When you walk along the corridor of prime ministerial portraits outside the House of Commons chamber in Ottawa, there is one that stands out for its brilliant colour. From a bright yellow canvas, a serious face looks out, a man holding reading glasses, dressed in a suit and red tie. It is not just because of his official portrait that this man stands out.
The Rt. Hon. Jean Chrétien is one of the best-known politicians and prime ministers in recent Canadian history. A feisty populist, he got things done. In 13,333 days in public office, he slayed the deficit, silenced nationalism, fixed problems, rolled up his sleeves, and governed with practical, solution-seeking leadership. He was instrumental in advancing Canada’s national parks system and ensuring places like Pacific Rim were formally protected.
2021 Chrétien collection
“Bonjour, je suis Jean Chrétien,” is the way he always introduces himself, but of course, whoever meets him knows exactly who he is. It is part of his humble petit gars de Shawinigan (The Little Guy from Shawinigan) persona. He hails from the lumber town of Shawinigan, Quebec, where his father was a paper mill machinist.
Monsieur (as those around him address him) was number 18 of 19 children. “I knew my pecking order in my family.”
His father had grand ambitions for his son. While Monsieur originally wanted to be an architect, he instead went to law school and was elected to the House of Commons at age 29.
When he left office in 2003, Monsieur was as popular with Canadians as he was when he was elected in 1993 as prime minister. For his 90th birthday in 2023, the term “30 60 90” was the theme: 30 years since he was elected as prime minister, 60 since he had been elected to the House of Commons, and 90 for his milestone birthday.
I have had the privilege of knowing Mr. Chrétien for over 30 of those years and have seen him up close.
Yes, he is a populist politician who knows how to connect with people, but he has a very sharp mind and a sophisticated, big-picture outlook. Never a shy guy, he has stood up to world leaders, always defending Canada.
In this challenging time, it is easy to forget that we have had sovereignty issues before, a perspective Monsieur reminded us about during a recent speech.
“Way back in 1968, when the Americans sent a ship, the Manhattan, with no Canadian flag through our northern passage, they wanted to prove that the passage was international water. As Minister of Northern Affairs, I flew to Pond Inlet at the northern extremity of Baffin Island to confront them. I was on the Louis St-Laurent icebreaker. I called the captain. I said, ‘I will be there in an hour and it better have the Canadian flag on the mast.’ When I arrived, there was a Canadian flag on the mast.”
Monsieur stood up against George Bush and didn’t join the war in Iraq. Today, he stands up to Donald Trump in a way that only he can. With one sentence, he united our country, with his wit in that same speech: “I can say this. From one old guy to another old guy… Stop this nonsense!”
When I asked him to describe himself in three words, he said he’s a “very normal person. Those are three words!” The truth is, he is anything but. Behind that warm smile and populist façade is a political strategist and, as it turns out, a sports enthusiast.
“As a young guy, I loved baseball, basketball, hockey, lacrosse, softball, tennis. I tried everything.” He realized early on it needed to be a priority in his life. “It was important to me for my job to be in shape.”
As he aged, he became bolder and adventure sports became part of his repertoire.
“Generally speaking, I do things close to January 11th, my birthday. I like activities that are not done by everybody. I showed people that I was still waterskiing at 80. A lot of people will say to me, ‘bravo, you give a good example to people.’ So there is an element of bragging but there is also an element of me telling people that being older doesn’t mean you are done.”
When he was 86, it was simulated skydiving. “Floating in the air was spectacular.” He did that with his grandson.
In between, while they may not be physical sports, he wrote two books, published when he was 84 and 87.
“There are other things too, you know. When I was 79, I caught some waves and went kitesurfing with a bunch of younger guys. I kept up.” (There is a video of it on YouTube.)
Today he works out with a trainer and walks four or five days a week for almost an hour. And he golfs as much as he can.
“But I also realize that more and more I am alone. I joked last summer that I did not play much golf because my partners were not accepting a tee-off time because they were on the other side of the grass. I have to find younger guys who can tolerate me.”
That sense of humour is something he says is critical to life and has been a survival skill for him.
“Humour is extremely important. It was a great tool to defuse difficult circumstances, to help people relax. To have good judgement, you need to be relaxed. You have to not worry too much. Humour was a tool that I have used all my life. But you have to work at it. I remember people didn’t understand. They said ‘Chrétien is never worried. He wears rosy glasses.’ But I always said if there was a problem, that meant there was a solution.”
He, like all of us, has experienced deep loss. During COVID, he lost the love of his life, Aline, to whom he had been married for 63 years. “She was my first girlfriend and my Rock of Gibraltar.”
It is no secret that spontaneity is the spice of Jean Chrétien’s life. Think of the shot of him grabbing a bike in Beijing and taking off on everyone, with the RCMP running furiously behind him, or leaping over a rock fence with a much younger Bill Clinton trying to keep up, or the now-famous “Shawinigan handshake.” Those may be Chrétien clichés, but his spontaneity is legendary.
He has a genuine joie de vivre that is so deeply ingrained in his character, it guides every aspect of his life. His attitude is to just say yes, whatever that involves.
While he is not afraid of trying new things, he is equally not afraid of hard work. In fact, it has been his motto throughout life. At 91, he still heads to his office several days a week at his Dentons law firm in Ottawa. Hard work is one of the most important lessons in life. “You have to work. Nothing comes easily. If you want to succeed, you just have to work hard. Some people say it is luck but you have to be there when luck passes.”
the always spontaneous Mr. Chrétien. Photo: Jennifer Hartley
Mr. Chrétien loves music and plays a mean trombone. In 2016, I ended up on his doorstep with my son and daughter for a photo op, and as it turned out, Mr. and Mrs. Chrétien were on their way abroad. I was told I had 15 minutes to get in and out. Mr. Chrétien invited all of us in.
“Do you like music, Little Man? Your uncle tells me you play the drums.”
“Yes!!! I do!” replied my son.
I started to get nervous. I knew the Chrétiens had a plane to catch, facts Mr. Chrétien proceeded to ignore.
“Follow me,” he said.
We did, and watched as he pulled out his trombone. Meanwhile, the RCMP waited for him outside, increasingly concerned because they were now running horribly late, but here we were, having a private concert with the former prime minister of Canada.
That classic living-in-the-moment approach to life is infectious and part of his charm.
Keeping his brain active is another part of his secret. He is a voracious reader. “I take something out of every book I read.”
And then of course, there is politics. The mere mention of it and his eyes light up and his whole body language changes.
He has an opinion on just about everything, but these days it is his thoughts on Canada that resonate. As he recently said:
“Canada is the land of opportunity, the land of generosity, the land of tolerance, the land of stability, the land of rule of law. It is our land that is the envy of the world. Canada will continue to rise—true north strong and free. We have achieved what many others have not. Vive le Canada!”
Is there anything he would still like to learn? “I learn every day — I am still learning.” And as for his adventure for his 92nd birthday? He says, “Wait and see.”
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