Athlete's Composure Under Commercial Fire

"Nevertheless, he has the soul of a go-getter. At the time he meets Hélène, René is playing water polo with Roland. A powerful and aggressive player, he scores goals and quickly becomes the backbone of the team. In this respect, he went to the right school. Three times champion in Greco-Roman wrestling, the young man has been practicing this noble discipline since his early childhood. The experience left an indelible mark on him: a winner’s temperament. When he starts something, he has only one thing in mind: to win. An ability that will prove very useful to him later."

"The clientele. That’s where the problem lies: they need to find a solution to increase it, and quickly. Otherwise, what’s the point of serving the best chicken in the world with the brightest smile? And besides, the couple’s savings are melting away before their eyes. At this rate, the Légers will soon have to shut the doors. However, Hélène refuses to even consider such a possibility. Succumbing to discouragement is simply not like her. For her, hopeless causes do not exist. As for René, he doesn’t know the word “panic.” On the contrary, as a true athlete, it’s often when he’s backed into a corner that he performs at his best. A quality that will prove very useful in the coming months."

"On April 28, 1967, Expo opens its doors: 300,000 Montrealers and impatient tourists storm the site, armed with their “passport” complete with photo and souvenir pages. Over the next 184 days, more than fifty million visitors will pass through the turnstiles of Terre des Hommes. The crowds are so large that the food services “crack” and quickly become saturated. In insufficient numbers, the restaurants and snack bars are packed at all times. At mealtimes, people wait in line for between half an hour and an hour before being served. People grumble, discontent grows. It is an unforgivable logistical problem for an event of this scale. This is something that threatens to tarnish Expo’s shine. A solution must be found, and quickly, the organizers are aware of this. In desperation, Lucien Saulnier, Jean Drapeau’s right-hand man, contacts several companies that, at first glance, seem capable of quickly resolving the crisis on Notre-Dame Island. St-Hubert Bar-B-Q is one of them. The order is ambitious: serve 20,000 meals per day! René Léger remains unfazed: “I can do it without any problem and… within ten days!” This kind of gamble is right up his alley. When the opportunity to surpass himself arises, the water polo champion surfaces again with his slightly provocative drive to win. He also knows he can rely on a solid team. Had he not built it himself, in that combative spirit? Amazed by such flair, Mr. Saulnier grants the concession to the president of St-Hubert. Certainly, time is of the essence. Summer will soon be here, and the return of warm weather will only increase the flow of visitors. From then on, the situation could quickly become unmanageable. This time, René Léger is in a position of strength. This allows him to secure much more advantageous installation conditions than originally. In exchange, St-Hubert Bar-B-Q commits to building another restaurant—this one with two hundred and fifty seats—on the La Ronde site, behind the Aquarium. It will, moreover, be Jean-Pierre who manages it."