Michel Bélanger

After working in the restaurant industry in the 1960s and 1970s as a dishwasher, server, cook, and receptionist in Portneuf and Matagami, Abitibi, Michel Bélanger earned his degree in hotel administration at Institut du Tourisme et d'Hôtellerie du Québec in Montreal in 1975, while working in various positions at Montreal hotels from 1972 to 1975.

Michel Bélanger began his professional career at Château Bonne Entente as an intern and telephone operator. Less than two years later, after having worked the full range of service and management positions, Mr. Bélanger was appointed manager of Château Jaymont (Jay Peak, Vermont) by the Glencannon Corporation, which owned Château Bonne Entente.

In 1978, Glenncannon Corporation also named him general manager of Château Bonne Entente, conferring on him a double management role until the Vermont property was sold in 1982.

In 1982, Michel Bélanger became part owner of the Glencannon Corporation and was appointed to the board of directors and executive committee. He served as general manager of the Quebec City property at the time while also helping out at other company properties in Liverpool and Halifax, Nova Scotia. He remained on the board until 1989.

The Glencannon Corporation sold Château Bonne Entente to the Pomerleau Group in 1986. Michel Bélanger stayed on as general manager until December 1992 while also being involved in a number of construction projects, including in St-Jean sur Richelieu, and for the Arcade and Queen Elisabeth in Montreal. He also had a hand in coordinating and initiating operations in St-Georges, Valleyfield, Sherbrooke, and Trois-Rivières. He conducted a mission for the Group in Russia (Moscow, Vlamidir, Souzdal, and Alexandra) to size up the local hotel and tourism industries.

Michel Bélanger has gained extensive experience and an indepth understanding of the Quebec, Canadian, American, and international tourism markets through his participation in numerous industry trade shows, including:

12 Rendez-vous Canada’s
2 W.T.M. London’s
3 N.T.A.’s, USA
8 Quebec Day’s
4 Bienvenue Québec’s
8 Ateliers Canada, Paris
2 A.B.A.’s, USA
2 Tourism shows,
Montreal
4 I.T.B.’s Berlin
2 Kanata’s, Japan
2 O.M.C.’s, Toronto
2 Business trade shows, Quebec City and Montreal

Since 1980, he has engaged in a number of career-related activities, either on the boards of directors or executive committees of such organizations as:

Association des Hôteliers du Québec (Chairman1982–1984)
Association des Hôteliers de Québec (Chairman 1984–1985)
Conseil québécois du Tourisme, 1984 to 1986
Hotel Association of Canada (Chairman 1984 to 1986)
Founding member of the Quebec City Tourism and Convention Bureau (active from 1981 to 1983)
Participation in the development of European tourism for the county of Porneuf from 1980 to 1984
Participation in the development of European tourism for Quebec from 1979 to 1988, and Asian tourism from 1986 to 1991
Resto-plus, restaurant industry purchasing group
Hospitality and restaurant industry professional training committee (Tourism Institute, Collège Mérici, and the Professional Training Board)
Participation and collaboration with provincial government to create the Ministry of Tourism and missions abroad
Shareholder in the development of Seigneurie du Triton from 1980 to 1987
Ordre de la Confrérie de Beaujolais, member since 1982
Three-time medal recipient from Amicale des Sommeliers
Member of the interdelegation of former Canadian hotel school students since its foundation
Member of the SKAL Club since 1982, president in 1993 and 1994
Medal recipient from the Canadian Governor General in 1982 for his contributions to Canadian tourism
Quebec hotel operator of the year for 1986 and 1997 (awarded by Association des Hôteliers du Québec and Association des fournisseurs d’hôtels et restaurants du Québec)

Michel Bélanger contributed or continues to contribute his time to organizations such as the Trident theater (foundation and development committee), Québec 2002, chamber of commerce, and others.