Career
Born in Saint-Eugène-de-Guigues, Quebec, Baril has a Bachelor of Arts in Journalism and Political Science from the University of Moncton. He became parliamentary assistant in 1984. In the 1985 election, he was defeated by another Gilles Baril, the candidate of the Quebec Liberal Party.
From 1990 to 1994, Baril was Director of Pavillon du Nouveau Point de vue, an addiction intervention center.
He also had a career in the media. He served as a parliamentary assistant and was re-elected in 1998.
In 2002 though, he resigned and left politics, after allegations of corruption were made against him and lobbying firm Oxygène 9. From 2002 to 2005, Baril was in charge of the Hydro-Québec International office in Santiago, Chile.
After Hydro Québec International, Baril is a Vice President in Quebec engineering and construction company DESSAU.