Gilles Vigneault (born 27 October, 1928) is a Québécois poet, publisher and singer-songwriter, and well-known Quebec nationalist and sovereigntist. A poet deeply rooted in his native Quebec, Vigneault has become an icon at home and Quebec ambassador abroad. He was one of the principal figures of the generation of chansonnier who helped the Quebec chanson find its own identity, even while helping it find a universal dimension. Biography Born in Natashquan, on the far north shore of the St. Lawrence River in Quebec, he was educated in Rimouski and Quebec City. Vigneault started writing poetry during his studies at the Seminary in Rimouski, and by the 1950s was publishing poems and writing songs. In 1959 he founded a publishing house, Les Éditions de l'Arc to distribute his publications. His first collection, Étraves was published in 1959. In August 1960, at t