Janette Bertrand Bio, Age, Husband, Children, Book, Awards, Trivia
Janette Bertrand Biography |
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| Full Name | Janette Bertrand |
| Age | 100 Years old. |
| Birth Name | Janette Bertrand |
| Birth Date | 1925-03-25 |
| Gender | Female |
Janette Bertrand is a Canadian journalist, writer, actress, and feminist from Quebec. Born on March 25, 1925, she became well-known for speaking openly about social issues like mental health, women's rights, and family problems.
Janette Bertrand's TV shows, "Parler pour parler" and "Avec un grand A", talked about tough issues and gave a voice to ignored people. She also wrote books and plays to support fairness. She is known as a strong woman who helped improve society.
Family and Early Life
Janette Bertrand was born to Hormisdas Bertrand, a clerk, and Alma Bédard. She was the youngest of four children and grew up in a Francophone family that valued education. She studied literature and journalism at the Université de Montréal, where she studied under historian Lionel Groulx.
| Nationality | Canadian |
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| Place of Birth | Montreal, Canada |
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| Parents | Hormisdas Bertrand, and Alma Bédard |
| Education | literature and journalism |
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| University | Université de Montréal under historian Lionel Groulx |
Husband and Children
Janette Bertrand married actor Jean Lajeunesse in 1947, and they divorced in 1981 after 34 years. They had three children: Dominique (1948), Isabelle (1951), and Martin (1959). After the divorce, she started a relationship with Donald Janson, who was 19 years younger than her, challenging age and love norms.
| Spouse | Jean Lajeunesse (1947–1991) |
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| Children | Dominique, Isabelle, Martin |
Career Highlights
A trailblazer in Quebec media, Bertrand’s career spans journalism, radio, television, theater, and literature:
Journalism & Radio
- 1950s: Wrote Le refuge sentimental (advice column) and Opinions de femmes (feminist column) for Le Petit Journal.
- Radio Host: Co-hosted Jean et Janette and Mon mari et nous with Jean Lajeunesse on CKAC, pioneering intimate, family-centric programming.
Television Pioneer
- 1950s–1970s: Wrote and starred in groundbreaking TV series:
Toi et moi (1954): A drama about marital life.
Quelle famille! (1969–1974): A sitcom featuring her real-life family and dog.
Grand-Papa (1970s): Addressed generational conflicts.
- 1980s–1990s: Hosted Parler pour parler, a talk show where Quebecers shared personal struggles. Created Avec un grand A, a drama series tackling taboo topics like AIDS, homosexuality, and domestic violence.
Theater
- Wrote plays such as Moi Tarzan, toi Jane (1981) and Dis-moi-le si j’dérange (1983), critiquing sexism and elder loneliness.
Books
- Cookbook: Les Recettes de Janette (1968, reprinted 2005), a bestseller with 225,000+ copies sold.
- Autobiography: Ma vie en trois actes (2004), a candid memoir.
- Novels: Le Bien des miens (2007), Le Cocon (2009), and the Lit double trilogy (2012–2014), exploring love and family dynamics.
- Lyrics: Penned Berceuse for Céline Dion’s 2007 album D’elles.
| Occupation | Journalist, actress, educator, writer |
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| Books | Cookbook, Autobiography, Novels, Lyrics |
| Awards | Order of Canada, Ordre national du Québec, Governor General’s Performing Arts Award, Prix Gémeaux, Honorary Doctorates |
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| Theatre |
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Awards & Honors
- Order of Canada: Promoted to Companion in 2020 (initially Officer in 2002).
- Ordre national du Québec: Chevalier (1992).
- Governor General’s Performing Arts Award (2000) for lifetime achievement.
- Prix Gémeaux: Multiple wins, including Best Writing and Lifetime Achievement.
- Honorary Doctorates: Université Laval (2006) and others.
Trivia
- At age 82, Bertrand penned the lyrics for Berceuse (Lullaby), a haunting ballad on Céline Dion’s 2007 album D’elles. The song reflected her lifelong focus on emotional storytelling.
- After divorcing Jean Lajeunesse in 1981, she began a relationship with Donald Janson, who was 19 years her junior. Their partnership challenged societal taboos about age gaps in relationships.
- She published her first cookbook, Les Recettes de Janette, in 1968.
- At the age of 79, she received an honorary Doctorate of Letters from Université Laval.
- She was awarded the O.C. (Officer of the Order of Canada) on May 1, 2002 for her services to communications in Canada.
- She began teaching playwriting at Montreal's Institut national de l'image et du son (INIS) in 1996.
- She hosted the program Jean et Janette, and then Mon mari et nous at radio station CKAC.
- She covered controversial topics such as homosexuality, prostitution, violence against women, cancer and death.
