History

Who is Louise Lalonde Lamarre?

Since May 2016, the library is called Louise-Lalonde-Lamarre Library.

Louise Lalonde was born in Montréal in 1929. Her father, an engineer, headed the consulting engineering firm Lalonde et Valois. Louise had just finished her nursing studies when, in 1950, she met Bernard Lamarre, a young engineering student from Polytechnique. Louise is passionate about art history and introduces Bernard to this field. They married in 1952, Bernard's promotion year. From their union are born seven children: Jean, Christine, Lucie, Monique, Michèle, Philippe and Mireille. Michèle, Po 82, and Philippe, Po 85, will study engineering at Polytechnique.

Bernard Lamarre and Louise Lalonde Lamarre are passionate about the development of the art collection of Lavalin, the company that Bernard runs. The couple supports many artists from here and elsewhere in addition to supporting the development of the Montreal Museum of Fine Arts. In 1992, the Musée d'art contemporain de Montréal acquired most of the works in the Lavalin collection. Louise Lalonde Lamarre died in 2002. Member of the Board of the Corporation de l'École Polytechnique from 1987 to 1992, then Chairman of the Board from 2002 to 2012, Bernard Lamarre left us in March 2016. The Lamarre family made a major donation to Polytechnique in 2016 and also bequeaths a work by the artist Pascal Dufaux to the Library. By giving the name of Louise Lalonde Lamarre to its scientific library, the Polytechnique community pays tribute to the one who was the muse of a great builder.