Bernard Descteaux, former director of Quebec newspaper Le Devoir, dies at 77

Former Le Devoir director and editor-in-chief Bernard Descteauxdied Saturday at the age of 77 after battling cancer, the Quebec newspaper has announced.

"In turbulent times, Le Devoir was able to count on this quiet force," the French-language publication said on social media platform X, previously known as Twitter.

Born in the town of Nicolet, about halfway between Montreal and Quebec City, Descteauxstudied political science at the Universit de Montral, then politics and economics at the University of Toronto.

He climbed through the ranks of the daily newspaper, working as a reporter, then parliamentary correspondent in Quebec City and Ottawa before becoming editor-in-chief.

In 1999, he succeeded Lise Bissonnette as director, a post he held until 2016, when he was succeeded by Brian Myles.

The website of the Ordre national du Qubec, which honoured Descteauxin 2010, notes that under his leadership, Le Devoir posted profits and maintained its circulation "despite a general downward trend" in the industry.

The site also notes Le Devoir gained popularity during Descteaux's tenure "given its growing influence on decision-makers and public opinion."

After leaving Le Devoir, he became chairman of the board of the non-profit Centre d'tudes sur les mdias, housed in the Universit Laval in Quebec City. He stepped down from the position due to health issues in May.

"We consider ourselves extremely fortunate to have benefited for many years from the expertise and advice of this brilliant and generous man," the organization said in a statement online.

Descteauxalso wrote political columns on the website InfoBref between 2020 and 2022. He authored several books and penned numerous prefaces, including that of current Parti Qubcois leader Paul St-Pierre Plamondon's 2010 book Des jeunes et l'avenir du Qubec.

"I've always had the greatest admiration for Bernard Descteaux," St-Pierre Plamondon wrote on X. "Calm, thoughtful and very generous with his time, he always spoke with measure, objectivity and accuracy, qualities that are increasingly rare these days. He was both a mentor and an inspiration to me."

Quebec Premier Franois Legault was also among those who shared condolences on X, calling the former Le Devoir director a "brilliant and kind man."

Descteauxwas awarded a medal of honour by Quebec's National Assembly in 2017.