Biography

Born in Manitoba, Senator Massicotte obtained his Bachelor of Commerce (Dean’s Honour List) in 1974, from the University of Manitoba.

In 1976, while working at Pricewaterhouse Coopers, he earned the designation of Chartered Accountant from the Manitoba Institute of Chartered Accountants, and the following year he became a member of the Ordre des comptables agréés du Québec/Ordre des comptables professionnels agréés du Québec. In February 2005, Senator Massicotte was granted the title of Fellow from the Ordre des comptables agréés du Québec/Ordre des comptables professionnels agrees du Québec, the profession’s highest honorific designation.

From 1977 onwards, he was successively appointed to senior executive positions with real estate development firms in Western Canada, before moving to Montreal in 1985 to join the Alexis Nihon Group, a major commercial real estate owner. Senator Massicotte was President and co-owner of Alexis Nihon from 1985 to 2006. He was also the owner of Attractions Hippiques from 2006 to 2009, and the Chairman of the Board of Directors at Agellan Commercial Real Estate Investment Trust from 2012 until 2015.

Senator Massicotte was appointed to the Senate on June 26, 2003, on the advice of the Right Honourable Jean Chrétien. He is currently the Vice-Chair of the Standing Committee on Energy, the Environment and Natural Resources and member of the Standing Committee on Banking, Trade and Commerce and the Special Committee on Senate Modernization. As well, he is a participant on two Senate Advisory Working groups: on the Senate rules, and on human resources. He has previously served on numerous other committees including the Standing Committee on National Finance, the Standing Committee on Transport and Communication, the Standing Committee on Internal Economy, Budgets and Administration and the Standing Joint Committee on the Scrutiny of Regulations. Senator Massicotte’s committee memberships allow him to work towards the causes that matter deeply to him, such as climate change, Senate reform, and improving the economic conditions of the country to contribute to the prosperity of all Canadians.

He is also a member of the following Inter-Parliamentary groups and associations: Canada-Japan (Co-Chair), Canada - United States (Vice-chair), Canada-China, Canada-Africa, Canada-Europe, Canada-France, Canada-United Kingdom, the Canadian Delegation to the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe Parliamentary Assembly, the Assemblée parlementaire de la Francophonie and the Canadian NATO Parliamentary Association. Senator Massicotte is very involved in the Joint Interparliamentary Council and has represented Canada at various meetings with his counterparts in such places as Washington, D.C., Russia, and Japan.

In the past, Senator Massicotte contributed as Director of the Board of Directors of the Bank of Canada and a member of the Advisory Committee of Mercantile Bancorp Limited. He has also been a member of the Board of Directors of the Canadian Chamber of Commerce, the Real Property Association of Canada, the Canadian Home Income Plan, the Board of Trade of Metropolitan Montreal Foundation and the Board of Trade of Metropolitan Montreal. Senator Massicotte has also been Chairman of the Young Presidents’ Organization (Quebec Chapter), past member of the Canadian Board of the Young Presidents’ Organization, as well as a member of the Regional Council of the Société du Quartier International de Montréal . He was a founding Director, Chairman and President of the Urban Development Institute of Quebec. He was also a Board member of the insurance company La Solidarité, and a member of the Study Committee on Fiscal Equity at the Municipal Level in the Montreal area.

In 1997/98, Senator Massicotte volunteered as mentor to the Quebec prize-winner of the Business Development Bank of Canada Award. He also acted as Honorary Co-Chair at the 2002-2003 Fundraising Campaign for the George Stephen House Trust Fund and was one of the Honorary Patrons for the 2002-2003 and 2003-2004 Financial Campaigns of Le Chaînon. In 2007, Senator Massicotte and his wife organized different fundraising activities including a fashion show benefitting the Centre d’Action Bénévoles de la Vallée de la Richelieu. Senator Massicotte most recently sat on the Board of Directors of the Ste-Anne’s Hospital Foundation. He is also active with several other social and charitable institutions.