Singer-songwriter Richard Desjardins, known as a staunch protector of the environment, received an honourary degree from UQAM (Université du Québec à Montréal) following a decision of the school’s board of directors and a recommendation from its Education Department. The presentation took place during the closing session of the fifth World Environmental Education Congress, held May 13, 2009, in Montreal. UQAM dignitaries on hand included rector Claude Corbo, board chair Isabelle Hudon and Education Department dean Marc Turgeon. Also in attendance were Desjardin’s fellow singer-songwriter Gilles Vigneault, the filmmaker Robert Monderie and the Action boréale de l'Abitibi-Témiscamingue president Henri Jacob.

A poet, singer, filmmaker, songwriter and SOCAN member, Richard Desjardins was born in Noranda, in Quebec’s Abitibi region, in 1948. He spent some time as a poet and teacher among the Inuit following the release of his first recording with his group, Abbittibbi, and as a producer. His two self-produced albums of the 1990s, Les derniers humains and Tu m'aimes-tu?, were followed by other releases including Boum Boum in 1998 and Kanasuta in 2005.

Over the past ten years, Richard Desjardins also co-produced, with Robert Monderie, two powerful documentaries, one on the forest industry (Forest Alert) and one on the Algonquin people (The Invisible Nation). Desjardins is widely known and admired both as a musician and as an influential social and environmental activist.

Earlier UQAM honorary degree recipients in the music and environmental fields include Gilles Vigneault and David Suzuki.