Robert Dean

Robert Dean (26 October 1927 – 4 February 2021) was a Canadian politician and trade unionist. He was one of the few Anglophone Quebecers to join the Parti Québécois, which advocates for the independence of Quebec from Canada.

Early life and career Dean was born in Montreal on 26 October 1927. His father, Harry Wilson Dean, was employed at a hotel; his mother was Marie-Anne Grégoire. Dean completed his primary and secondary education in Montreal. He went on to study at Sir George Williams University (an antecedent to Concordia University), obtaining a Bachelor of Arts from that institution in 1963.

Dean started his career working for RCA in Saint-Henri from 1952 until 1959. He became a trade unionist in 1960, as part of the Canadian Union of Public Employees and United Auto Workers in Drummondville. He was instrumental in creating 24 bargaining units at Hydro-Québec, after the provincial government nationalized electric utility in 1962. He was one of the few Anglophone Quebecers to join the separatist party. On 5 March 1984, he joined the Executive Council of Quebec and served as Minister of Revenue. He later became the Minister of Employment and Consultation during a reshuffle on 20 December 1984. He retained that position when Pierre-Marc Johnson became premier on 3 October 1985. However, Dean lost his seat during the 1985 provincial election. He ran again in the election four years later in Groulx but was defeated.

Later life After retiring from politics, Dean became a human resources consultant. He was named a member of the Council for the Elderly on 27 June 2001. Dean died on 4 February 2021 at the age of 93.