André Provencher, a member of the National Film Board of Canada’s board of trustees and a former media executive at TVA Group and Quebecor Media, died of pancreatic cancer last Thursday at the age of 76.
“It is with deep sadness that the NFB learned of the passing of André Provencher,” said an NFB statement honouring his memory Saturday. “A skilled administrator and strategist, André Provencher was an ardent ambassador for cultural outreach. His vision and commitment have left a lasting mark on the Canadian audiovisual industry.”
Provencher had been a member of the NFB’s board of trustees for seven years. A veteran of media management, he had previously held senior positions in television, publishing, radio and digital media at a range of media organizations including TVA, Quebecor Media, Télé-Québec, Cogeco and Gesca Ltée.
During his tenure as executive vice president of programming at TVA Group from 1995 to 1999, TVA Network’s market share rose from 32 per cent to 41 per cent, which Provencher said in his LinkedIn profile was one of the strongest achievements of his working life. In 1999, he served as the first president of TVA International, which specialized in TV movie production and distribution.
Provencher turned to publishing in 2001, serving as president and publisher at Le Nouvelliste in Trois-Rivières from 2001 to 2002 and at Gesca’s Le Soleil in Quebec City from 2004 to 2007, leading the digital transformation of both dailies.
As a producer, he founded Gesca’s La Presse Télé in 2002 and oversaw the creation of multiple hit TV series, including Les Parent, which was sold to more than 20 countries.
From 2011 to 2013, he oversaw implementation of the Fonds Capital Culture Québec as president and general manager, and he was vice president of creation and international development for Quebecor Content from 2013 to 2016.
Since 2016, he had been working as a consultant for the media and creative industries.
As an NFB trustee, Provencher “brought invaluable expertise acquired over the course of a remarkable career as a senior executive and administrator in various cultural spheres,” the NFB’s statement said. “His enlightened leadership and in-depth knowledge of a constantly evolving industry made him a sought-after collaborator and leading advisor.”
“A recipient of numerous awards and distinctions, including the Queen’s Silver Jubilee Medal, the Université du Québec à Trois-Rivières award, the Raphaël Prize from the Séminaire de Nicolet, as well as several Gemini and CanPro awards, André Provencher embodied the union of expertise and forward-thinking vision,” the NFB said.
“I would like to share with you a note that André wrote very recently: ‘The NFB will remain in my eyes an essential space of creative freedom for documentary professionals and craftspeople, and without a doubt the most vibrant embodiment of Canadian talent and its impressive renown across the planet.’ André was a great defender of the importance of culture in our society, of intellectual property, and of the Francophonie. I will miss the insightful and passionate conversations I had with him. André was a man of heart, generous and profoundly human. Thank you for everything, André,” said Suzanne Guèvremont, government film commissioner and chairperson of the NFB, in a statement.
Photo of André Provencher courtesy of the National Film Board of Canada
