Jacques J. Bouchard

Jacques J. Bouchard (2 September 1907 – 26 January 1982 in Amos, Quebec) was called to the Order of Canada on 17 December 1973 and inducted as a member in Ottawa on 15 October 1975. The records of the Order contain the following mention: (translation) "Businessman from Amos in recognition of his contribution to the industrial and social development of Northwestern Quebec."

Biography Born in Sainte-Geneviève-de-Batiscan, a few miles east of Trois-Rivières, in the province of Quebec, Canada, Jacques J. Bouchard was the first son born to Arthur Bouchard, tailor and Florina Baribeau sister of Jean-Louis Baribeau, last president of Quebec Legislative Council. He is typical of the spirit and determination of his generation of young French-Canadians. After his commercial course at Frères du Sacré-Coeur in Victoriaville, he leaves at 16 for the new frontier of his time, the Abitibi region in Northwestern Quebec. His first job is as a clerk in an insurance broker office, of which he becomes sole owner less than 10 years later.

His unusual (for the times) knowledge of English allows him to participate in the highly lucrative mining insurance business during the mining booms of the 1930s,(Malartic, Cadillac and Noranda). He is also secretary-treasurer of the Amos Board of Trade, member of the Canadian: institute of Mining and Metallurgy and the Prospectors and Developers Association. In the early 1950s, he started with Frank Blair Jr Abitibi Telephone Inc. which territory covered the newly discovered Matagami mining district.

A devout Catholic, he is active from 1940 to 1946 as president of the Abitibi Antituberculosis League and he presides over the construction of a Sanatorium for tuberculosis victims in Macamic (1947–50). He presides the Welfare Service of the diocese of Amos in 1957, and acts as president of the Finance Committee of the Catholic Scouts Mouvement for the diocese for nearly three decades (1944–1970).

He was admitted as a knight of the Sovereign Military Order of Malta on 16 November 1970.

On 28 June 1933 he married in Amos, Yvonne DeVreese (died 2003) who gave him 2 sons, Yves (died 2002) and Pierre.