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- Born in Montreal in 1928, Louis learned the importance of both Canadian languages and his exposure to both francophone and anglophone cultures shaped his life and values. He attended primary school in Montreal before moving to Jasper, Alberta with his widowed mother in 1939. With the move west, he continued his education by attending Le Collège des Jésuites and Collège St-Jean. He went on to the University of Ottawa, and graduated from Law at the University of Alberta in 1952. He then joined the firm now known as McCuaig Desrochers LLP where he was a respected leader and valued partner for over 40 years. While a senior partner of McCuaig Desrochers, Louis served on numerous corporate boards including that of the Bank of Montreal, Shaw Communications and Maclab Enterprises. He served as Chancellor and member of the Board of Governors of the University of Alberta and was a member of the North West Territories Council, the Canada Council, the Trilateral Commission as well as a number of boards serving the community, the arts, health, public policy and social issues. Louis made extraordinary contributions to Alberta's francophone community; he helped found the French radio station, CHFA, the Théâtre Français and actively supported l' ACFA. He was instrumental in having the Collège Universitaire St-Jean become Faculté Saint-Jean, Canada's only French language faculty within an English language university. In recognition of his contributions, Louis was named to the Order of Canada, was invested into the Alberta Order of Excellence and received three honorary degrees. In 2001, a professorship in Études Canadiennes/Canadian Studies was created in his honour. He was moved by the naming of École Desrochers in Jasper.
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