Almost one year to the day that Habs great Jean Béliveau died, the Longueuil street where he lived for more than 50 years was re-named in his honour.
The Béliveaus lived on Victoria St. for 53 years. His daughter Hélène, who grew up in their modest house on that street, said her dad would have been proud of the honour.
“He would think that it was too much, he was like that. But he would be proud,” she said, smiling.
Béliveau's wife Élise says the house isn’t what you’d expect of a hockey player, but they loved it.
“We were happy in that house. I had beautiful grounds with flowers in the back, a pool… we had everything,” she said.
Béliveau was a legend on and off the ice. He played with the Habs for 20 seasons and led the team to 10 Stanley Cups. Former teammates Serge Savard and Pierre Bouchard were on hand at the ceremony Tuesday afternoon.
“He was close to the public, he always had time to sign autographs and answer people. He never behaved as a big star and he was a big star,” Bouchard said.
Dozens of fans came to see the official naming of Jean Béliveau St., wanting to be there for one of their heroes.
“He was a nice person, he was always giving and giving, for me it was a chance for me to give back to him,” said fan Linda Fortin.
Wednesday is the anniversary of Béliveau’s death. The ceremony was a happy day for the family, but it’s been a tough year, Élise said.
“It’s getting better, but [Wednesday] is another thing. We’re going to stay at home, we’ll have dinner, things that he liked. We’ll be all together,” she said.
