It is with great sadness that the Executive Office and staff of the Institut de recherche Robert-Sauvé en santé et en sécurité du travail (IRSST) learned of the passing of Louis Berlinguet this past Sunday at the age of 91.

Born in Trois-Rivières in 1926, Mr. Berlinguet held a PhD in chemistry, as well as three honorary doctorates. He served as Chief Executive Officer of the IRSST from 1985 to 1990, a mandate he fulfilled with the greatest enthusiasm. Both professeur and committed scientist, he played a number of leading roles in various Québec, Canadian and international organizations.

His qualities and achievements earned repeated recognition over the years, whether in the form of prestigious awards (the first Prix David, first recipient of the Prix Jacques-Rousseau of the Association francophone pour le savoir, Prix Carrière of the Association pour le développement de la recherche et de l’innovation du Québec, Compagnon de Lavoisier of the Ordre des chimistes du Québec, and the Prix Armand-Frappier of the Gouvernement du Québec, to name but a few) or invitations to sit on committees promoting the development of science, innovation and technology.

In the words of Marie Larue, the IRSST’s current president and CEO, “Québec
has lost one of its leading scientists, who contributed to the advancement of the sciences. He succeeded in consolidating the Institute’s scientific and technical activities during his term at the helm, particularly in the early years right after its founding. On behalf of all our staff, I wish to offer my sincerest condolences to his family and friends, and to assure them that Mr. Berlinguet’s accomplishments will remain engraved in our memories forever.”

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Source
Jacques Millette
Public Affairs
IRSST