Michel Bédard

About the author.

Originally from the City of Québec, Michel Bédard has had a varied career. From a very young age, his unique analytical mind was evident. At school, Michel was a solitary student. He hated the rigid school environment of the 1960s. His often pertinent questions embarrassed his teachers. He was quickly labelled a student who rebelled against authority and discipline. He was a student who was constantly immersed in his own little world and who refused to conform to social norms. Michel was a child who couldn't adapt to the school environment and learning methods of his time. He had a few friends, all of whom were rebels like him. By the age of 12, he had already read the entire Larousse dictionary. On the last page, along with all the definitions of the words. "My Larousse dictionary was my best friend. It taught me everything." He began his secondary education with the 1970 reform. The first comprehensive schools opened their doors. Michel attended Charlesbourg Comprehensive School, the largest in the province at the time with 5,000 students.

The new school system was not yet fully refined, and this sea of young adults escaped the supervision of school authorities. The students were left to their own devices. This quasi-anarchic situation allowed Michel to develop a passion for photography. He taught himself all the photographic techniques and demonstrated a talent that was quickly noticed by those around him. He obtained small gigs as a photographer from local businesses and, at the age of 16, started a small wedding photography business. The comprehensive school offered a three-year program in visual arts, with an emphasis on photography. Michel managed to convince the program administrators to admit him to the third year without completing the first two years of training. He passed the final exams for the third year and landed an advanced internship at Radio-Canada.

"My school years were a real ordeal in every way. I wasn't interested in anything or anyone, and no one was interested in me. I wasn't the only one in this situation. The 1970 reform led to school dropouts in Quebec, and we were the first victims. My only ambition was to escape from this prison of the mind.

The CBC was a revelation for him. He was short of credits to graduate, but decided to devote himself to studying television production techniques. Despite his outstanding performance and obvious talent, the state-owned corporation rejected his application for a permanent position on the grounds that he had not obtained his diploma. This refusal is a disaster for him. He has staked everything on this chance, and there is no question of returning to school, which, in any case, has nothing more to offer him. Michel is a pure autodidact, a free spirit who needs real challenges to express his incredible potential. His brain is a veritable sponge for knowledge. Through simple observation, he assimilates concepts that many others would take years of study to acquire. At the age of 18, he obtained a position teaching photography techniques to adults in the municipality of Orsainville. He worked part-time for several years until the town merged with Charlesbourg. After the merger, the municipal administration abolished the adult education program.

The period of unemployment that followed proved beneficial. He began studying philosophy and theology. He wanted to understand the purpose of humanity, nothing less. This spiritual quest quickly became an obsession that would never leave him. In 1989, a new television network was launched in Quebec. Télévision Quatre-Saisons opened a station in the City of Québec equipped with the latest technology. Getting a job at TQS became his priority. Michel forged a college diploma with a specialization in electrical engineering. The ruse worked, and he got a job as an audio technician at the new station. Michel had no training in audio and only one week to learn the techniques involved in this specialized work before the official opening. The station aired its first newscast the following Sunday, and Michel found himself responsible for all aspects of the production's sound. He rose to the challenge brilliantly and even earned praise from the director of the production. Waves, who was present at the premiere. Michel works for TQS while also freelancing for several producers. Until 1992, he worked with seasoned journalists such as Gérard Deltell, who would later become leader of the Action Démocratique du Quebec and a federal MP. He worked on several film productions and rubbed shoulders with talented professionals from whom he learned all the ins and outs of the profession.

During a filming at Laval University's faculty of medicine, students ask him to take an IQ test for research purposes. Michel gladly agrees to take the test. The result is astonishing. According to the students' analysis, Michel has an IQ of 127, which is well above average. Following this discovery, he is offered the opportunity to participate in a study on the impact of diet on intellectual abilities. For two months, Michel will be a guinea pig for this study. This opportunity gives him access to a scientific library that he will love, since he has to go to university every day to eat his meals under the supervision of a specialist. In 1991, he began working for the radio and television broadcasts of the Quebec National Assembly debates. The following year, he obtained a position as a level 3 technician in the television broadcasting unit of the House of Commons debates in Ottawa. This job opened the doors to the Great Library of Parliament. It was there that he deepened his knowledge of philosophy, theology, and astrophysics. He then discovered a particular branch of philosophy: metaphysics. He finally found a discipline that combined philosophy, science, and spirituality in a single field. This fundamental research led to his first essay, entitled "Believe It or Not!", which was republished in 2026.

In 2001, Michel left the world of television to become a bus driver for Greyhound Canada. For five years, he travelled throughout eastern North America. In 2006, he was hired as a lead instructor for the same company. This demanding training job took him away from his true passion, metaphysics. Michel enjoyed his work as a trainer, but the training methods used by Canada's oldest bus company were archaic and never adapted to the realities of the 21st century. He is working hard to develop a new training program that takes into account the new realities of the industry, but the company's headquarters, located in the quiet and picturesque Canadian West, is a far cry from the hustle and bustle of big cities like Toronto, Montréal, and Vancouver. In response to this initiative by a somewhat overly revolutionary instructor, the company sends Michel back on the road with thanks for his good work. In 2010, Michel sank into a deep depression. His doctor prescribed a period of extended sick leave and a psychiatric evaluation. The diagnosis is made. He suffers from obsessive-compulsive disorder associated with mild bipolar disorder. His psychiatrist is categorical. Michel is a pure OCD case, one of a kind. He underwent more than nine months of continuous therapy and had to take medication appropriate for his condition. The treatment yielded positive results, but Michel's troubles were not over. In 2012, he was diagnosed with high-functioning autism (known as "Asperger's" at the time). This news had a profound impact on his life. Finally, Michel understood the difference that had caused him to suffer throughout his life, until the age of 55. Learning what I have been suffering from for so long was a great relief for me. I then made a firm resolution to use my condition as a tool for achievement. I learned to master it rather than suffer from it." It was during his convalescence that he wrote his first essay. "I have found my path and my purpose in life. This path is the metaphysical search for reason for existence. Never again will I stray from it. I want to pass on this knowledge through writing."