ALBERT BRETON

ALBERT BRETON 86 years, of Toronto, died peacefully at home on February 13, 2016 surrounded by his family in the last days of his life. Emeritus Professor of Economics, University of Toronto, he received his Ph.D. in Economics from Columbia University, New York City. He taught at the Université de Montréal, Carleton University, Université Catholique de Louvain, the London School of Economics, Harvard University, the Università di Perugia, the Université de Paris I (Panthéon-Sorbonne) and the Institut de Sciences Politiques de Paris. He worked as a Researcher at the Institute for Social and Economic Change (Bangalore, India). He was the author of over 130 books and articles on questions of federalism, constitutionalism and economic theory and policy. He was Special Advisor to Prime Minister Pierre Trudeau for 10 years through the 1970s while still teaching at the University of Toronto. From 1979 to 1982, he was Vice-Chairman of the Applebaum-Hébert Federal Cultural Policy Review Committee and from 1982 to 1985, he was a Commissioner with the Macdonald Royal Commission on the Economic Union and Development Prospects for Canada. He served on the Board of Governors of the National Theatre School of Canada and on the Canadian Economic Policy Committee of the C.D. Howe Research Institute. He was an Officer of The Order of Canada since 1984 and a Fellow of the Royal Society of Canada since 1979. He had an LLD (Honoris Causa) from the University of Manitoba. He was a past President of the Canadian Economics Association. A Festschrift in his honour was published in 2000 by Cambridge University Press. He was a man of enormous character and great warmth; he was funny, kind, loving and always the life of the party. He leaves his wife Margot, his children Catherine (Carol Manak), Natalie, Francoise and Robert (Lindsey McMaster), his grandchildren Sophia, Liv and William, his brothers Raymond (Lily), Gabriel and Roland (Diane) and sister Claire (Etienne Gaboury), all of whom loved him immensely and will miss him terribly. The family will be having a private service. Condolences may be directed to aftercare.org. In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to Amnesty International.