Pierre Elliott Trudeau | The Canadian Encyclopedia

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A charismatic and controversial figure, Pierre Trudeau was arguably Canada’s best-known politician, both at home and abroad. He introduced legal reforms to make Canada a more “just society” and made Canada officially <a href="https://www.thecanadianencyclopedia.ca/en/article/bilingualism">bilingual</a> with the <a href="https://www.thecanadianencyclopedia.ca/article/official-languages-act-1969/"><em>Official Languages Act</em></a> of 1969. He negotiated Canada’s constitutional independence from Britain and established a new Canadian <a href="https://www.thecanadianencyclopedia.ca/en/article/constitution">Constitution</a> with a <a href="https://www.thecanadianencyclopedia.ca/article/canadian-charter-of-rights-and-freedoms/"><em>Charter of Rights and Freedoms</em></a>. He played an important role in defeating the <a href="https://www.thecanadianencyclopedia.ca/article/separatism/">Quebec separatist movement</a> of the 1970s and 1980s; although his decision to invoke the <a href="https://www.thecanadianencyclopedia.ca/en/article/war-measures-act">War Measures Act</a> in response to the 1970 <a href="https://www.thecanadianencyclopedia.ca/en/article/october-crisis">October Crisis</a> drew sharp criticism. His <a href="https://www.thecanadianencyclopedia.ca/en/article/federalism">federalist</a> stance as well as his language and economic policies alienated many in Canada, particularly in the West. His eldest son, <a href="https://www.thecanadianencyclopedia.ca/en/article/justin-trudeau">Justin Trudeau</a>, became leader of the <a href="https://www.thecanadianencyclopedia.ca/en/article/liberal-party">Liberal Party</a> in 2013 and <a href="https://www.thecanadianencyclopedia.ca/en/article/prime-minister">prime minister</a> in 2015.</p> </div> <div class="article-content-body"> <div id="article-content-def"> <div><img src="https://d3d0lqu00lnqvz.cloudfront.net/media/new_article_images/PierreTruedau/1024px-Pierre_Trudeau_%281975%29.jpg" title="Pierre Trudeau, 1975" alt="Pierre Trudeau, 1975"> </div> <h3>Education and Early Career</h3> <p>Pierre Trudeau was born into a wealthy family. He was the son of a successful French-Canadian businessman and a mother of <a href="https://www.thecanadianencyclopedia.ca/en/article/scots">Scottish</a> ancestry. He was educated at the <a href="https://www.thecanadianencyclopedia.ca/en/article/jesuits">Jesuit</a> Collège Jean-de-Brébeuf; <a href="https://www.thecanadianencyclopedia.ca/article/universite-de-montreal/">Université de Montréal</a>; Harvard University; and the London School of Economics. He also travelled extensively in his youth, including with longtime friend <a href="https://thecanadianencyclopedia.ca/en/article/jacques-hebert">Jacques Hébert</a>, who wrote extensively of their adventures.</p> <p>Upon his return to <a href="https://www.thecanadianencyclopedia.ca/article/quebec/">Quebec</a> from a year’s travels in 1949, Trudeau supported the <a href="https://www.thecanadianencyclopedia.ca/en/article/trade-unions">unions</a> in the bitter <a href="https://www.thecanadianencyclopedia.ca/article/asbestos-strike/">Asbestos Strike</a>; a formative event in postwar Quebec society. In 1956, he edited a book on the strike. He contributed an introduction and conclusion that criticized the province’s dominant social, economic and political values.</p> <p>Trudeau served briefly in <a href="https://www.thecanadianencyclopedia.ca/en/article/ottawa-ont">Ottawa</a> as an adviser to the <a href="https://www.thecanadianencyclopedia.ca/article/privy-council-office/">Privy Council Office</a> in 1950–51. He then returned to Montreal. He opposed the <a href="https://www.thecanadianencyclopedia.ca/en/article/union-nationale">Union Nationale</a> government of <a href="https://www.thecanadianencyclopedia.ca/articles/maurice-le-noblet-duplessis">Maurice Duplessis</a> and agitated for social and political change. With other young intellectuals, Trudeau founded the review <em><a href="https://www.thecanadianencyclopedia.ca/article/cite-libre/">Cité libre</a></em>. In this and other forums, he sought to rouse opposition to what he believed were reactionary and inward-looking <a href="https://www.thecanadianencyclopedia.ca/en/article/elites">elites</a>. In the process, he developed a reputation as a radical and a <a href="https://www.thecanadianencyclopedia.ca/en/article/socialism">socialist</a>. The values he championed, however, were closer to those of <a href="https://www.thecanadianencyclopedia.ca/article/liberalism/">liberalism</a> and democracy.</p> <iframe frameborder="0" src="//www.youtube.com/embed/6OoqgGgmVmI" width="640" height="360" class="note-video-clip"></iframe> <br> <h3>Trudeau and Federalism</h3> <p>After the <a href="https://www.thecanadianencyclopedia.ca/en/article/liberal-party">Liberal</a> victory in the 1960 provincial election, the <a href="https://www.thecanadianencyclopedia.ca/article/quiet-revolution/">Quiet Revolution</a> fulfilled some of Trudeau’s hopes for change. At the same time, it revealed a deep rift between Trudeau and many of his former colleagues who were moving toward the idea of an independent Quebec. As a <a href="https://www.thecanadianencyclopedia.ca/en/article/law">law</a> professor at <a href="https://www.thecanadianencyclopedia.ca/en/article/universite-de-montreal">Université de Montréal</a> in the 1960s, Trudeau became a sharp critic of contemporary <a href="https://www.thecanadianencyclopedia.ca/article/french-canadian-nationalism/">Quebec nationalism</a>. He argued for a Canadian <a href="https://www.thecanadianencyclopedia.ca/article/federalism/">federalism</a> in which English and French Canada would find a new equality.</p> <h3>Entry into Federal Politics</h3> <p>Pierre Trudeau joined the federal <a href="https://www.thecanadianencyclopedia.ca/article/liberal-party/">Liberal Party</a> in 1965. He was recruited along with union leader <a href="https://www.thecanadianencyclopedia.ca/article/jean-marchand/">Jean Marchand</a> and journalist <a href="https://www.thecanadianencyclopedia.ca/article/gerard-pelletier/">Gérard Pelletier</a>. Trudeau was elected to <a href="https://www.thecanadianencyclopedia.ca/en/article/parliament">Parliament</a> in the riding of Mount Royal. He was later appointed parliamentary secretary to <a href="https://www.thecanadianencyclopedia.ca/en/article/prime-minister">Prime Minister</a> <a href="https://www.thecanadianencyclopedia.ca/article/lester-bowles-pearson/">Lester Pearson</a>.</p> <p>A rising star in the Liberal Party, Trudeau was named <a href="https://www.thecanadianencyclopedia.ca/en/article/department-of-justice">minister of justice</a> in 1967. In this role, he gained national attention for reforming <a href="https://www.thecanadianencyclopedia.ca/en/article/divorce-in-canada">divorce</a> law (<em>see</em> <a href="https://www.thecanadianencyclopedia.ca/en/article/family-law">Family Law in Canada</a>); as well as for amending the <a href="https://www.thecanadianencyclopedia.ca/article/criminal-code/">Criminal Code</a> to liberalize laws on <a href="https://www.thecanadianencyclopedia.ca/article/criminal-code/">abortion</a>, <a href="https://www.thecanadianencyclopedia.ca/article/homosexuality/">homosexuality</a>, and public <a href="https://www.thecanadianencyclopedia.ca/en/article/lottery">lotteries</a>. He also established a reputation as a defender of a strong <a href="https://www.thecanadianencyclopedia.ca/article/federal-government/">federal government</a> against the nationalist demands of Quebec.</p> <blockquote> <p><strong>DID YOU KNOW?<br></strong> As <a href="https://www.thecanadianencyclopedia.ca/en/article/department-of-justice">justice minister</a> in 1967, Trudeau introduced reforms to the <a href="https://www.thecanadianencyclopedia.ca/article/criminal-code/">Criminal Code</a> that effectively decriminalized <a href="https://www.thecanadianencyclopedia.ca/article/homosexuality/">homosexuality</a>. Trudeau’s stated explanation for doing so — that “there is no place for the state in the bedrooms of the nation” — captured the zeitgeist of a new, more progressive era. The same sentiment runs through the creation of the <em><a href="https://www.thecanadianencyclopedia.ca/en/article/canadian-charter-of-rights-and-freedoms">Charter of Rights and Freedoms</a></em> (1982) and the legalization of <a href="https://www.thecanadianencyclopedia.ca/en/article/same-sex-marriage-in-canada">same-sex marriage</a> (2005). The phrase marked Trudeau as edgy, iconoclastic and refreshingly sophisticated. It also helped launch him to political superstardom, signalling a sharp generational shift in Canada’s political leadership. (Source: <a href="https://parli.ca/state-place-bedrooms-nation/">Parli.ca</a>)</p> </blockquote> <br> <h3>Trudeaumania</h3> <p>Trudeau was persuaded to contest the <a href="https://www.thecanadianencyclopedia.ca/article/liberal-party/">Liberal</a> <a href="https://www.thecanadianencyclopedia.ca/en/article/leadership-convention">leadership</a> in 1968. He was elected on the fourth ballot. In the ensuing general election on 25 June 1968 — the campaign for which which was dominated by “Trudeaumania” — his government won in a landslide with 153 (of 249) seats and 45.37 per cent of the popular vote. On 20 April 1968, he was sworn in as Canada’s 15th <a href="https://www.thecanadianencyclopedia.ca/en/article/prime-minister">prime minister</a>. He then began a period in office which was to last longer than that of any other prime minister, except <a href="https://www.thecanadianencyclopedia.ca/article/william-lyon-mackenzie-king/">William Lyon Mackenzie King</a> and <a href="https://www.thecanadianencyclopedia.ca/article/sir-john-alexander-macdonald/">Sir John A. Macdonald</a>.</p> <iframe frameborder="0" src="//www.youtube.com/embed/38ccfU6ys7g" width="640" height="360" class="note-video-clip"></iframe> <br> <h3>The October Crisis</h3> <p>The most dramatic event of Trudeau’s first government was the <a href="https://www.thecanadianencyclopedia.ca/article/october-crisis/">October Crisis</a> of 1970. British <a href="https://www.thecanadianencyclopedia.ca/en/article/diplomatic-and-consular-representations">diplomat</a> James Cross and Quebec <a href="https://www.thecanadianencyclopedia.ca/en/article/cabinet">cabinet</a> minister <a href="https://www.thecanadianencyclopedia.ca/article/pierre-laporte/">Pierre Laporte</a> were <a href="https://www.thecanadianencyclopedia.ca/en/article/kidnapping">kidnapped</a> by the <a href="https://www.thecanadianencyclopedia.ca/en/article/front-de-liberation-du-quebec/">Front de Libération du Québec</a> (FLQ), a militant Quebec independence movement. In response, Trudeau invoked the <a href="https://www.thecanadianencyclopedia.ca/article/war-measures-act/"><em>War Measures Act</em></a>; this gave the government sweeping powers of arrest, detention and censorship. Shortly after, Laporte was murdered by his abductors. Controversy over the appropriateness of these measures and their effect on liberal democracy in Canada and Quebec has continued to the present. (<em>See also</em> <a href="https://www.thecanadianencyclopedia.ca/en/timeline/the-flq-and-the-october-crisis">Timeline: The FLQ and the October Crisis</a>.)</p> <iframe frameborder="0" src="//www.youtube.com/embed/XfUq9b1XTa0" width="640" height="360" class="note-video-clip"></iframe> <br> <h3>Key Policies</h3> <p>Less dramatic, but of lasting significance, was the <em><a href="https://www.thecanadianencyclopedia.ca/article/official-languages-act-1969/">Official Languages Act</a></em> of 1969. It was a central feature of Trudeau’s new <a href="https://www.thecanadianencyclopedia.ca/en/article/federalism">federalism</a>. At the same time, he began to improve the position of <a href="https://www.thecanadianencyclopedia.ca/en/article/francophone">francophones</a> in Ottawa. However, one result of these policies was a growing anti-<a href="https://www.thecanadianencyclopedia.ca/en/article/bilingualism">bilingual</a> backlash in English Canada. This was particularly the case in Western Canada; Trudeau’s perceived lack of interest in Western economic problems and in Western perspectives led to a growing sense of alienation there.</p> <p>An important initiative of Trudeau’s was the attempt to centralize and nationalize decision-making in the <a href="https://www.thecanadianencyclopedia.ca/article/prime-ministers-office/">Prime Minister’s Office</a>; as well as in <a href="https://www.thecanadianencyclopedia.ca/article/central-agency/">central agencies</a> such as the <a href="https://www.thecanadianencyclopedia.ca/article/privy-council-office/">Privy Council Office</a> and the <a href="https://www.thecanadianencyclopedia.ca/article/treasury-board/">Treasury Board</a>. These changes were very much in line with administrative reorganizations in Washington, DC, and in other Western capitals. But they proved controversial in Canada; critics claimed they were inefficient and undermined the role of <a href="https://www.thecanadianencyclopedia.ca/en/article/parliament">Parliament</a> and <a href="https://www.thecanadianencyclopedia.ca/en/article/cabinet">cabinet</a>. In the 1972 election, Trudeau came close to losing office. He was forced to form a <a href="https://www.thecanadianencyclopedia.ca/article/minority-government/">minority government</a> with the support of the <a href="https://www.thecanadianencyclopedia.ca/article/new-democratic-party/">New Democratic Party</a> (NDP).</p> <blockquote> <p><strong>DID YOU KNOW?<br></strong> For his 1972 re-election campaign, Trudeau used the slogan “The Land is Strong.” The vague, faintly smug statement captured what some Canadians saw as Trudeau’s self-satisfaction and aloofness. Prior to the campaign, the <a href="https://www.thecanadianencyclopedia.ca/en/article/liberal-party">Liberals</a> had been heavily favoured to win another majority. Instead, they won a <a href="https://www.thecanadianencyclopedia.ca/en/article/minority-government">minority government</a> with only a two-seat plurality over <a href="https://www.thecanadianencyclopedia.ca/en/article/robert-lorne-stanfield">Robert Stanfield</a>’s <a href="https://www.thecanadianencyclopedia.ca/en/article/progressive-conservative-party">Progressive Conservatives</a> — a huge reversal from the Trudeaumania landslide of 1968. “The land is strong” has since become political shorthand to describe when a front-runner squanders their lead through poor campaign choices. (Source: <a href="https://parli.ca/land-strong/">Parli.ca</a>)</p> </blockquote> <br> <h3>Marriage to Margaret Sinclair</h3> <p>In 1971, Pierre Trudeau married Margaret Sinclair, the daughter of a former <a href="https://www.thecanadianencyclopedia.ca/article/liberal-party/">Liberal</a> <a href="https://www.thecanadianencyclopedia.ca/en/article/cabinet">cabinet</a> minister. Many women were heartbroken over the marriage of Canada’s most eligible bachelor to a woman 28 years his junior. The media followed every move made by the famous couple. Their tempestuous marriage was beset by many well-publicized differences. They separated in 1977 and <a href="https://www.thecanadianencyclopedia.ca/en/article/divorce-in-canada">divorced</a> in 1984. Trudeau retained custody of their three sons: <a href="https://www.thecanadianencyclopedia.ca/article/justin-trudeau/">Justin</a>, Alexandre (“Sacha”) and Michel.</p> <iframe frameborder="0" src="//www.youtube.com/embed/bJfmO6gFZjQ" width="640" height="360" class="note-video-clip"></iframe> <br> <h3>Defeat and Re-election</h3> <p>After restoring a <a href="https://www.thecanadianencyclopedia.ca/article/liberal-party/">Liberal</a> majority in 1974, Trudeau faced the effects of <a href="https://www.thecanadianencyclopedia.ca/en/article/inflation">inflation</a>. In an atmosphere of economic crisis, various remedies were tried; these included mandatory <a href="https://www.thecanadianencyclopedia.ca/article/wage-and-price-controls/">wage and prices controls</a> in 1975. This economic crisis was compounded by political challenge in 1976. The <a href="https://www.thecanadianencyclopedia.ca/article/parti-quebecois/">Parti Québécois</a> under <a href="https://www.thecanadianencyclopedia.ca/article/rene-levesque/">René Lévesque</a> was elected to office; both were dedicated to Quebec independence. </p> <p>In May 1979, Trudeau and the Liberals lost the federal election to the <a href="https://www.thecanadianencyclopedia.ca/en/article/conservative-party/">Progressive Conservatives</a> under <a href="https://www.thecanadianencyclopedia.ca/en/article/joe-clark/">Joe Clark</a>. A few months later, on 21 November, Trudeau announced his resignation as leader of the Liberal Party. However, three weeks after this announcement, the Progressive Conservative government was defeated in the <a href="https://www.thecanadianencyclopedia.ca/en/article/house-of-commons">House of Commons</a>. A new general election was called. Trudeau was persuaded by the Liberal caucus to return as leader. On 18 February 1980 — three months after his retirement — he was returned once again as <a href="https://www.thecanadianencyclopedia.ca/en/article/prime-minister">prime minister</a> with a majority government of 147 seats. (<em>See also</em> <a href="https://www.thecanadianencyclopedia.ca/en/article/elections-of-1979-and-1980-feature">Elections of 1979 and 1980</a>.)</p> <blockquote> <p><strong>DID YOU KNOW?<br></strong> The opening line of Trudeau’s victory speech on 18 February 1980 — “Well, welcome to the 1980s!” — was made just nine months after losing the 1979 election to <a href="https://www.thecanadianencyclopedia.ca/en/article/joe-clark/">Joe Clark</a>’s <a href="https://www.thecanadianencyclopedia.ca/en/article/conservative-party/">Progressive Conservatives</a>. The astonishing turnaround capped a period that saw Trudeau resign and return as <a href="https://www.thecanadianencyclopedia.ca/article/liberal-party/">Liberal </a>leader. Trudeau’s “welcome to the 1980s” opener is cited by his admirers as an example of his gift for capturing the political moment. Critics have seen it as an example of Liberal arrogance and entitlement — as in, now that the Liberals were restored to power, the decade (already six weeks old) could get properly underway. (Source: <a href="https://parli.ca/welcome-to-the-eighties/">Parli.ca</a>)</p> </blockquote> <br> <p>Trudeau’s last period in office as prime minister was eventful. His personal intervention in the <a href="https://www.thecanadianencyclopedia.ca/article/quebec-referendum-1980/">1980 Quebec Referendum</a> campaign on <a href="https://www.thecanadianencyclopedia.ca/article/sovereignty-association/">sovereignty-association</a> was significant. The defeat of the Parti Québécois’s proposition was a milestone in his crusade against <a href="https://www.thecanadianencyclopedia.ca/article/separatism/">Quebec separatism</a>. In the wake of that victory, Trudeau pushed for an accord on a new Canadian <a href="https://www.thecanadianencyclopedia.ca/en/article/constitution">constitution</a>.</p> <h3>Constitutional Battles</h3> <p>Trudeau was unable to gain provincial agreement on a new constitution. So, he introduced into <a href="https://www.thecanadianencyclopedia.ca/en/article/parliament">Parliament</a> a unilateral federal initiative to “patriate” the <em><a href="https://www.thecanadianencyclopedia.ca/article/british-north-america-act/">British North America Act</a></em> to Canada; along with an amending formula and an entrenched <em><a href="https://www.thecanadianencyclopedia.ca/article/canadian-charter-of-rights-and-freedoms/">Charter of Rights and Freedoms</a></em>. This was followed by one of the most epic federal-provincial battles in Canadian history. (<em>See also</em> <a href="https://www.thecanadianencyclopedia.ca/en/article/constitution-reference">Patriation Reference</a>; <a href="https://www.thecanadianencyclopedia.ca/en/article/federal-provincial-relations">Federal-Provincial Relations</a>.) It culminated in the final compromise — the proclamation of the <em><a href="https://www.thecanadianencyclopedia.ca/article/constitution-act-1982-document/">Constitution Act, 1982</a></em> on 17 April 1982. ( <em>See</em> <a href="https://www.thecanadianencyclopedia.ca/article/patriation-of-the-constitution/">Patriation of the Constitution</a>; <a href="https://www.thecanadianencyclopedia.ca/en/article/patriation-the-constitution-comes-home-feature">Editorial: The Canadian Constitution Comes Home</a>.) The new constitution included entrenched minority language and education rights; as well as a charter of individual rights. Trudeau had fulfilled a goal he had set for himself upon entering public life.</p> <iframe frameborder="0" src="//www.youtube.com/embed/ngYEcae6ndE" width="640" height="360" class="note-video-clip"></iframe> <br> <h3>Economic Challenges</h3> <p>In other areas, Trudeau’s 1980–84 government was less successful. Continued <a href="https://www.thecanadianencyclopedia.ca/en/article/inflation">inflation</a>, high levels of <a href="https://www.thecanadianencyclopedia.ca/en/article/unemployment">unemployment</a>, and large federal deficits cut into his popular support. His government’s <a href="https://www.thecanadianencyclopedia.ca/article/national-energy-program/">National Energy Program</a> was one of the biggest government interventions in the economy since the <a href="https://www.thecanadianencyclopedia.ca/article/second-world-war-wwii/">Second World War</a>. But it further alienated the <a href="https://www.thecanadianencyclopedia.ca/en/collection/energy">energy</a>-producing regions in Western Canada.</p> <p>A continuing problem that plagued Trudeau's entire time in office was that of <a href="https://www.thecanadianencyclopedia.ca/article/canadian-american-relations/">Canadian-American relations</a>. Trudeau often played an ambiguous role with regard to the US; but during his last term in office, he moved toward a more <a href="https://www.thecanadianencyclopedia.ca/en/article/nationalism">nationalist</a> position in economic relations with America. He began to criticize US foreign and defence policies more freely than in the past. At the same time, the policies of US President Reagan’s administration were becoming more damaging to many of Canada’s economic interests. (<em>See also</em> <a href="https://www.thecanadianencyclopedia.ca/en/article/economic-canadian-american-relations">Canada-US Economic Relations</a>.)</p> <div><strong><img src="https://d3d0lqu00lnqvz.cloudfront.net/media/new_article_images/PierreTruedau/President_Ronald_Reagan_meeting_with_Prime_Minister_Pierre_Trudeau_of_Canada_during_working_visit_in_Oval_Office.jpg" title="Reagan and Trudeau" alt="reagan-and-trudeau"></strong> </div> <h3>International Involvement</h3> <p>In these years, Trudeau devoted more and more time to the international stage. First, he encouraged a “North–South” dialogue between wealthy, <a href="https://www.thecanadianencyclopedia.ca/en/article/industrialization">industrialized</a> nations and underdeveloped countries. Then, in 1983–84, he persuaded leaders in both the Soviet and Western blocs to negotiate the reduction of nuclear weapons and to lower <a href="https://www.thecanadianencyclopedia.ca/article/cold-war/">Cold War</a> tensions. (<em>See also</em> <a href="https://www.thecanadianencyclopedia.ca/en/article/disarmament">Arms Control and Disarmament</a>.) These activities led to his being awarded the Albert Einstein Peace Prize.</p> <p>At the same time, however, Trudeau’s government was responsible for the decision to allow US testing of the cruise missile. This roused widespread opposition from Canadians concerned about the worsening <a href="https://www.thecanadianencyclopedia.ca/en/article/canada-and-nuclear-weapons">nuclear arms</a> race.</p> <h3>Retirement</h3> <p><a href="https://www.thecanadianencyclopedia.ca/en/article/public-opinion">Public opinion</a> in Canada was largely hostile to Trudeau and the <a href="https://www.thecanadianencyclopedia.ca/en/article/liberal-party">Liberals</a> from 1981 on. His personal style — sometimes charismatic; sometimes contemptuous of opposition; often arrogant, mercurial and unpredictable — became less of an asset in difficult economic times than it was early in his political career. On 29 February 1984, Trudeau announced his intention to retire. On 30 June he left office; his successor, <a href="https://www.thecanadianencyclopedia.ca/article/john-turner/">John Turner</a>, was sworn in. In 1985, Trudeau was made a Companion of the <a href="https://www.thecanadianencyclopedia.ca/en/article/order-of-canada">Order of Canada</a>.</p> <div><img src="https://d3d0lqu00lnqvz.cloudfront.net/media/media/8db0d87c-a424-4652-b7e8-beb76c41719c.jpg" title="Pierre Elliott Trudeau" alt="Pierre Elliott Trudeau"> </div> <p>Trudeau’s retirement was relatively low profile. However, he intervened in public affairs with dramatic effect on two occasions. His strong opposition to the <a href="https://www.thecanadianencyclopedia.ca/article/meech-lake-accord/">Meech Lake Accord</a> (<em>see</em> <a href="https://www.thecanadianencyclopedia.ca/article/meech-lake-accord-document/">Meech Lake Accord: Document</a>) was considered influential. His speech against the <a href="https://www.thecanadianencyclopedia.ca/article/the-charlottetown-accord/">Charlottetown Accord</a> (<em>see</em> <a href="https://www.thecanadianencyclopedia.ca/article/charlottetown-accord-document/">Charlottetown Accord: Document</a>) at the Maison du Egg Roll in Montreal on 1 October 1992 was credited with turning English Canadian opinion against the Accord in the 1992 Referendum. He did not, however, publicly intervene during the <a href="https://www.thecanadianencyclopedia.ca/article/quebec-referendum-1995/">1995 Quebec Referendum</a>. </p> <p>In 1993, Trudeau published his book, <em>Memoirs</em>. It was based on a five-part <a href="https://www.thecanadianencyclopedia.ca/article/cbc-emc/">CBC</a> miniseries. In 1996, he published <em>Against the Current,</em> a collection of his writings from 1939 to 1996.</p> <h3>Death and Funeral</h3> <p>Trudeau died of prostate <a href="https://www.thecanadianencyclopedia.ca/en/article/cancer">cancer</a> at his home in Montreal on 28 September 2000. (<em>See</em> <a href="https://thecanadianencyclopedia.ca/en/article/trudeaus-death">Trudeau’s Death</a>.) His two surviving sons were joined at <a href="https://thecanadianencyclopedia.ca/en/article/trudeaus-funeral">Trudeau’s funeral</a> by his ex-wife, <a href="https://www.thecanadianencyclopedia.ca/en/article/margaret-trudeau">Margaret Trudeau</a>. (Trudeau’s youngest son, Michel, <a href="https://www.thecanadianencyclopedia.ca/en/article/trudeau-search-suspended/">died in an avalanche</a> in 1998.) Among the mourners were Jean and Aline Chrétien, Fidel Castro and Jimmy Carter. <a href="https://www.thecanadianencyclopedia.ca/article/justin-trudeau/">Justin Trudeau</a>’s emotional eulogy was watched by Canadians across the country; it prompted speculation that he would follow his father’s example and enter federal politics. In 2013, Justin Trudeau was elected leader of the <a href="https://www.thecanadianencyclopedia.ca/en/article/liberal-party">Liberal Party</a>. In 2015, he became <a href="https://www.thecanadianencyclopedia.ca/en/article/prime-minister">prime minister</a>.</p> <iframe frameborder="0" src="//www.youtube.com/embed/5p4NUJMPAjQ" width="640" height="360" class="note-video-clip"></iframe> <br> <h3>Legacy</h3> <p>Overall, Pierre Trudeau’s career as <a href="https://www.thecanadianencyclopedia.ca/en/article/prime-minister">prime minister</a> was one of electoral success. He served longer than any other contemporary leader in the Western world, becoming the elder statesman of the West. His achievements include official <a href="https://www.thecanadianencyclopedia.ca/en/article/bilingualism">bilingualism</a>; the 1980 defeat of <a href="https://www.thecanadianencyclopedia.ca/en/article/separatism">Quebec separatism</a>; the <a href="https://www.thecanadianencyclopedia.ca/en/article/patriation-of-the-constitution">patriated Constitution</a>; and the <em><a href="https://www.thecanadianencyclopedia.ca/en/article/canadian-charter-of-rights-and-freedoms">Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms</a></em>.</p> <p>However, Trudeau was unable to alleviate <a href="https://www.thecanadianencyclopedia.ca/en/article/regionalism">regional</a> alienation or to resolve the conflict between <a href="https://www.thecanadianencyclopedia.ca/en/article/federal-government">federal</a> and <a href="https://www.thecanadianencyclopedia.ca/en/article/provincial-government">provincial governments</a>. By the late 1990s, his major legacy — Quebec’s retention as a partner in <a href="https://www.thecanadianencyclopedia.ca/en/article/confederation">Confederation</a> — was in serious question much more than at the time of his retirement. He left office much as he had entered it — a controversial figure with strong supporters and equally strong critics. That he was one of the dominant figures in 20th-century Canada is indisputable.</p> <p><em>See also</em> <a href="https://www.thecanadianencyclopedia.ca/en/article/pierre-elliott-trudeau-feature">Editorial: Pierre Elliott Trudeau, the Second Father of Canada?</a>; <a href="https://thecanadianencyclopedia.ca/en/article/trudeau-30-years-later">Trudeau 30 Years Later</a>; <a href="https://www.thecanadianencyclopedia.ca/en/timeline/elections-and-prime-ministers">Timeline: Elections and Prime Ministers</a>.</p> <h3>Selected Honours and Awards</h3> <ul> <li>Member of Queen’s <a href="https://www.thecanadianencyclopedia.ca/en/article/privy-council">Privy Council</a> (1967)</li> <li>Albert Einstein Peace Prize (1984)</li> <li>Companion of Honour (1984)</li> <li>Companion of the <a href="https://www.thecanadianencyclopedia.ca/en/article/order-of-canada">Order of Canada</a> (1985)</li> </ul> <br> <h3>Selected Publications</h3> <ul> <li>Pierre Elliott Trudeau and Jacques Hébert, <em>Two Innocents in Red China</em> (1961).</li> <li>Pierre Elliott Trudeau, <em>Approaches to Politics</em> (1970).</li> <li>Pierre Elliott Trudeau and David Crenna, ed., <em>Lifting the Shadow of War</em> (1987).</li> <li>Thomas S. Axworthy and Pierre Elliott Trudeau, <em>Towards a Just Society: The Trudeau Years</em> (1990).</li> <li>Pierre Elliott Trudeau, <em>Memoirs</em> (1993).</li> <li>Ivan Head and Pierre Elliott Trudeau, <em>The Canadian Way: Shaping Canada’s Foreign Policy</em>, <em>1968-1984</em> (1995).</li> <li>Pierre Elliott Trudeau and Gérard Pelletier, ed., <em>Against the Current: Selected Writings, 1939</em>-<em>1996</em> (1996).</li> <li>Pierre Elliott Trudeau and Ron Graham, ed., <em>The Essential Trudeau</em> (1999).</li> </ul> </div> </div> <div id="def" class="article-content-body hide"></div> </div> <div id="article-definitions"> <definitions route="https://www.thecanadianencyclopedia.ca/en/json/define" id="pierre-elliott-trudeau"></definitions> </div> <div class="article-widget widget-adsense"> <script async src="//pagead2.googlesyndication.com/pagead/js/adsbygoogle.js"></script> <ins class="adsbygoogle" style="display:inline-block;width:468px;height:60px" data-ad-client="ca-pub-3964766461879185" data-ad-slot="1946780682"></ins> <script> (adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({}); 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vol. 2, 1994).</li> </ul> </div> <div class="article-related-two-column main-grid__content--wide"> <h3 class="article-related-two-column__title">External Links</h3> <ul class="article-related-two-column__list"> <li class="article-related-two-column__list__item"><p> <a href="http://www.biographi.ca/en/bio/trudeau_pierre_elliott_22E.html"><strong>Pierre Elliott Trudeau</strong>A biography of Pierre Elliott Trudeau. 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