• Awarded on: December 10, 1998

Jacques Gougeon, Montréal, Que.
Governor General's Caring Canadian Award

In 1940, Jacques Gougeon became volunteer director of the Caisse populaire Desjardins Hochelaga and served as an advisor, loan officer and administrator. He was President for more than twenty years and contributed to cooperative education by directing sessions on budgeting, savings and credit in order to help the local people gain financial independence. Mr. Gougeon helped to establish Quebec's first CLSC and to found the first housing cooperatives for low-income people.