Today is the first day of the rest of my life Pierre Trudeau, Prime Minister of Canada

But Mr Trudeau kept the press guessing until today when he told them he had made his decision yesterday after a long walk in a blizzard.

Mr Trudeau - who has custody of his three sons by his estranged wife Margaret - told the House of Commons he was stepping down "because today is the first day of the rest of my life".

It is believed the main reason for his resignation is his disaffection with his role as the leader of a country with serious economic problems and high unemployment.

His Liberal Party, in power since 1968 with a brief spell out of power in 1979, has lost popularity as the economy has taken a downward turn.

Distinct foreign policy

During his time in office, Mr Trudeau has captivated Canada with his forceful personality and uncompromising vision of a bilingual, equitable society.

He opposed Quebec separatists fearing they would split the nation.

But, as a French-speaking Canadian, he recognised the aspirations of Francophones and pushed forward a law making English and French official languages of Canada.

He has also maintained a foreign policy distinctly different from the United States.

Mr Trudeau recognised the People's Republic of China in 1970 and fostered good relations with Cuba's communist leader Fidel Castro.

The favourite to win the upcoming leadership contest for the Liberal Party is John Turner, a former member of the Trudeau cabinet, with the second favourite being Energy Minister Jean Chretien.

Under the constitution, a general election must take place by spring next year. The opposition Conservatives, led by Brian Mulroney, are expected to win as they are currently way ahead of the Liberals in the opinion polls.

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