join the first association in Canada for Francophone businesspeople.
Speaking to Ontarians and Quebeckers alike, Mr de Courville Nicol declared his conviction that “Francophone business men and women from Quebec, Ontario and the other provinces owe it to themselves to find a formula—beyond the geographical and political limits that so often divide and weaken them—that will allow them to build together a better economic and financial environment for themselves as a French language and cultural community.”
Following that initial meeting, some 70 would-be members again met at the Château Laurier to nominate a launching committee, consisting of 22 founding members who agreed to sit on the first Board of Directors of the RGA de l’Outaouais Inc.
The launching committee organized a large official meeting at the Château Laurier in 1984, to spotlight the organization’s founding and introduce the members of the business community who would be officially elected to sit on the RGA’s first Board.
On May 1, 1984, the Regroupement des gens d’affaires de l’Outaouais Inc. was officially founded. Its charter of incorporation was ratified at its members’ first general meeting, its first action program was approved and the 22 founding members were elected as its first Board of Directors.
RGA founding members and directors (link to founding members’ page)
Jacques de Courville Nicol, first Chair
Martin Dufresne, first Vice-Chair
Pierre Perron, first Treasurer
Louis Vincent, first Secretary
Gaétanne Brochu, first CEO
Adrien Cyr, administrateur
Gérard Desjardins, Director
Jean-Paul Desjardins, Director
Louise Dubé-Martel, Director
Bernard Garand, Director
François Goulet, Director
Gilbert Lacasse, Director
Roger Légaré, Director
Gilles Paquet, Director
Gilles Poulin, Director
Marie-Paule Poulin, Director
Mario Richer, Director
Gaétan Roy, Director
George Bonhomme, Director
Pierre Séguin, FCA, Director
Jean-Marc Patenaude, Director
Four contributors to the RGA’s development
Wilbrod Leclerc
William Kipp
the late Gérard Bertrand
the late Michel Cloutier
RGA Chairs
