Author: Cardwell Marck AND Juster Robert

Number Of Pages: 286

Release Date: 01-01-2003

Details: Product Description This book tells the exciting story of a true pioneer of modern Quebec's development. Born in 1930 on an Appalachian plateau farm, Raymond Malenfant built, in his own way, a real estate empire that, before collapsing in one of the largest personal bankruptcies in Canadian history, included seventeen hotels, several office buildings, and ski resorts in Quebec and elsewhere. This empire was built over three decades through creativity and relentless hard work, and was valued at more than four hundred million dollars at its peak. From Amazon He was nicknamed "the 'tough guy' of La Malbaie," the hard-nosed businessman, the tireless worker who built 17 hotels, including the famous Motels Universel. From his parents' farm in Saint-Hubert-de-Rivière-du-Loup, where he learned to roll up his sleeves at a very early age, to the first millions amassed in real estate and the hotel industry, Raymond Malenfant built a true empire through tenacity and patience. A spectacular rise that ended in "one of the largest personal bankruptcies in Canadian history." The first volume of this work, which aims to be "a great American-style biography," recounts Raymond Malenfant's journey, his abandoned medical studies, his meeting with his wife Colette, his beginnings as a developer in the Quebec City suburbs, and then his successes. An extensively documented story, enriched by numerous testimonies, but weighed down by a host of unnecessary details—the authors even describe what the pigs ate on the family farm! Mark Cardwell and Robert Juster's book nevertheless has the merit of faithfully tracing the history of urban and tourist development in Quebec from the 60s to 1980, that is to say, before the purchase of the sumptuous Manoir Richelieu in La Malbaie, the turning point of what has been called the "Malenfant saga." A story to be continued in a future volume. --Marie Claude Fortin From the Publisher In this first part of a great American-style biography, Mark Cardwell traces the rise of Raymond Malenfant, from his childhood to his arrival in the major leagues of construction and business. Through the story of Raymond Malenfant, the entire history of Quebec's development since the thirties is reconstructed. This uncompromising account—peppered with colorful testimonies from Raymond Malenfant himself, his wife Colette, and those close to him—tells the story of the youth and the golden years of an original entrepreneur who serves as a model of courage and perseverance for millions of Quebecers.

EAN: 9782922572735

Languages: French

Binding: Paperback

Item Condition: UsedVeryGood