Dr André Arcelin: the Haitian community loses a pillar
Rony Sanon, animateur ·
Quebec, for its part, loses a builder.
Québec also loses a builder
The Haitian community of Montreal is in mourning. It loses far more than a physician: it loses a landmark, a defender, a man who devoted his life to healing, to bringing people together, and to advancing social justice.
Dr. André Arcelin is gone, and with him falls silent a voice that, for decades, carried the dignity, resilience, and hope of thousands of families.
Fifteen years ago, I had the honor of speaking with him as part of the program Empreintes. That encounter, still vivid in my memory, revealed a man of rare rigor, profound clarity, and an unwavering commitment to his community and to Québec. Through his words, one could sense the trajectory of a pioneer who had understood early on that health, justice, and civic participation were inseparable.
A journey shaped by commitment
Dr. Arcelin was not merely a physician. He was a social actor, a committed intellectual, a citizen who refused to look away in the face of injustice.
His work with families in Montreal, his involvement in public debates, and his courageous positions helped shape a strong, respected, and undeniable Haitian presence in Québec and Canadian society.
He belonged to that generation of builders who understood that community is built through concrete acts, struggles carried out with consistency, and initiatives that open doors for future generations. His commitment extended beyond medicine: it touched on the defense of rights, civic participation, and the construction of a space where Québécers of Haitian origin could fully flourish.
A living legacy
To revisit his testimony in Empreintes today is to measure the magnitude of what he leaves behind. Dr. Arcelin belongs to that lineage of pioneers who gave the Haitian community of Québec a voice, a visibility, and a legitimacy. Since the 1960s, these women and men have enriched Québec through their work, their culture, their resilience, and their profound sense of solidarity. Dr. Arcelin is fully part of that continuum.
His legacy is alive. It lives on in the young professionals who are committed, in the families he accompanied, in the institutions he influenced, and in the struggles he inspired. It also lives on in that collective consciousness which, even today, carries the demand for justice, dignity, and inclusion.
An immense loss, a shared responsibility
The passing of Dr. Arcelin reminds us that the history of our community is not simply a succession of events, but a chain of courageous acts, openly assumed positions, and contributions that have transformed our place in Québec and Canadian society.
In paying him tribute, we acknowledge the immensity of what he accomplished. But we also acknowledge the responsibility that falls to us: to carry on the work, to keep alive the flame of dignity, justice, and solidarity that he carried throughout his life.
Today, Montreal loses a physician. The Haitian community loses a pillar. Québec loses a builder. The Haitian community loses a pillar. Québec loses a builder.
But his example endures, and his mark continues to guide those who still believe in the strength of the collective, in the value of commitment, and in the beauty of a Québec enriched — and a more flourishing Canada — by all its voices.