Sitting on a granite pedestal, the bronze bust of Cardinal Paul-Émile Léger is presented in the square named after him, on Boulevard René-Lévesque. The cardinal is portrayed in one of his church habits and has a benevolent expression on his face. The artist made the first version of this bust in 1984. However, it was not designed for exhibition in an outdoor context. With a view to integrating the bust into the new square created in honour of the hundredth anniversary of the cardinal’s birth, the decision was made in 2007 to make a copy of the original artwork.

Paul-Émile Léger, born in Valleyfield on 25 April 1904, was the first archbishop of Montréal, a position that he held in the 1950s and 1960s. In 1968, he resigned as archbishop to become a missionary in Africa. His entire life was devoted to the struggle against social injustice. In Québec, he founded Hôpital Saint-Charles-Borromée, Patro Le Prévost, and the Institut Dominique-Savio, but his involvement went far beyond the borders of his home province, and his humanitarian works are still active today in 22 countries spread over three continents. He died in Montréal on 13 November 1991. “Dignity is an inalienable right for all human beings, whatever their condition.” Paul-Émile Léger