Hon. Marie-Françoise Mégie: Esteemed colleagues, Dr. Hervé Blanchard passed away peacefully at home in Montreal surrounded by his family on Wednesday, March 29. I extend my heartfelt condolences to his family and to all those he mentored over the years.

Who was Dr. Hervé Blanchard? He was born in Port-au-Prince, Haiti, on August 15, 1932. He graduated from the Faculty of Medicine of the State University of Haiti in 1957. He specialized in surgery at the Port-au-Prince General Hospital and continued his training in Montreal in 1965.

Dr. Hervé Blanchard worked as a pediatric surgeon at the Sainte-Justine Hospital. He completed his training in clinical and experimental transplantation in Denver, Colorado.

In 1969, he began his career as a pediatric surgeon at the Sainte-Justine Hospital as well as an academic career as a professor at the University of Montreal. The university’s department of surgery noted that he was a Quebec pioneer of pediatric liver and kidney transplantation.

Dr. Blanchard also led major advances in the separation of conjoined twins and treatment of other congenital malformations. He shared his expertise with many pediatric surgeons across Canada, as well as in the United States, Latin America, Europe and Africa.

The academic community awarded him the title of Professor Emeritus of the University of Montreal in 2001 and Professor Emeritus of the Canadian Medical Association in 2006.

Between 1982 and 1996 he received numerous awards and tributes from the Haitian community. The City of Montreal and Quebec’s department of citizen relations and immigration awarded him a certificate of honour in 1998.

His family, friends and students all appreciated his qualities, especially his intellectual rigour, compassion and modesty. He is one of the many proud immigrants who have helped build Canada.

Esteemed colleagues, we remain deeply grateful for Dr. Hervé Blanchard’s undeniable contributions to Canadian society and the world.

May he rest in peace. Thank you.

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