Marcel Lessard

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Marcel Lessard
Lessard in the 1960s
Member of Parliament for Lac-Saint-Jean
In office 1968–1980
Preceded by	Alcide Simard
Succeeded by	Pierre Gimaïel
In office 1962–1965
Preceded by	Roger Parizeau
Succeeded by	Alcide Simard
Personal details
Born	(1926-08-14)August 14, 1926 Alma, Quebec, Canada
Died	November 19, 2023(2023-11-19) (aged 97) Quebec City, Quebec, Canada
Political party	Social Credit (until 1965) Liberal (after 1968)
Spouse	Yvette Jean

Marcel Lessard, PC (August 14, 1926 – November 19, 2023) was a Canadian politician.

Lessard was first elected to the House of Commons of Canada as the Social Credit Member of Parliament (MP) for Lac-Saint-Jean, Quebec as part of Réal Caouette's breakthrough in the province in the 1962 election. He was re-elected in the 1963 election.

The Social Credit Party split soon after along English and French lines, however, Lessard declined to join the majority of Social Credit's Quebec MPs who followed Caouette into the Ralliement Créditiste and remained with the Alberta-based Social Credit Party led by Robert Thompson for the rest of the parliamentary term.

During the 1964 Great Flag Debate, Lessard was a member of the parliamentary committee that recommended the adoption of the Maple Leaf flag.

In the 1965 federal election, he ran as an independent candidate and was defeated by the Ralliement Créditiste candidate.

Lessard returned to the House in the 1968 election as a Liberal. In 1970, Lessard became parliamentary secretary to the Minister of Agriculture. In 1975, he was appointed to the Cabinet as Minister of Regional Economic Expansion.^[1] He remained in that position until the 1979 election that defeated the Liberal government. Lessard retained his seat, and joined the Liberals on the Opposition benches. He retired from politics at the 1980 federal election.

Lessard died at Hôpital Saint-François d'Assise in Quebec City on November 19, 2023, at the age of 97.^[2]

• Marcel Lessard – Parliament of Canada biography