Bernard Lamarre

Bernard Lamarre was a Canadian engineer and businessman who founded Lavalin Group in 1977. He was born in Chicoutimi, Quebec in 1931 and graduated from the École Polytechnique de Montréal in 1952. He received a master's degree from Imperial College London in 1955 and joined his father-in-law's engineering firm, Lalonde & Valois, in 1958. He became the president and CEO of the firm in 1962 and led its expansion and diversification into various sectors, such as transportation, energy, environment, and construction. He was involved in many large-scale projects, such as the Louis-Hippolyte Lafontaine Bridge-Tunnel, the Montreal Olympic Stadium, the James Bay hydroelectric project, and the Martyrs' Memorial in Algeria. He also promoted the internationalization of the firm, which operated in over 50 countries. He retired from Lavalin in 1991, after it merged with SNC to form SNC-Lavalin, the largest engineering company in Canada. He was also active in professional and community organizations, such as the Ordre des ingénieurs du Québec, the Canadian Council of Professional Engineers, the Canadian Chamber of Commerce, the Montreal Museum of Fine Arts, and the Montreal Symphony Orchestra. He was a devout Catholic and a generous philanthropist who supported various causes and institutions, especially in education, health, and culture. He died of natural causes in 2016 at the age of 84. He left behind a legacy of innovation and excellence in the engineering field.