Denis Coderre
A veteran federal politician who became Montreal's mayor, steering the city through a period of revitalization and scandal.
Born 1963 (age 63)·Canadian politician·Birthday: July 25·Baby Boomers
Biography
Denis Coderre's political career is a study in enduring, hands-on public life. Long before becoming Montreal's 44th mayor, he cut his teeth in federal politics, serving as a Liberal Member of Parliament for over 15 years and holding cabinet positions like Minister of Immigration. In 2013, he returned to his hometown with a mission to restore Montreal's confidence after a period of corruption scandals. His mayoralty was defined by big, energetic gestures: he championed the city's 375th anniversary celebrations, brought a Major League Baseball team to Montreal for exhibition games, and fiercely defended Montreal's interests on the national stage. A charismatic and often polarizing figure, Coderre's term was marked by both ambitious urban projects and controversies, including the contentious removal of a historic tree. His single term ended in 2017, but his blend of federal heft and local boosterism left a distinct mark on the city's trajectory.
Baby Boomers
1946–1964
The largest generation in history at the time. Shaped by postwar prosperity, the Vietnam War, the sexual revolution, and Watergate. They questioned every institution their parents built — then ran them.
Denis was born in 1963, placing them squarely in the Baby Boomers. The events that shaped this generation — postwar prosperity, civil rights, Vietnam, and the counterculture — shaped the world they entered and the choices available to them.
#1 When Denis Was Born
The biggest hits of 1963
#1 Movie
Cleopatra
Best Picture
Tom Jones
#1 TV Show
Beverly Hillbillies
Denis's Life & Times
The world at every milestone
1963Born
JFK assassinated in Dallas; Martin Luther King's 'I Have a Dream' speech
Gas: $0.31/galHome: $13,100Min wage: $1.25/hrPresident: Lyndon B. Johnson"Sugar Shack" — Jimmy Gilmer & The FireballsBest Picture: Tom Jones
1968Started school
Martin Luther King Jr. and Robert Kennedy assassinated
Gas: $0.34/galHome: $14,950Min wage: $1.60/hrPresident: Lyndon B. Johnson"Hey Jude" — The BeatlesBest Picture: Oliver!
1976Became a teenager
Apple Computer founded; US bicentennial
Gas: $0.59/galHome: $29,300Min wage: $2.30/hrPresident: Gerald Ford"Silly Love Songs" — WingsBest Picture: Rocky
1979Could drive
Iran hostage crisis begins; Three Mile Island accident
Gas: $0.86/galHome: $37,900Min wage: $2.90/hrPresident: Jimmy Carter"My Sharona" — The KnackBest Picture: Kramer vs. Kramer
1981Could vote
MTV launches; first Space Shuttle flight; AIDS identified
Gas: $1.31/galHome: $52,300Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"Bette Davis Eyes" — Kim CarnesBest Picture: Chariots of Fire
1984Turned 21
Apple Macintosh introduced
Gas: $1.13/galHome: $59,800Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"When Doves Cry" — PrinceBest Picture: Amadeus
1993Turned 30
European Union officially established
Gas: $1.11/galHome: $86,600Min wage: $4.25/hrPresident: Bill Clinton"I Will Always Love You" — Whitney HoustonBest Picture: Schindler's List
2003Turned 40
US invades Iraq; Human Genome Project completed
Gas: $1.59/galHome: $146,000Min wage: $5.15/hrPresident: George W. Bush"In Da Club" — 50 CentBest Picture: The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King
2013Turned 50
Edward Snowden reveals NSA surveillance programs
Gas: $3.53/galHome: $152,800Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Barack Obama"Thrift Shop" — Macklemore & Ryan LewisBest Picture: 12 Years a Slave
2023Turned 60
ChatGPT goes mainstream; Israel-Hamas war begins
Gas: $3.52/galHome: $361,600Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Joe Biden"Flowers" — Miley CyrusBest Picture: Oppenheimer
2026Age 63 today
Gas: $3.91/galPresident: Donald Trump
Key Achievements
- Served as the 44th Mayor of Montreal from 2013 to 2017, leading the city's 375th-anniversary celebrations.
- Served as a Canadian federal Cabinet Minister, holding the portfolio of Minister of Immigration and Minister responsible for the Francophonie.
- Was instrumental in bringing Major League Baseball exhibition games back to Montreal in 2014, reviving interest in the sport's return to the city.
Did You Know?
He is a dedicated fan of the Montreal Canadiens and is often seen at their games.
Before politics, he worked as a radio and television journalist and commentator.
He lost the 2017 mayoral election to Valérie Plante, who became Montreal's first female mayor.
“I'm not here to be loved, I'm here to make decisions.”
