Martine St-Victor: Youth and elders each have much to contribute

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I negotiated one of the best deals of my life as a preteen. I convinced my parents to let me stay up past my set bedtime on weekdays, for two reasons. The first, on Mondays, to watch Dynasty, one of the best TV shows to come out of the 1980s. And the second was to watch Radio-Canada’s Le Téléjournal — the network’s flagship news broadcast — from Tuesdays to Fridays. I suppose I had rationalized that there could be no news breaking on Mondays that was worth missing Blake Carrington and all the accompanying drama.

Watching Le Téléjournal of course meant watching Bernard Derome, its anchor for more than 30 years. He was the Canadian face of news in French, from provincial and national elections, where he coined the now-iconic “si la tendance se maintient,” to major international major events. In any conversation about the news business, his name deserves to be mentioned in the same breath as broadcasting giants like Americans Dan Rather and Tom Brokaw and Canadians like Barbara Frum and Knowlton Nash.

Now a youthful septuagenarian and president of the Institut d’études internationales de Montréal (IEIM), Derome received the Université du Québec à Montréal medal last week. I was among the speakers at the ceremony, which provided an opportunity for those of us present to share just how much Derome had been our news reference for decades, thanks to his rigour and his unique way of explaining the complex. The consensus at the event was that Derome is missed.

At 80, David Gergen is a Washington legend. Over a long career, Gergen has served as political adviser to U.S. presidents of both parties. While promoting his latest book, Gergen recently said in an interview that it was time for the old Washington guard to call it a day and to let a younger generation take over. I thought the statement was harsh and lacked nuance.

As a Gen-Xer, I’ve often praised the generation that follows mine. It impresses me. It has forced its predecessors to act on many things that have been neglected, like climate change. It’s a generation that thrives on innovation and one that understands the importance of empathy and the quest for social justice. But just as much praise should be bestowed on the generation that precedes mine, for the many battles it has fought and won and for the foundation it has built.

So when envisioning what’s next, be it in Washington or here, the solution can’t be to have an entire generation retire so a new one can sweep in. We have to find a middle ground. Fresh eyes must work alongside gravitas. Youth and experience must mesh. It’s a mix we have to learn to master, particularly because the share of seniors in Quebec could reach 27 per cent of the population by 2066.

Recently, we’ve seen many prominent MNAs announce their retirement from political life. It’s an opportunity to see new faces emerge in time for the next provincial election. But new need not be seen as synonymous with youth. Room has to be made for older candidates.

A lot has been said and written about U.S. President Joe Biden’s age. By year’s end, Biden will be 80. And though his presidency is not beyond reproach, it’s  impossible to ignore how many of his recent appointments and initiatives reflect progress and innovation that some of Biden’s much younger predecessors never dared put forward. That is testament to a president who has been in political life since 1973 and who had the flair to surround himself with advisers who hail from multiple generations.

As we head to the polls next Oct. 3, there shouldn’t be a youth vs elder debate. Instead, the objective should be to find the equilibrium.

The inclusion many of us have been advocating for also applies to age.

Martine St-Victor is general manager of Edelman Montreal and a media commentator. Instagram and Twitter: martinemontreal