Born: June 27, 1927, Sayabec, Quebec

Following a three year Fellowship at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester Minnesota, Maurice LeClair returned to Canada to practice Internal Medicine and was active in numerous professional offices and medical, scientific and business directorships. Interested in Medical Education he was Vice Dean of Medicine at the University of Montreal and Dean of Medicine at the Sherbrooke Medical School. As Deputy Minister of National Health for the Government of Canada (1970-1974), Dr. LeClair distinguished himself with his forward-thinking approach to the economic and social challenges of traditional health care delivery. He attracted international recognition with the 1974 publication, A New Perspective on the Health of Canadians, co-authored by The Honourable Marc Lalonde, then Minister of National Health & Welfare. The document, considered a masterpiece in health care policy, identifies the key determinants of health that have remained essentially unchanged over the course of thirty years. A New Perspective remains influential in health care policy development, and the topics it covers are still widely debated in government offices and on university campuses in Canada and around the world.

Dr. LeClair’s career has been recognized with Honourary Doctorates from Sherbrooke, McGill and McMaster Universities. He was appointed an Officer of the Order of Canada in 1980 and a Companion of the Order of Canada in 1985.