Remembering Jean Lapierre: A Daughter’s Heartfelt Tribute Ten Years Later

Ten years ago, Quebecor Media lost a prominent political commentator, and a family lost a beloved father. Marie-Anne Lapierre, the esteemed news anchor, delivered a deeply emotional tribute to her father, Jean Lapierre, on the anniversary of his tragic passing. In a special broadcast this Sunday, the journalist reflected on March 29, 2016, describing it as “the worst day of [her] life,” a day that continues to weigh on her heart as she thinks of her father “every day,” especially as he passed less than two months before his 60th birthday.

Jean Lapierre, as many remember, perished in a plane crash alongside his wife, Nicole, two of his brothers, and a sister. The two pilots aboard the private aircraft also tragically lost their lives. “When I saw the photo, I knew,” Marie-Anne Lapierre recalled, referring to the wreckage of the plane. “You imagine all sorts of scenarios: ‘He can’t call me, he’s in the hospital.’ But deep down, you know,” she shared, her voice breaking, in a poignant interview with her colleague Élizabeth Laplante on LCN.

Marie-Anne Lapierre was caring for her five-month-old baby when the devastating news struck. “When we had our children, he barely knew them, and that’s one of my biggest heartbreaks,” she lamented, speaking about the loss of her “papa bear,” who was always attentive to his grandchildren. “He gave us our space, but we knew he was there. We knew nothing could happen to us because he was there. My father had a very protective quality. That’s a lot of what I miss. It’s still there, though. All that love, all those values, they still live within my brother and me,” she said, referencing her brother, Jean-Michel, who is a lawyer.

Marie-Anne also honoured her grandmother, Lucie, who Jean Lapierre was on his way to support after the loss of her husband. The accident resulted in her burying her husband and four of her five children simultaneously. “Losing four of her five children and continuing on, and still enjoying life, going for walks… She comes to see us from time to time. (…) This woman is extraordinary.”

Despite the emotion throughout the interview, Marie-Anne Lapierre smiled when thinking about all the moments over the past decade when Jean Lapierre would have offered his colourful commentary. “With the job we do, I inevitably see everything he would have found funny, everything he would have had to say. I try to imagine what he would have said about one thing or another. Often, I think to myself, I can’t believe he’s missing this.”

Marie-Anne Lapierre cherishes when people share their memories of her father, highlighting his “experience,” “good judgment,” and “understanding of people” – qualities that “led him to give sound advice to those who sought it.” “People think they’re plunging me into sadness, but they bring me pride. It pleases me to see that after so many years, his memory is still so vivid.”

Each day at 3 PM during her LCN broadcast, Marie-Anne Lapierre and Paul Larocque pay tribute to Jean Lapierre in their segment, “Lapierre-Larocque,” a nod to the show the two friends and colleagues once hosted together. “It’s a beautiful moment, actually, it’s one of my favourite moments of the afternoon to be able to chat about politics, Paul and I.”

Further Reading: For more on Canadian political commentary, consider exploring resources from CBC News Politics and The Globe and Mail Politics.