Lucien Rivard
Lucien Rivard was a Canadian criminal born on June 16, 1914, in Montreal, Quebec, known for his involvement in robbery and drug smuggling during the late 1930s and early 1940s. His criminal activities escalated in the 1950s when he relocated to Cuba, where he opened a casino and engaged in heroin smuggling. Rivard's notoriety grew when he escaped from Bordeaux Jail in Montreal on March 2, 1965, using a garden hose, leading to a sensational manhunt. His escape sparked a political scandal in Canada, raising allegations of government officials attempting to facilitate his evasion of extradition and corruption among prison guards. This scandal had significant implications for the Liberal government led by Prime Minister Lester B. Pearson, resulting in the resignation of key officials and a royal commission investigation. Ultimately, Rivard was extradited to the United States on drug charges and sentenced to twenty years in prison, but he returned to Canada after serving only nine years. He was recognized as the Canadian Newsmaker of the Year in 1965, and his life inspired the 2008 film "Le Piège américain" (The American Trap). Lucien Rivard passed away on February 3, 2002, at the age of eighty-three in Chomedey, Quebec.
Subject Terms
Lucien Rivard
Criminal
- Born: June 16, 1914
- Birthplace: Montreal, Quebec
- Died: February 3, 2002
- Place of death: Chomedey, Quebec
Contribution: Lucien Rivard was a high-profile Canadian criminal known primarily for a sensational escape from a Montreal prison in 1965. He also played a role in a political scandal that shook up the Canadian government of Prime Minister Lester Pearson. Rivard was named the Canadian Newsmaker of the Year for 1965 by the Canadian Press.
Early Life and Criminal Career
Rivard was born on June 16, 1914, in Montreal, Quebec. Some sources suggest he was born in 1915. Apart from a few petty misdemeanors noted in the police record when Rivard was a teen, very little information is available about his early life.
Rivard’s criminal activities began in the late 1930s and early 1940s when he became involved in robbery and drug smuggling. In the 1950s, he moved to Cuba, which had not yet come under the rule of Communist leader Fidel Castro. He opened a casino there and was involved in the smuggling of heroin.
Rivard was arrested after US authorities filed narcotics charges against him for heroin smuggling along the border between the United States and Mexico. While awaiting the results of an extradition plea at Bordeaux Jail in Montreal, Rivard escaped with another prisoner on March 2, 1965. The escape gained notoriety because Rivard had climbed the walls of the prison using a garden hose. (Rivard was given the hose to water the hockey rink on the prison grounds on a warm spring night.)
Political Scandal
After escaping from prison, Rivard managed to evade capture for about four months before being arrested again in Montreal. A bribery and corruption scandal soon erupted that engulfed the Canadian government of Prime Minister Lester B. Pearson.
Accusations surrounding the case were based on suspicions that senior government officials had intervened to try to help Rivard evade extradition to the United States. Suspicions were also raised regarding the role played by the prison guards during Rivard’s sensational escape from jail. The scandal had far-reaching consequences for the Liberal government of the day, including the resignation of two high-ranking officials. Suspicions were also raised when it became known that Rivard had written a letter to Prime Minister Pearson while still on the run from authorities.
A royal commission was established to investigate circumstances surrounding the case. The commission was very critical of the manner in which Justice Minister Guy Favreau had handled the investigation. Favreau resigned from office but was offered another government position. Despite his new position, Favreau’s political standing had waned, and he died not long afterwards in 1967.
Rivard was eventually extradited on drug smuggling charges to the United States, where he was tried and convicted. He received a twenty-year prison sentence but returned to Canada after serving only nine years in a federal prison.
Rivard was named Canadian Newsmaker of the Year for 1965 by the Canadian Press. The 2008 film Le Piège américain (The American Trap) is loosely based on Rivard’s life.
Personal Life
Rivard spent his final years around Chomedey, Quebec, just outside Montreal. He died at age eighty-three on February 3, 2002.
Bibliography
Butts, Edward. “Lucien Rivard: The Great Escape.” Wrong Side of the Law: True Stories of Crime. Toronto: Dundurn, 2013. 173–208. Print.
Cameron, Bill. “Lucien Rivard.” Canadian Encyclopedia. Historica-Dominion, 2012. Web. 31 July 2013.
Fulford, Robert. “From Heroin to Garden Hoses, a Forgotten Canadian Scandal.” National Post. Postmedia Network Inc., 18 Mar. 2011. Web. 31 July 2013.
“Lucien Rivard, Man of Mystery—Maybe Too Much So.” Rev. of Le Piège américain, by Charles Binamé. Montreal Gazette. CanWest MediaWorks Publications Inc., 16 May 2008. Web. 31 July 2013.
Schwartz, Daniel. “Famous Canadian Escapes.” CBC News. CBC, 14 Dec. 2010. Web. 31 July 2013.