Claude DUPRAS, engineer
(French
Version)
Born in
Montreal in the parish of St-Henri-des-Tanneries, on june 1st 1932,
Claude Dupras began his studies at the elementary school Ste-Bernadette-Soubirous
of Verdun, before continuing to Mont-Jésus-Marie boarding school, to the
Notre Dame College and to the Mont-Saint-Louis college, from 1945 to
1951, where he followed the scientific course and graduated.
In 1955, he
obtained his degree in engineering from the Ecole Polytechnique of
Montreal and a bachelor's degree in Applied science from the University
of Montreal. He attended advance training courses in modular and
prefabricated buildings, ventilation, air conditioning and heating
systems, energy conservation, cost management, planning and scheduling
of construction activities.
In 1958, he
founded a firm of consulting engineers, which became
Dupras Ledoux Engineers,
specializing in mechanical and electrical engineering, project and
construction management and computer sciences. During his career, he
participated in nearly 2000 projects, both in Canada and abroad.
The
Governor General of Canada recognized the good work of his firm on two
occasions. Indeed, in
1983,
the Right Honourable Edward Schreyer awarded Claude Dupras an award of
Excellence for Canadian consulting engineering, jointly offered by the
Association of Consulting Engineers of Canada and the Canadian
Consulting Engineering magazine, for a study of energy conservation and
heating for the town of Grindstone in the Magdalene islands.
In 1998,
the Governor-General of Canada, the Right Honourable Ramon John
Hnatyshyn awarded his son André, senior consulting engineer of the firm, the Ed
Schreyer trophy, the award of excellence in Canadian engineering
consultancy for the design of mechanical and electrical systems of the
great hall of the Bellagio casino in Las Vegas, where the show "O" is
presented by the Cirque du Soleil.
Claude
Dupras was a member of the Engineering Institute of Canada, the Order of
Engineers of Quebec, the Association of Consulting Engineers of Quebec,
the AICQ Canada, Automated Procedures for Engineering Consultants USA,
the Building Owner Management Association, the Canadian Society for
Hospital Engineering and the Chamber of Commerce of Montreal.
On a
professional level, his name is associated with many construction
projects. In the field of mechanical and electrical engineering, he
participated in the following projects: the pavilions of Canada
and
Ontario at Expo 67, the 1976 Olympic Village, the Center for Nuclear
Physics of the University of Montreal, many hospitals, more then 144
high schools and elementary schools, three federal penitentiaries, the
building complex Bell Canada and National Bank in Montreal, the
Institute of Materials Engineering of Boucherville, the Museum of Fine
Arts in Montreal and the Canadian Museum of Civilization in Hull.
In project
and construction management, he accomplished many projects including the
Montreal-Matin; the Journal de Montreal; the Jean-Talon center for Bell
Canada; the buildings and studios of CFCF Inc..; of CF Cable TV, and of
Television Quatre Saisons; the renovation of the head office of
Hydro-Quebec; the development of the Police headquarters for the Urban
community of Montreal; the headquarters of the Quebec teachers’
syndicate; the cinema complex, new media and offices of Ex-Centris in
Montreal.
In the
field of data processing, his firm mechanized the operations for the
budget and the accounting at the Ministry of Finance of Quebec and
designed the ticketing system for the Grand Théâtre de Québec.
He also
joined with other engineering firms for significant achievements. With
Coté Cartier Piette Wermelinger, his firm created IRNES and directed the project
RAS for the Montreal School Board, a project for the modular
construction of new schools. In association with Tecsult and Pringle, he
created Ecosult, a company for which he assumed the leadership and
entered into partnership with Ecotek, an Algerian construction company,
to create a joint Algerian engineering firm for a term of 15 years.
He was
active in socio-economic organizations. He was the councillor for social
affairs of the Student body of Polytechnique; vice president of the
General Association of Students of the Montreal University; initiator
and co-chairman of a committee to promote the holding of a World Fair in
Montreal in 1967; president of the Junior Chamber of
Montreal,
he invited and was the host to Fidel Castro in Montreal in april 1959;
vice-president of the Canadian Junior Chamber; board member of the
Montreal Chamber of Commerce, one of the founders and president of
Richelieu-Lasalle social club; president and founder of the
parent-teacher association Notre-Dame-des-Rapides in LaSalle; member of
the Société St-Jean-Baptiste de Montréal; member of l'Ordre de
Jacques-Cartier; member of the Knights of Columbus of Lasalle; founder
and member of the board of directors of the Inter-social club in
Montreal; a board member of the centennial Canadian engineers
celebrations and co-chairman of Canada 125 to organize the national
celebrations of the 125 th
anniversary of the country.
In
recognition of his contribution, he received in 1953 the merit "Po" of
the Association of Poly students, and the following year a unique merit "Po
with laurels." In 1955, he was awarded the gold merit of the student
body at the U of M. In 1959, he was appointed Senator of the Junior
Chamber International.
Always
active in politics, he was a city councillor of his hometown Estérel, he
also served in various capacities in the Progressive Conservative Party
of Canada, including those of chairman of the Organizing Committee for
the 1968 federal election in Quebec, and leader of the Quebec wing of
the party as President of the APCFQ from 1971 to 1976. He was the PC
candidate in the riding of St-Henri-Westmount in the 1980 general
election. He participated in the Quebec referendum of 1981 as
vice-Chairman of the “No” campaign committee under the leadership of Mr.
Claude Ryan. He co-chaired the 1983 leadership convention of the PC
party where Brian Mulroney was elected as leader of the party. He was
also elected leader of the Civic party of Montreal and became candidate
for mayor of Montreal in the 1986 November election.
In 1998,
after 40 years of practice of consulting engineering, he retired. His
son André succeeded him as head of the firm.
His hobbies
include jogging (he participated in three Montreal marathons), hiking,
bicycling, tennis, music, gardening, snookers, sailing, yachting, scuba
diving, reading, writing, winegrowing, olive growing, traveling and
computer sciences. In 2005, he published "Itinerary of a little guy from
Verdun," the first volume of his memoirs "And to think that I was
there!", he created his website
the time of Claude and his daily
blog. He
is also wriing a column for the Internet magazine
Planet Quebec.
Claude
Dupras is married to Manon Dufresne, LL.L., since 1956. They have three
children: André, an engineer; Yves, a lawyer and Louise, a publicist.
They are also fortunate to have five grandchildren.
