Introduction, by Cynthia Gagné:
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It is my pleasure to introduce to you a person for whom I have a great deal of respect; my brother Michel. In fact, my older brother has suffered, since his earliest childhood, from an ongoing illness called muscular dystrophy. But in spite of this serious disease that is both progressive and devastating, Michel has been working, for more than 25 years, to defend the human rights of the handicapped.
Even as a young boy of 15, on the North Shore of Quebec, he was demanding better accessibility to buildings. During the popular meetings held in Sept-Iles (which led the way to the Office des personnes handicapées du Québec), he presented, all by himself, his first report which dealt with his observations of the obstacles encountered by the handicapped around the area. It was also in Sept-Iles that he came across his first political experiences, with the support of journalist Pierre Thibault of the weekly Le Nordic, who, himself, suffered from cerebral palsy. His very firts awareness conference was held at the Lions Club and, already, people were impressed by his spirit and his speech. He was also the very first person in Sept-Iles to demand, from the town council, accessibility installations for public buildings. Not an easy task!
His first summer job required of him to buil an outdoors puppet theater with the participation of mentally handicapped persons and young offenders; a major challenge which was successfully accomplished by this inexperienced teenager. Very early on, he possessed a sharp sense of social awareness and public-spiritedness.
My brother was just two years old when my parents moved to the North Shore. He attended primary school in the days when former mayor Jean-Marc Dion was the school principal; he then attended the Polyvalente Manikoutai for his secondary schooling. I have to mention here that his attending physician had advised my parents to enroll him in a special school because of his physical handicap and the progressive nature of his illness (Québec region). The following summer, after graduating from the Polyvalente, he left home to continue his education for a period of seven years. He also spent some time in the United States where he met his wife Sandra, then came back to Canada by way of New Brunswick. He is the proud father of two perfectly healthy sons, 14 and 17 years old.
He was ten years old when he began his public life; he was a mascot for a band that has won several awards ad he was one of those who laid the wreaths on Armistice Day. He likes to say often that his roots are on the North Shore, but that he carried his leaves, such as a tree, everywhere else. In 1988, he was invited as a speaker to the Hilton International Convention Centre in Québec by Down east, a subsidiary of the American company, Amway. More than 1 500 persons were witness to an expression of strength and character by this young man in a wheelchair. He received a friendly message from Mr André Vigier, the famous marathon runner. Initially invited for just one speech, he had to do a second one the following day.
On December 3rd, 1997, on the International Day of Disabled Persons decreed by the United Nations, a quiet reception was organized to celebrate his twenty-five years of public life. On this occasion, he received the attention of several statesmen, notably from Governor General, the Honorable Roméo LeBlanc, and from Prime Minister Jean Chrétien.
Michel has played a very important role in several sectors concerning the quality of life of the handicapped in New Brunswick such as housing, leisure, education, transportation, labour market, human rights as well as being a communicator.
I am convinced that his contribution, in Québec, New Brunswick and Canada, is outstanding.
Yours very truly,
Cynthia Gagné
Edmundston, New Brunswick
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My Hero, by Matthew Gagné:
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My father is a hero because he is their for me when I need him. When am sick he takes care of me. My fathers name is Michel Gagné, he was born in 1957, on May 9. But my father is a strong hero in a different way. My father has Muscular Disthrophy, and every day he struggles to live, to be my hero. My father is also a hero by making me a hero, I'm a hero because I get my father out of bed every morning before school, and every night before bed. In other words "I'm his arms and feet but I belong to his heart". So its not a cape or any mutant powers that make my dad and me special heroes. Its ordinary people doing extraordinary things, or just loving or caring for someone may make you a hero. Everybody is considered a hero because everybody is special.
Matthew Gagné (11 years old, 1995)
Written with inspiration
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