Pierre Trudeau – Helping a Former Prime Minister on His Way to the Gaspé

Soon after Pierre Trudeau retired from politics in 1984, he took to the road with his three sons, Justin, Michel and Alexandre, making up for time lost during his many years in office as Prime Minister to father his young family.

On one of these trips, he got lost. His destination was the Chic-Choc mountains and Murdochville. Trudeau had come to public attention decades earlier when he brought his legal talent to defend mineworkers in Murdochville then striking to seek a living wage from the copper mine managers. It was one of the key moments in his rise to prominence and power.

Trudeau strayed off course. Reaching Metis, he drove into the driveway of Harriet Stairs at Lighthouse Point. When offered the chance of cookies and milk after a long day of being imprisoned during a car ride, Trudeau’s boys leapt out. They spent a few happy hours playing in the Stairs’ garden.

Trudeau was then on the cusp of buying the Pine Avenue mansion that had been built by Montreal architect Ernest Cormier. Harriet Stairs’ guest boldly ventured his opinion that Trudeau had to buy Cormier’s furniture along with the house. Trudeau was a notorious skinflint and was reluctant to shell out the additional funds required to obtain Cormier’s Art Deco furniture, more attractive than it was comfortable.

When they saw each other months later at a Toronto gala, Trudeau thanked Harriet Stairs for her impromptu hospitality and proudly confirmed that he had followed the advice received on his holiday. Today both the Cormier House and its furniture are designated for their historical importance. Trudeau may have been lost, but Metis played a role in helping him find his way.