THE PRESIDENT OF THE INTERNATIONAL NAPOLEONIC SOCIETY, BUSINESS LEADER, HISTORIAN AND PHILANTHROPIST BEN WEIDER IS AWARDED THE MEDAL OF HONOUR OF THE QUEBEC NATIONAL ASSEMBLY

Mr. Ben Weider is awarded the Medal of Honour of the National Assembly of Quebec in the office of the President. Behind Mr. Weider, from left to right, Mr. François Côté, Secretary General of the National Assembly, Jacques Duchesneau, former Chief of Police of the City of Montreal, President of the Canadian Air Transport Security Authority and personal friend of Mr. Weider, Mr. Michel Bissonnet, President of the National Assembly of Quebec, Mr. Jacques P. Dupuis, Minister of Justice and Attorney General of Quebec, the Honourable Serge Joyal, former Minister of State, Senator and friend of Mr. Weider, and Ms. Lise Grondin, Executive Assistant to the President of the National Assembly.

In Quebec City, on September 14, 2004, after being decorated with the Order of Canada in 1975 and being invested as Chevalier de l’Ordre national du Québec in 2000, the President of the International Napoleonic Society, businessman, historian and devoted philanthropist Ben Weider, was again honoured by his fellow-citizens when he was awarded the Medal of Honour of the Quebec National Assembly by the President of the National Assembly, Michel Bissonnet.

The President of the International Napoleonic Society, Mr. Ben Weider, accompanied by the President of the National Assembly of Quebec, Mr. Michel Bissonnet.

The private ceremony took place in the office of the President of the National Assembly in the presence of the Minister of Justice and Attorney General, Jacques P. Dupuis, as well as friends and family of Mr. Weider, notably his son Éric.

From left to right, Mr. Eric Weider, son of the President of the International Napoleonic Society, Mr. Ben Weider, Mr. Michel Bissonnet, President of the National Assembly and Ms. Renee Weider, wife of Eric Weider.

The Medal of Honour of the National Assembly is awarded to individuals who deserve recognition from all members of the Quebec National Assembly. To date, fewer than 15 Quebecers can boast of receiving the distinction.

Ben Weider received the prestigious award for his outstanding participation in the exhibition The Civil Code – A Family History, commemorating both the bicentenary of the French Civil Code and the tenth anniversary of the new Quebec Civil Code, and undertaken jointly by the Quebec National Assembly and the Quebec Minister of Justice, with the participation of the French National Assembly and the French Court of Appeal. As the world’s leading collector of memorabilia relating to Napoleon Bonaparte, Mr. Weider generously agreed to lend the organizers of the exhibition several of his most admired pieces, including the imperial cocked hat worn by Napoleon during the Russian Campaign of 1812, a locket containing a lock of the Emperor’s hair, a magnificent bronze equestrian statue of General Bonaparte sculpted by Jean-Léon Gérôme, as well as a handsome sculpture of Napoleon depicted as the father to his family with his three-year-old son on his knee.

During the ceremony, the Speaker of the National Assembly expressed his ”most sincere gratitude to Mr. Weider, an acknowledged authority in the field of Napoleonic history, for his generosity in agreeing to the unprecedented loan of items that are as memorable as they are unique.”

Immediately after the ceremony, Mr. Weider had a private discussion with the President of French National Assembly, Jean-Louis Debré, another partner in the exhibition. During the interview, Mr. Weider awarded Mr. Debré the medal of the Legion of Merit of the International Napoleonic Society, of which Ben Weider has been president since 1995.

The President of the International Napoleonic Society, Mr. Ben Weider, awards the Medal of the Legion of Merit to the President of the National Assembly of France, Mr. Jean-Louis Debré, during his visit to Quebec City for the opening of the exhibition in the Parliament Buildings: The Civil Code – A Family History.

President Weider awards the Medal of the Legion of Merit of the International Napoleonic Society to the Senior President of the Court of Appeal of France, Mr. Guy Canivet, also visiting the Quebec National Assembly.

Mr. Weider was, himself, awarded the French Legion of Honour in 2000, a decoration created in 1802 by none other than the Emperor Napoleon.

The President of the International Napoleonic Society also spoke with the Senior President of the French Court of Appeal, Mr. Guy Carnivet, who has also been decorated with the Society’s Legion of Merit, as have both Mr. Michel Bissonnet and Mr. Jacques P. Dupuis.

The Honorable Serge Joyal, personal friend of President Weider, signing the visitors’ roll of honour in the office of the President of the National Assembly of Quebec.

Mr. Jacques Duchesneau, personal friend of President Weider, signing the visitors’ roll of honour in the office of the President of the National Assembly of Quebec.

Mr. Weider took advantage of his visit to the National Assembly to visit the office of the Leader of the Opposition and former Quebec premier, Mr. Bernard Landry, on whom he conferred the Medal of the Legion of Merit of the Napoleonic Society.

Mr. Jacques Duschesneau and Mr. Ben Weider in conversation with Mr. Bernard Landry.

Mr. Weider is the author of Qui a tué Napoléon (published by Robert Laffont), The Murder of Napoleon (published by Congdon Lattes and translated into 23 languages), Assassination at St. Helena (published by Mitchell Press), Assassination at St. Helena Revisited (published by John Wiley and Sons) and Napoleon est-il mort empoisonné? (published by Éditions Pygmalion), to name but some of his works.

The public may admire the various exceptional items from the Weider Collection on view in the exhibition The Civil Code – A Family History in the main hall of the Parliament Building in Quebec City until December 17, 2004. Visitors may obtain further information by telephoning (418) 643-7239, or toll free 1-866-DEPUTES, or by visiting the website of the Quebec National Assembly at www.assnat.qc.ca.