BIOGRAPHY OF

THE HONOURABLE J. MICHEL DOYON, K.C., B.A., LL. L., Ph. D., Ad. E.

LIEUTENANT GOVERNOR OF QUÉBEC

The Honourable J. Michel Doyon was born in Québec City. After graduating from Laurentian University in Sudbury, Ontario, he undertook graduate studies at Laval University where he earned a Master’s degree (M.A.), a degree in Law (LL. L.), and a Doctoral degree in History (Ph.D.). He also pursued doctoral studies in Philosophy at this same university.

Before embarking on his legal career, the Honorable J. Michel Doyon taught history at la Commission scolaire régionale de Tilly, at CEGEP de Ste-Foy, and also at Laurentian University, as a visiting professor, during the summers of 1967 and 1968. Called to the Bar of Quebec in 1972, he started practicing with the firm L’Heureux Philippon Garneau and joined, in 1984, the firm Gagné Letarte, where he practiced the profession of lawyer until his appointment as Lieutenant Governor on July 21st, 2015.  

From 1972 to 1974, he acted as a lecturer in corporate law at the Bar School of the Province of Quebec, and then as a professor from 1975 to 1988. He was also a lecturer at the Faculty of Law at Laval University.  

On becoming President of the Quebec City Bar Association in 2003, the Honourable J. Michel Doyon played an active role on many committees, such as the Administrative Committee, the Finance Committee, the Readmission Committee and the Committee on the Future of the Legal Profession, and was then elected as President of the Bar of the Province of Quebec in 2007. During his mandate, he negotiated several Agreements, including a Collaboration Agreement with the Louisiana Bar and a Mutual Recognition Arrangement for professional qualifications between the Bar of Quebec and the Conseil National des Barreaux de France.  

The Honourable J. Michel Doyon was also an active member of number organizations and served on several boards. Member of the Board of Directors of CBC-Radio-Canada from 1988 to 1998, he held as such the following positions:  Chairman of the Board of Trustees of the CBC Pension Plan, member of the Executive Committee, Chairman of the Audit Committee, member of the French and English language Programming Committee and member of the Finance Committee. He is also a former President of the Association des Gens de l’air, President of the François-Chagnon Foundation, now known as the Institut de réadaptation en déficience physique de Québec (IRDPQ) Foundation and President of the Quebec City Historical Society. He also served many years as board member of other non-profit organizations, such as the Fondation Anti-Déprime, the Clement-Lockwell Teaching and Research on Computing Sciences Group and the Quebec Symphony Orchestra.  

The Honourable J. Michel Doyon has been awarded several honorary distinctions during his career. He was appointed Queen’s Counsel (Q.C.) in 1992, and bestowed the title of Advocatus Emeritus (Ad.E.) by the Quebec Bar Association in 2009. In 2014, he was awarded the Quebec City Young Bar Association Centennial Award and, in 2016, the Quebec Bar presented him with the Médaille du Barreau, which represents the highest distinction of this professional association.  

He is a recipient of the Commemorative Medal for the 125th Anniversary of Canadian Confederation, the Queen Elizabeth II Golden Jubilee Medal and the Queen Elizabeth II Diamond Jubilee Medal. He served as Honorary Colonel of 3 Wing, Bagotville from 1999 to 2005. He became a member of the Order of St. John in 2003, was promoted Knight of Justice in 2016, and currently holds the position of Vice-Prior of Order of St. John Quebec Council. He was inducted as Titular Member of the Royal 22e Régiment in 2016, and as Officer of the Ordre de la Croix des Fusiliers by Les Fusiliers de Sherbrooke in 2017 and Knight of the Ordre de la Croix du Régiment de Trois-Rivières. On July 26, 2022, for his commitment to strengthening the relationship between France and Quebec and for his contribution to the promotion of the French language, he was made a Knight in the National Order of the Legion of Honor by the President of the French Republic. On September 9, 2022, he was awarded the Medal of the Council of the Bar of Quebec, marking the 50th anniversary of his registration on the Roll of the Order. Also in 2022, he was appointed governor of the Laval University Foundation.

The Honourable J. Michel Doyon was sworn in as Lieutenant Governor on September 24th, 2015.

 

Photo credit: Line Boisvert, photographe

The Honourable J. Michel Doyon and Ms. Pauline Théberge have two children, Jean-François and Marie-Hélène, and six grandchildren, Benoit, Caroline, Anne-Sophie, Alexandra, Camille and Emma.