Jean Drapeau, Date of Birth, Place of Birth, Date of Death

Jean Drapeau

former mayor of Montreal, Quebec (1954-1957,1960-1986)

Date of Birth: 18-Feb-1916

Place of Birth: Montreal, Quebec, Canada

Date of Death: 12-Aug-1999

Profession: lawyer, Mayor of Montreal

Nationality: Canada

Zodiac Sign: Aquarius

Jean Drapeau, (18 February 1916 – 12 August 1999) was a Canadian lawyer and politician who served as mayor of Montreal from 1954 to 1957 and 1960 to 1986.
Major accomplishments of the Drapeau Administration include the development of the Montreal Metro mass transit system, the successful revival of international expositions such as with Expo 67 as well as the construction of a major performing arts centre, the Place des Arts.
Drapeau also successfully lobbied for the 1976 Summer Olympics and personally chose its lead architect, Roger Taillibert, to design the city's iconic stadium, athlete's village and inclined tower.
Drapeau was also primarily responsible for leading the city's effort to secure a Major League Baseball franchise, with the creation of the Montreal Expos in 1969.
Under Drapeau, Montreal solidified its position as Canada's premier urban area, and various projects initiated under his administration foretokened a continental status for the city.
This ambition was present until the economic decline of Montreal. Although he is remembered as a visionary, Drapeau's mishandling of the construction of the Olympic Games facilities resulted in massive cost overruns and left the city with a debt of over $1 billion that has taken its citizens over thirty years to fully pay off.