About Pierre Bourque (politician)
Pierre Bourque (born 29 May 1942) is a Canadian businessman and politician in Quebec. He founded the Vision Montreal political party and served as mayor of Montreal from 1994 to 2001. == Background == He was director of the Montreal Botanical Gardens from 1980 to 1994. == Mayor of Montreal == Bourque was the mayor of Montreal, Quebec from 1994 to 2001 (as the leader of the Vision Montreal party). Bourque proved eccentric and sometimes controversial as mayor. Known as a greenspace aficionado, he supported the creation of parks, implemented tree-planting initiatives, as well as creating Eco-Centres (reusable materials) and Eco-Quartier program (recycling). He was also responsible for the revitalization of many important districts of Montreal (Saint Catherine Street, Old Montreal and the Multimedia City) as well as the reopening of the Lachine Canal. In 1998, responding to critics who denounced him for not fighting poverty, he spent the night with a working-class family. He was also well known for his close ties to minority "cultural communities". Bourque directed the city's public service to make an intercultural calendar for meeting scheduling.
Biography source: Wikipedia. The profile adds birthday-specific historical context from the Celebs Birthday Today editorial database.