The designer of the Louis-Hippolyte-La Fontaine tunnel, Armand Couture, died on Thursday at the age of 91.
A civil engineering graduate from Laval University, he was a member of the Order of Engineers until 2021.
A pioneer in the field of civil engineering, he was involved in numerous projects, including the design of the Louis-Hippolyte-La Fontaine bridge tunnel, which is currently undergoing extensive repairs. Armand Couture has worked for several prestigious companies, notably as a member of the executive board of Lalonde, Valois, Lamarre, Valois et Associés, now known as SNC-Lavalin.
“From 1992 to 1996 he was President and Chief Operating Officer of Hydro-Québec. He then became an independent consultant and sat on the boards of several public organizations and well-known companies. For almost 14 years, from 1998 to 2012, he held the reins of the INRS Council, an institute that also built the Salle Armand-Couture in his honor,” the Couture family said in a press release published on Saturday.
A great builder of Quebec, Armand Couture has published numerous studies and held conferences on major projects. In addition, he received several awards during his career; He was appointed a member of the Canadian Academy of Engineering and received an honorary doctorate from the Université du Québec in 1993.
He was also appointed an Officer of the National Order of Quebec in 1999 and a Member of the Order of Canada the following year. Also in 2000, he received the Governors’ Award from the Quebec Electric Industry Association.
“Using his experience managing large projects in various fields until the end of his engineering career, he helped build modern Quebec as we know it today,” added his family.