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Yves LAMONTAGNE Obituary

Published by Legacy Remembers from Jan. 18 to Jan. 22, 2023.

YVES JOSEPH ANDRÉ LAMONTAGNE It is with immense sadness that Lamontagne Geophysics Limited announces the death of Yves Joseph André Lamontagne, at the age of 79. He died in Kingston, Ontario on January 16, 2023, with his family by his side. He leaves behind Lise, André, Lucie, Josée, Francine, Élaine and François. He had 2 brothers that pre-deceased him, Gills and Jacques . He also leaves many nieces and nephews behind. Yves devoted his life to the advancement of Geophysics working into his late 70s. Yves graduated in geological engineering from École Polytechnique de Montréal in 1967, then received a M.Sc. in 1970, and a PhD in 1975, both from the University of Toronto. In 1979 he founded Lamontagne Geophysics Limited that still operates today successfully. He has changed the lives of many people with his generous ways. Donations of remembrance to the Cancer Society in Yves memory would be appreciated.

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Recent Activity

April 9, 2025

Larry Morley posted to the memorial.

January 22, 2023

Bill Ravenhurst posted to the memorial.

January 22, 2023

Barry de Wet posted to the memorial.

13 Entries

Larry Morley

April 9, 2025

I first met Yves in 1973 as a first year grad student at U of T. Yves liked to work the "night shift" on the 6'th floor of the Physics Building. That way he wasn't distracted by the many people constantly seeking his advice. Despite this, I knew that if I showed up around midnight I could always find out what I needed to know.

Yves had such an enquiring mind. He was one of the few "polymaths" I've known in my lifetime. One night he gave me an impromptu 3 hour lecture on the design of dimples in golf balls. A pizza delivery guy showed up around 3 am looking very confused. I'm sure Yves managed to accomplish a lot more that night than I did.

Merci à toi Yves,
Dorme bien

Bill Ravenhurst

January 22, 2023

I have always had the most profound respect for Yves and his brilliant mind. Although we were competitors in business, he was always very generous with his ideas during the few times that we spoke. I recall one industry workshop where a presenter was attacking data collected by my company, and before I could object, Yves jumped in and scolded him for the unfair and unscientific analysis. It didn´t matter to him that the data wasn´t his. That´s who I believe Yves was - a man of principle with a keen sense of fairness and a strong desire to advance science for the good of all. If we could all emulate those qualities, what a better place this world would be. My deepest condolences to Yves´ family and friends.

Barry de Wet

January 22, 2023

RIP Yves. You were an inspiration to so many of us, particularly my generation when the challenges of deep exploration became essential to future discoveries. You were a master in your discipline. Barry de Wet, Buderim, Qld Australia

Syd (Sipke) Visser

January 21, 2023

lifting a glass to Yves

I first met Yves on the ski hill in kimberlite BC 1981 not to ski but along with Jules take delivery of the UTEM-3 for Cominco. This started my geophysical career in EM. I spend many long days and nights on the phone (and sometimes over a beer) with him the first years fixing the electronics and debugging code. The best one was when someone staggering down the street at 2am in the morning knocked on my motel room door to tell me someone was on the pay phone outside wanting to talk to me (the motel would shut the switchboard down at midnight). I am not sure when he ever slept. I worked closely with Yves for the next 20 years until I started moving more to IP and designing my own gear. We would still spend many hours discussing EM electronics and processing methods at the PDAC both in his booth and later in the evenings over a beer or scotch. His ability to be both practical in field work to being highly theoretical not only in Geophysics absolutely put him a step above almost all people I know. I could go on and on. He will be truly missed not only as a great geophysicist but as a great friend and mentor.

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Tony Watts

January 21, 2023

Yves was a legend in his own time. In a gathering of geophysicists one merely had to mention his first name and everyone knew who you were talking about. His immense intellect has been noted by others, but his generosity of spirit should receive equal recognition. He would go out of his way to help anyone, even competitors, solve a difficult technical problem even if it had the potential to take business away from his own thriving geophysical survey company.
The professionalism of the Lamontagne field crews was, and still is, unmatched in the mining industry in no small part due to Yves extraordinary communication and leadership skills.
After a long career with a major mining company (Falconbridge/Xstrata Nickel) I freely admit that Yves "teachings" formed the basis for many of our exploration programs, especially nickel sulphide exploration. Whatever modicum of success we might have had can in no small part be traced back to Yves´ ideas on EM exploration.
Thanks for memories and mentorship Yves. Adieu and may you rest in peace

Alain Richard

January 21, 2023

My uncle Yves Lamontagne is somebody that I always admired. He set the path for many of us nephew and nieces to study, to achieve our goals by dedication, passion and this utmost righteousness that characterized him. He showed us by example not to give up and with the hard work. It took me longer than my cousins to understand and start honoring his teaching but today I am happy I did. I will miss him certainly but I will always remember him. Bon Voyage Mon Oncle!

James Charles Macnae

January 20, 2023

My electromagnetic research career started when I undertook my MSc and PhD at Toronto, where I assisted Yves with field surveys and later system design and data analysis. Yves had recently graduated and with Gordon West was developing the UTEM 2 prototype system when I arrived at UofT. Yves was a true genius and I learned as much if not more science and engineering from assisting him than I did from the world-class professors giving formal classes. Yves was a true friend as well as a mentor. While Yves never sought recognition for his insights and developments, those who knew him will always remember his creativity and humanity.

James Macnae

Jean Lafleur

Planted Trees

Richard Smith

January 20, 2023

Yves was a great innovator, seeking the best equipment, data and interpretation. And intensely involved in all aspects. These things were important. Logos and letterheads and the like were not important and once selected were not changed. Good on you Yves, a great life.

Gerhard Pratt

January 19, 2023

Yves made extraordinary contributions not just to the science, the engineering, the technology, and the business models of geophysics, but also to the pedagogy through his generosity and philanthropy. This Department (Queen's) enjoyed decades of support of the Geophysical Field School thanks to his donation of equipment and personnel. I was pleased to see comments by Colin Thomson about the spinning of wise words at the Toucan in the early 2000's. I was there for some of this too. My condolences to all.

Patrick McGowan

January 19, 2023

What can I say?

Yves was such a complex human being. Most will have admired his profound, and I mean profound, knowledge of geophysics, especially electromagnetics, from the theoretical to the practical aspects of making an instrument to make measurements that put that theory into useful practice.

But Yves' intellect went WAYYYY beyond that. I was always surprised how much he know about things NOT geophysical. Music... cars... other branches of Science.. politics... philosophy... you name it, he had an informed view on all these things.

Yves was truly a horizontal thinker. A horizontal thinker never gives up if the first, second, third approach doesn't work.... there is route somewhere and it may not be at all obvious.

And Yves had a heart. A HUGE heart. Those of us who knew him knew that.

He will be sorely missed by all of us who worked with and knew him.

Rest easy Yves....

Colin Thomson

January 19, 2023

We should not overuse the word genius and perhaps I have never met one, but if I have it will surely have been Yves. Such energy and depth of understanding. From the most theoretical aspects of electromagnetism to field work to the most up to date computational and measurement equipment. Our final email exchanges concerned the Lorentz transformation and he surprised me with his knowledge of its early history. I´m sure many would be amazed at what LGL does.

Yves was also good fun to talk with and as quick as lightning he would come up with memorable quotes that just nailed the topic at hand. Here are two that I have always treasured:

"Differences provide the ingredients for creativity and innovation." (Date and place uncertain.)

"You need both extremes in a university, the mad scientist and the practical engineer. The students will learn from both. The middle ground is less than zero, it´s negative." (The Toucan, Kingston, 17Oct97)

Rest in peace dear friend. I will think about and miss you on my returns to Kingston.
Colin (Thomson)
Cambridge, UK.

Neil Bradbury - Raglan

January 18, 2023

Sincere condolences to Yves' family and friends, and his larger family at LGL. Yves was an innovator and leader in the community and always established the highest standards. Je vous présente mes sincères condoléances.

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