Marcel de la Sablonnière

Marcel de la Sablonnière, S.J. (born 21 May 1918 in Montréal, Québec; died 20 November 1999). He joined the Jesuits in 1937 at the age of 19. When he completed his studies in theology, he became director of the Immaculate Conception recreation centre in Montréal. “Father Sablon” as he was affectionately known, had just one goal in mind—to get young people active and give them the benefits of sports and recreation—and he devoted his entire life to it. Thanks to his leadership, the recreation centre became tremendously popular. Many of Québec’s best athletes, including a number of Olympians, got their start in its gymnasiums. He had many other achievements throughout his long career, including establishing a youth hostel, Le P'tit Bonheur, in the Laurentian Mountains north of Montréal, where thousands of young people came every year to enjoy the great outdoors in a spectacular setting. He also participated in many other outdoor-oriented projects, including Montréal trade shows focused on camping and summer and winter sports.

Many national and international organizations benefited from Father Sablonnière’s abilities and charisma. In 1961, he became a member of the Canadian Olympic Association, and he served as its vice-president from 1969 to 1985. In 1980, he was Chef de Mission of the Canadian delegation to the Olympic Winter Games in Lake Placid. He also sat on the boards of directors of several organizations, including the Association internationale de la récréation and the Fédération internationale de la télévision et du cinéma sportif, as well as on the first executive of the Confédération des sports du Québec. His many accomplishments and long hours of dedicated work both in his office and in the field earned him many honours. He was a Companion of the Order of Canada, he received honorary doctorates from the Université de Montréal and the Université du Québec à Trois-Rivières, and he was a member of the Academy of Great Montrealers and the Québec Sports Hall of Fame. But his greatest joy was to see thousands of young people get off to a good start in life thanks to sports and outdoor activities.