Gilles Vigneault

Gilles Vigneault (; born 27 October 1928) is a Canadian poet, publisher, singer-songwriter, and Quebec nationalist and sovereigntist. Two of his songs are considered by many to be Quebec's unofficial anthems: "Mon pays" and "Gens du pays", and his line Mon pays ce n'est pas un pays, c'est l'hiver (My country is not a country, it is winter, from "Mon Pays") became a proverb in Quebec. Vigneault is a Grand Officer of the National Order of Quebec, Knight of the Legion of Honour, and Officer of the Ordre des Arts et des Lettres.

Life and career Vigneault was born in Natashquan, in the Côte-Nord region of Quebec.

He started writing poetry during his studies at the seminary in Rimouski, and by the 1950s was publishing poems and writing songs for other performers. In 1959, he founded the publishing house Les Éditions de l'Arc to distribute his publications.

In 1960, Vigneault made his singing debut at the L'Arlequin club in Quebec City, In 1962, he recorded his first album, Gilles Vigneault, and received the Grand Prix du Disque from Montreal radio station CKAC. His reputation grew in Quebec and beyond with the success of his song "Mon Pays", from the soundtrack of the NFB film The Snow Has Melted on the Manicouagan (La neige a fondu sur la Manicouagan) in 1965.

Vigneault's reputation as a songwriter and performer continued to spread and he became popular not only in Quebec, but also in English Canada and Europe. He performed in major Canadian concert halls, including Montreal's Place des Arts, the National Arts Centre in Ottawa, and at Toronto's Massey Hall. In Europe, he toured in France, Switzerland, Poland, Belgium, and Luxembourg. In October 2022, he received an honorary doctorate from Université TÉLUQ for his lifetime achievements, notably his contribution to Québécois identity.

The main subjects of Vigneault's writing are Quebec and its people, as well as human relationships, love, and everyday life.

In 2016, Vigneault received the honorary distinction of Compagnon des arts et des lettres du Québec from the Conseil des arts et des lettres du Québec. In 2017, he received an honorary Doctor of Literature degree from Carleton University.

Family Vigneault has seven children: Michel, Louis, François (a poet and lyricist), Pascale, Guillaume (a novelist), Jessica (a pianist and singer), and Benjamin (a percussionist).

Honours Honorary doctorates: Trent University (1975) Université du Québec à Rimouski (1979) Université de Montréal (1981) York University (1985) Carleton University (2017)

Awards and honours: Prix Félix-Leclerc for the song "Mon pays" (1965) Governor General's Award for French language poetry or drama (1965) Prix de musique Calixa-Lavallée (1966) Grand Prix du Disque of the Charles Cros Academy, Paris (in 1970 for Du milieu du pont, in 1984 for two recordings for children: Les Quatre saisons de Piquot and Quelques pas dans l'univers d'Éviola and in 1990) Molson Prize (1982) Prix Denise-Pelletier conferred by the Quebec government (1983) Médaille Jacques-Blanchet (1987) Grande médaille de la chanson française-Vermeil medal (1988) Governor General's Performing Arts Award - Lifetime Artistic Achievement (1993) Canadian Songwriters Hall of Fame (2006)

He is a Grand Officer of the National Order of Quebec (2000), Knight of the Légion d'honneur (1986), and Officier of the Ordre des Arts et des Lettres (1990).

Several cultural institutions and streets in Quebec and France bear the name of Gilles Vigneault: The library of the Rimouski Community college (La Bibliothèque Gilles-Vigneault) École Gilles-Vigneault (Montreal, Quebec) École Gilles-Vigneault de Marseille (Marseille, France) Rue Gilles-Vigneault (Blainville, Quebec) Rue Gilles-Vigneault (Rimouski, Quebec) Rue Gilles Vigneault (Saint-Charles-Borromée, Québec)