Stéphane Gendron

Stéphane Gendron (born December 22, 1967 in Saint-Jean-sur-Richelieu, Quebec) is the current mayor of Huntingdon, Quebec, Canada and a political analyst for several media outlets.

Background

He was born in Saint-Jean-sur-Richelieu, Montérégie. Gendron is a graduate of Collège Jean de la Mennais in La Prairie and has a law degree from the Université de Montreal and master's degree in history from the University of Massachusetts Lowell. Prior to his political and media career, Gendron practiced law and taught at the CEGEP level. He was also a political aide to former Parti Québécois politician Jean Garon.

Mayor of Huntingdon

Gendron was elected Mayor of Huntingdon in November 2003 [ [http://www.mamr.gouv.qc.ca/democratie/legi_elec_list_muni.asp?choix=0&mun=99&laRegion= Résultats préliminaires - Élections municipales 2003 – Ministère des Affaires municipales et des Régions] ] and was re-elected without opposition for a four-year term in November 2005. [ [http://www.radio-canada.ca/regions/special/2005/11/02/026-MUN-ACCLAMATION-MONTEREGIE.shtml Élus sans opposition - Montérégie, Radio-Canada, November 6, 2005] ]

Notability and Controversy

Gendron gained media attention by enacting a municipal curfew forcing minors to stay off the street after 10 p.m. in Huntingdon, in an attempt to reduce juvenile crime. Following threats of litigation, the municipal council eventually withdrew the proposed curfew.

Gendron is known for making controversial statements. He stated in an August 2006 interview with Le Soleil that Israelis are modern-day Nazis ("Les Israéliens, ce sont les nazis des temps modernes"); [ [http://www.cyberpresse.ca/article/20060821/CPARTS/608210670/5154/CPSOLEIL Stéphane Gendron : chroniques d'un hyperactif, Mathias Marchal, Le Soleil, August 21, 2006] ] he later claimed that he only referred to the current Government of Israel, and that it was not exaggerated to compare that government with the Nazis. [ [http://www.cyberpresse.ca/article/20060822/CPARTS/608220605/0/LADISCUTER0301 Stéphane Gendron précise ses propos sur Israël et les nazis, Richard Therrien, Le Soleil, August 22, 2006] ] In 2005, he claimed that Quebec premier Jean Charest was a "murderer" ("meurtrier") for his government's initial refusal to subsidize Herceptin, a new drug against breast cancer; [ [http://www.cyberpresse.ca/article/20060821/CPARTS/608210670/5154/CPSOLEIL Stéphane Gendron : chroniques d'un hyperactif, Mathias Marchal, Le Soleil, August 21, 2006] ] he later apologized for these comments after being served legal papers. [ [http://www.radioreveil.com/index.php?sectionrr=4&newstopic_id=4096 Radio Réveil, Le site de la radio au Québec] ]

In December 2007, Gendron wrote on his blog that "A modern and intellectually free society should submit all form of organized 'religion' to the dictates of the fundamental values of our society." After citing the example of Fred Phelps, Gendron concluded, "Why live in accordance with religious values prescribed millennia before us? Isn't life too short to confine yourself to dogmas written in a time when man was almost nothing." [ [http://www.lifesite.net/ldn/2007/dec/07121805.html Quebec Mayor Suggests All "Organized Religion" Should be Subject to Government Control, Life Site News, John-Henry Westen, December 18, 2007] ] [ [http://www.bloghuntingdon.com/article-7311245.html Le Blog de Stéphane Gendron, December 17, 2007] ]

Gendron is viewed as conservative despite being in favour of same-sex marriage and legalized abortion. [ [http://www.ledevoir.com/2005/04/09/79032.html Une étiquette qui tue?, Antoine Robitaille, Le Devoir, April 9, 2005] ]

Career in the Media

Gendron hosted the current affairs TV show "L'avocat et le diable" on the TQS network from which he was fired in December 2006 and hosted a radio show on Montreal-based station 98,5 FM from March 2005 until March 2007. Gendron was subsequently fired from TQS because they claim they received multiple complaints from the CRTC for several controversial comments on the TV show L'Avocat et le Diable. He now hosts the program [http://www.stephanegendron.net/ -Sans Compromis-] on XM Radio 172 that can accessed live [http://www.stephanegendron.net/ecouter.php online] .

Provincial and Federal Politics

In February 2007, Gendron declined a bid to run for the Parti Québécois in his hometown riding of Huntingdon, claiming family reasons and the wish to complete his current mayor mandate. During the 2007 Quebec general election, he supported the Action démocratique du Québec party. In April 2008 though, Gendron called for Mario Dumont's resignation, claiming that he is especially disappointed with the way the ADQ leader has handled the immigration issue since becoming Leader of the Opposition. [ [http://lcn.canoe.ca/lcn/infos/national/archives/2008/04/20080429-074148.html Stéphane Gendron veut la tête de Mario Dumont, LCN, April 29, 2008] ] [ [http://www.matin.qc.ca/articles/20080429111051/stephane_gendron_porte_pas_mario_dumont_estime.html Stéphane Gendron ne porte pas Mario Dumont en estime, Matinternet, April 29, 2008] ]

At once, Gendron was approached by the Conservative Party of Canada to be a candidate for the federal election of 2008. [ [http://www.cyberpresse.ca/article/20060821/CPARTS/608210670/5154/CPSOLEIL Stéphane Gendron : chroniques d'un hyperactif, Mathias Marchal, Le Soleil, August 21, 2006] ] He declined the offer, distanced himself from the party's foreign policy and endorsed the Bloc Québécois. [ [http://www.cyberpresse.ca/article/20080911/CPELECFED02/80911096/7068/CPELECFED Les adéquistes sont incohérents, dit Duceppe, Malorie Beauchemin, La Presse, September 11, 2008] ]

Footnotes

References

* [http://www.985fm.ca/emission_couvrefeu.php Biography from 98,5 FM]
* [http://www.cyberpresse.ca/article/20060821/CPARTS/608210670/5154/CPSOLEIL Portrait by La Presse: August 21, 2006]

External links

* [http://www.stephanegendron.net/ Official Website with links to his podcast]
* [http://www.bloghuntingdon.com/ Personal Blog]