What happened to Frederic Bastien?

On Tuesday, May 16m 2023, Frederic Bastien was unresponsive at home after working out on their stationary bike. He was 53 years old. His wife, Marie-Ève Lépine shared the news of his death to o Le Journal de Montreal, where Bastien usually wrote a column.

He was known for writing several books including La Bataille de Londres (The Battle of London), which won the Richard-Ares Prize in 2013. The same year, he received the Patriote de l’annee (Patriot of the year) award from the Societe Saint-Jean Baptiste and also received the Condorcet-Dessaulles award from the Mouvement laique quebecois in 2021.

Bastien was a former leadership candidate for the Part Quebecois (PQ). He finished fourth in the 2020 PQ leadership race against Paul St-Pierre Plamondon, Sylvian Gaudreault, and Guy Nantel.

“We had many conversations during the PQ leadership race. Discussions that were often tough but always enriching. A man with a sharp mind, totally dedicated to Quebec,” Guy Nantel wrote in a social media post.