Yves-François Blanchet

Biography

Yves-François Blanchet MP, born on April 16, 1965, in Drummondville, Quebec, is a Canadian politician and the leader of the Bloc Québécois (BQ) since 2019. He has been serving as the Member of Parliament (MP) for Beloeil—Chambly since the 2019 election.

Blanchet’s political career began in provincial politics, where he was a Member of the National Assembly (MNA) for the Parti Québécois (PQ) from 2008 to 2014. During his time in the provincial government, he held the position of Quebec’s Minister of Sustainable Development, Environment, Wildlife and Parks from December 2012 to April 2014 under Premier Pauline Marois. Prior to entering politics, Blanchet had a successful career in artist management, running his own firm, and served as the president of ADISQ from 2003 to 2006.

Born to Pierrette Bédard, a nurse, and Raymond Blanchet, a technician and lineman, Yves-François Blanchet grew up in Drummondville. He pursued his education at the Université de Montréal, where he earned a bachelor’s degree in history and anthropology in 1987. After completing his studies, he worked as a teacher before venturing into artist management and establishing his own company, YFB Inc. During his tenure as the president of ADISQ, Blanchet and associated artists received 10 Félix Awards. He was recognized as the local business personality of the year by the Drummondville Chamber of Commerce.

Blanchet’s political journey began with his election to represent the Drummond riding in the National Assembly of Quebec in 2008. In the 2012 election, he was reelected, this time in the Johnson electoral district. However, he faced defeat in the 2014 Quebec election, losing to Coalition Avenir Québec candidate André Lamontagne. As a member of the Parti Québécois (PQ), Blanchet actively participated in the party’s activities, serving as a member of the Youth National Committee and a regional director of the PQ.

Before assuming the leadership of the Bloc Québécois, Blanchet worked as a columnist for Le Nouvelliste and appeared on the program “Les Ex” on ICI RDI.

Blanchet officially entered the race for the leadership of the Bloc Québécois on November 26, 2018. With no other candidates in the running, he was acclaimed as the leader on January 17, 2019. Under his leadership, the Bloc Québécois experienced a surge in popularity in the 2019 federal election, aligning with the popular François Legault’s CAQ government. Blanchet won his seat in Beloeil—Chambly, and the BQ increased its number of seats from 10 in 2015 to 32 seats in 2019, surpassing the NDP to become the third largest party in Canada and regaining official party status.

In the subsequent 2021 Canadian federal election, the Bloc Québécois, led by Blanchet, maintained its 32 seats, unchanged from the previous election.

On a personal note, Blanchet married Nancy Déziel but is now separated from her. In September 2020, he tested positive for COVID-19 after his wife had tested positive earlier in the same month. Following the diagnosis, Blanchet self-isolated at his residence in Shawinigan during the COVID-19 pandemic in Quebec.