Canadian
Canadians () are people identified with the country of Canada. This connection may be residential, legal, historical or cultural. For most Canadians, many (or all) of these connections exist and are collectively the source of their being ''C ...
politician, civil servant, former chief of police, and former president and chief executive officer of the
Canadian Air Transport Security Authority
The Canadian Air Transport Security Authority (CATSA; ) is the Canadian Crown Corporation responsible for security screening of people and baggage and the administration of identity cards at the 89 designated airports in Canada. CATSA responds ...
. Duchesneau was a member of the
Quebec National Assembly
The National Assembly of Quebec (, ) is the legislative body of the province of Quebec in Canada. Legislators are called MNAs (Members of the National Assembly; ). The lieutenant governor of Quebec (representing the King of Canada) and the Nat ...
, a master's degree in public administration from the
École nationale d'administration publique
The (; "National School of Public Administration"; abbr. ENAP) is a graduate school in Quebec City, Quebec, Canada. It was established in 1969 by the Quebec provincial government as a means of encouraging people to study professional public adm ...
, and is in the process of completing a doctorate degree at the
Royal Military College of Canada
The Royal Military College of Canada (), abbreviated in English as RMC and in French as CMR, is a Military academy#Canada, military academy and, since 1959, a List of universities in Canada#Ontario, degree-granting university of the Canadian ...
.
Career
Duchesneau began his career at the Montreal Urban Community Police Service (SPCUM) in 1968. He first appeared in the public eye in 1981, when as a young sergeant-detective, he arrested his own boss for stealing drugs from the evidence locker. From 1994 to 1998, he commanded the SPCUM and simultaneously served as treasurer of the International Centre for the Prevention of Crime, vice-president of the Canadian Association of Chiefs of Police, and president of the Quebec Association of Police Directors. After retiring from his police career in 1998, he campaigned to become the
(10%). After losing the race and failing to secure a seat as city councillor, he retreated to the private sector.
In 2002, he was appointed as the first president and chief executive officer (CEO) of the
Canadian Air Transport Security Authority
The Canadian Air Transport Security Authority (CATSA; ) is the Canadian Crown Corporation responsible for security screening of people and baggage and the administration of identity cards at the 89 designated airports in Canada. CATSA responds ...
, a then newly formed Canadian Crown Corporation in response to the events of 9/11. Duchesneau retired from CATSA in 2008 to become an adjunct professor in the faculty of social science at the
University of Ontario Institute of Technology
The University of Ontario Institute of Technology, branded as Ontario Tech University or Ontario Tech, is a public research university located in Oshawa, Ontario, Canada. The university's main campus is located on approximately of land in northe ...
.
Duchesneau entered the public eye again in early 2010, when the Quebec provincial government, shaken by corruption scandals, appointed him to lead an anti-collusion unit within the Transport Ministry, which would eventually be integrated within the larger Permanent Anti-Corruption Unit (UPAC). In the fall of 2011, Duchesneau leaked to the media a devastating 88-page report documenting cases of corruption and describing an entangled web of links between construction companies, organized crime, Transport Quebec and political donations. He was fired a month later. Testifying on June 14, 2012 in the inquiry of the
Charbonneau commission
The Commission of Inquiry on the Awarding and Management of Public Contracts in the Construction Industry (, also known as the Charbonneau Commission) was a public inquiry in Quebec, Canada into potential corruption in the management of public con ...
, whose mission is to probe the corruption in
Quebec
Quebec is Canada's List of Canadian provinces and territories by area, largest province by area. Located in Central Canada, the province shares borders with the provinces of Ontario to the west, Newfoundland and Labrador to the northeast, ...
’s construction industry, regarding his motive to leak the report, Duchesneau said he feared his findings would be shelved, arguing the then transport minister, Sam Hamad, showed ‘complete disinterest’ in the report.
On August 5, 2012, five days after the start of the provincial election campaign, Duchesneau confirmed that he was going to run as a
star candidate
A star candidate () is high-profile individual who is entering or re-entering elected politics. In Canada and the United Kingdom, the recruitment of a star candidate often includes a guaranteed nomination in a winnable seat.
Star candidates com ...
Canadian Forces
The Canadian Armed Forces (CAF; , FAC) are the unified Military, military forces of Canada, including sea, land, and air commands referred to as the Royal Canadian Navy, Canadian Army and the Royal Canadian Air Force. Under the ''National Defenc ...
Canadian Red Cross
The Canadian Red Cross Society ()Police Exemplary Service Medal for 20 years of service as a police officer. He received the first clasp 10 years later in 1999.
* In 1996, he was made a Member of the
Order of Canada
The Order of Canada () is a Canadian state order, national order and the second-highest Award, honour for merit in the system of orders, decorations, and medals of Canada, after the Order of Merit.
To coincide with the Canadian Centennial, ce ...
;
* In 2001, he was knighted by the
Venerable Order of Saint John
The Most Venerable Order of the Hospital of Saint John of Jerusalem (), commonly known as the Order of St John, and also known as St John International, is an order of chivalry constituted in 1888 by royal charter from Queen Victoria and dedica ...
;
* In 2002 he received Queen Elizabeth II’s Golden Jubilee Medal;
* In 2006, he was made a Knight of the French
Queen Elizabeth II Diamond Jubilee Medal
The Queen Elizabeth II Diamond Jubilee Medal () or The Queen's Diamond Jubilee Medal was a commemorative medal created in 2012 to mark the 60th anniversary of Queen Elizabeth II's accession in 1952. There are four versions of the medal: one iss ...
.
* In 2018, he was made an Officer of the
Order of Merit of the Police Forces
The Order of Merit of the Police Forces () is an honour for merit that is, within the Canadian system of honours, the only such fellowship reserved for only members of Canada's various police forces. Created in 2000, the order is administered by ...
. He was promoted to Commander in 2023.
* On 3 May 2022, he was awarded with the Meritorious Service Medal (Canada) in the civilian division. The citation reads as follows: His investure ceremony took place on 21 March 2024.
* On 17 January 2024, he was awarded with the Vice-Regal Commendation by outgoing
Lieutenant Governor of Quebec
The lieutenant governor of Quebec (; , ) is the representative in Quebec of the monarch, who Monarchy in Quebec, operates distinctly within the province but is also shared equally with the Canadian federalism, ten other jurisdictions of Canada. T ...