Prolific Québecois poet and songwriter Gilles Vigneault received an honorary doctorate of literature for his contribution to Québecois and Canadian arts at a special convocation ceremony on June 7 at the Carleton University Art Gallery (CUAG).
Vigneault was honoured at a separate ceremony, rather than at one of the traditional graduation ceremonies that took place from June 13-16, where the majority of honorary degrees are awarded.
“When someone gives you a gift, it is polite to rise and accept the gift in person,” Vigneault said. “[Carleton] chose to give me this gift, and thus it is polite to thank them for it. A gift, an homage, an honour of this kind, it makes my day.”
Two of Vigneault’s songs, “Mon Pays” and “Les gens de mon pays,” are considered to be Quebec’s unofficial national anthems. However, his reputation as a songwriter and performer grew his popularity to other parts of Canada and Europe.
“I found it exciting that the French language can be recognized in places outside of strictly Quebec and France, that it can be recognized around the world,” he said.
“It is a language that has fascinated me all my life. For me, it’s very important to that a language [like French], that every language if possible, survives because languages are a way of life. Our thoughts, our words that we create daily. They are extremely precious to humanity.”
The height of his popularity was in the 1970s—roughly 20 years after he began his career—when he performed at the historic Superfrancofête concert at the Plains of Abraham.
Within his home province, he is a Grand Officer of the National Order of Quebec, a Knight of the Legion d’honneur, and an Officier of the Ordre des Artes et des Lettres.
He has also received the Governor General’s Award for French language poetry or drama and the Governor General’s Performing Arts Award. He was inducted into the Canadian Songwriters Hall of Fame in 2006.
Vigneault has been honoured with similar degrees at the University of Montreal, York University, and Trent University, for his work as a poet and other literary accomplishments.
As for what’s next in his career, he said he’ll likely do more writing.
“At 89 years old, we cannot count on tomorrow, so the most I can say is that I will do my best to continue,” Vigneault said
Photo credits: Amanda Bird
