Michel Trudeau

{{Short description|Youngest son of Pierre Trudeau (1975–1998)}} {{Use Canadian English|date=January 2023}}{{Use mdy dates|date=March 2025}} {{Infobox person | name = Michel Trudeau | image = Michel Trudeau.jpg | caption = Trudeau in 1998 | birth_name = Michel Charles-Émile Trudeau | birth_date = {{Birth date|1975|10|02|mf=yes}} | birth_place = Ottawa, Ontario, Canada | death_date = {{Death date and age|1998|11|13|1975|10|02}} | death_place = Kokanee Lake, British Columbia, Canada | mother = Margaret Trudeau | father = Pierre Trudeau | relatives = Trudeau family | alma_mater = Dalhousie University }}

'''Michel Charles-Émile Trudeau''' (October 2, 1975 – November 13, 1998) was the youngest son of Canadian Prime Minister Pierre Trudeau and Margaret Trudeau and the younger brother of Prime Minister Justin Trudeau. He died in an avalanche on November 13, 1998, while skiing in Kokanee Glacier Provincial Park.

== Biography == Trudeau was born at the Ottawa Civic Hospital in Ottawa, Ontario, and partially named after his paternal grandfather, Charles-Émile.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=QBJtjoHflPwC&dat=19751002&printsec=frontpage&hl=en|title=A third son for Trudeaus|author=|date=1975-10-02|newspaper=Ottawa Citizen|access-date=2015-10-23}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |author= |title=Trudeau Names Son Michel|url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=1755&dat=19751016&id=qD41AAAAIBAJ&sjid=IGcEAAAAIBAJ&pg=4588,85378&hl=en|newspaper=Ottawa Citizen|publisher=UPI|date=1975-10-16|access-date=2015-10-29}}</ref> He was known to family and friends as Miche, and later started going by the name Mike. Trudeau lived his early life in Ottawa and later Montreal upon his father's retirement from politics in 1984. In Montreal, he was a classmate of Sophie Grégoire who would later marry his brother Justin.

During their summer breaks, Michel and his brothers attended Camp Ahmek on Canoe Lake in Algonquin Provincial Park where he would later work as a camp counsellor.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.taylorstattencamps.com/tsc-history|title=TSC History|author=|website=The Taylor Statten Camps|access-date=2015-10-26|quote=Prime Minister Trudeau, a former Ahmek camper himself (and yes, we taught him the "Ahmek J-stroke"), sent Justin, Alexandre (Sasha) and Michel (Mike) to Ahmek. Both Justin and Mike eventually became counsellors.}}</ref> He studied at Collège Jean-de-Brébeuf before attending Dalhousie University to study marine biology.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.thestar.com/news/insight/2014/10/17/justin_trudeaus_memoir_my_father_was_never_the_same_man.html|title=Justin Trudeau's memoir: 'My father was never the same man'|last=Trudeau|first=Justin|date=October 17, 2014|newspaper=Toronto Star|access-date=October 19, 2014}}</ref> When talking about her sons each having distinctly different personalities in an interview in 1977, Margaret Trudeau said, "Justin, 6, is a prince — a very good little boy. Sasha (Alexandre), born Christmas Day, 1973, is a bit of a revolutionary, very determined and strong-willed. Miche (Michel) is a happy, well-adjusted child, who combined the best traits of both brothers."<ref>{{cite news|last=Larkin|first=Kathy|newspaper=The Blade|agency=KNS|title=Margaret Trudeau Says She Likes New Freedom|url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=Hg9PAAAAIBAJ&sjid=YwIEAAAAIBAJ&pg=6993%2C2118256|date=November 30, 1977|access-date=November 12, 2015}}</ref>

==Death== On November 13, 1998, Michel Trudeau died as the result of an avalanche. He was aged 23. He had been working for about a year at Red Mountain Resort and living in Rossland, British Columbia. He was taking a backcountry skiing trip with some friends in Kokanee Glacier Provincial Park when he was swept into Kokanee Lake (approximately 49°44'53.2"N 117°10'32.2"W) and unable to reach the shore. His companions were unable to effect a rescue, and it was presumed that Trudeau drowned.<ref name="nyt16Nov1998">{{cite news |last=DePalma |first=Anthony |date=16 November 1998 |title=Pierre Trudeau's Youngest son Believed Killed in Avalanche |url=https://www.nytimes.com/1998/11/16/world/pierre-trudeau-s-youngest-son-believed-killed-in-avalanche.html |access-date=19 November 2010 |newspaper=The New York Times}}</ref> An extensive search was launched, but his body was not found.<ref>{{cite web|title=Trudeau visits Nelson; plans Monday trip to Kokanee Lake|url=http://www.nelsonstar.com/news/216382041.html|newspaper=Nelson Star|access-date=12 November 2015|date=21 July 2013|last=Hall|first=Bob|quote=Trudeau's eyes began to water when he spoke about his brother's final resting place. "If our brave men and women from search and rescue had ever recovered him, we would have probably incinerated him and sprinkled him back into the lake," Trudeau said.|archive-date=5 March 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160305203502/http://www.nelsonstar.com/news/216382041.html|url-status=dead}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |last=Hall |first=Bob |date=23 July 2013 |title=Trudeau Tweets Kokanee Lake visit |url=https://www.nelsonstar.com/news/trudeau-tweets-kokanee-lake-visit/ |access-date=12 November 2015 |newspaper=Nelson Star}}</ref> The lake's high elevation and limited days of open waters each year prevented divers from completing the search.<ref name="macleans">{{cite web|last=Wood|first=Chris|title=Trudeau Search Suspended|url=http://www.thecanadianencyclopedia.ca/en/article/trudeau-search-suspended/|work=Maclean's|publisher=The Canadian Encyclopedia|access-date=25 October 2015}}</ref><ref name="cbcsuspended">{{cite news|title=Search for body of Michel Trudeau postponed|url=http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/search-for-body-of-michel-trudeau-postponed-1.180530|publisher=CBC.ca|access-date=25 October 2015|date=10 November 2000}}</ref><ref name="cpress">{{cite web|last=Moore|first=Dene|title=Trudeaus remember Michel and promote avalanche awareness|url=http://www.canoe.com/AllAboutCanoesNewsJan00/000114_av.html|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20001022115838/http://www.canoe.com/AllAboutCanoesNewsJan00/000114_av.html|url-status=dead|archive-date=October 22, 2000|work=Canadian Press|access-date=19 November 2010}}</ref> The Trudeau family called off the recovery and later supported the construction of a chalet nearby as a memorial to their youngest son and victims of avalanches.<ref name="cpress" /><ref name="ctv_drowned">{{cite web|title=Trudeau family help open Kokanee Glacier Cabin|url=http://www.ctv.ca/CTVNews/Canada/20030713/trudeau_kokanee_cabin_030712/|work=CTV.ca|access-date=19 November 2010}}{{dead link|date=July 2021|bot=medic}}{{cbignore|bot=medic}}</ref>

A varietal of rose discovered by Betsy Dening, a British Columbia horticulturist and Trudeau's aunt, debuted at the World Rose Festival in 2010 as the "Michel Trudeau Memorial Rosebush".<ref>[http://www.bcliving.ca/garden/newly-discovered-rose-gives-back-to-the-bc-community "Newly discovered rose gives back to the BC community: Michel Trudeau Memorial Rose raises money for avalanche awareness".] Gardenwise.ca, January 12, 2011.</ref> Sales of the rosebush benefit the Canadian Avalanche Foundation.<ref>[http://www.avalanche.ca/caf/support/michel-trudeau-rosebush Michel Trudeau Rosebush.] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20101229182900/http://www.avalanche.ca/caf/support/michel-trudeau-rosebush |date=2010-12-29 }} Canadian Avalanche Foundation.</ref>

==References== {{reflist}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Trudeau, Michel}} Category:1975 births Category:1998 deaths Category:Children of prime ministers of Canada Category:Dalhousie University alumni Category:Deaths in avalanches Category:Natural disaster deaths in Canada Michel Category:Canadian people of Dutch descent Category:Canadian people of English descent Category:Canadian people of French descent Category:Canadian people of Malaysian descent Category:Canadian people of Indonesian descent Category:Canadian people of Scottish descent Category:People from Ottawa Category:Skiing deaths Category:Sports deaths in Canada