Jean Lesage
Encyclopedia
Jean Lesage, PC
, CC
, CD
(10 June 1912 – 12 December 1980) was a lawyer and politician in Quebec
, Canada
. He served as the 19th Premier of Quebec
from 22 June 1960, to 16 August 1966. Alongside Georges-Émile Lapalme
, René Lévesque
and other French-Canadians, he is often viewed as the father of the Quiet Revolution
.
, the Quebec City Seminary, and Université Laval
in Quebec City where he received a law degree. He was admitted to the Barreau du Québec
on 10 July 1934. He also served in the Canadian Army reserve from 1933 to 1945.
with Paul Lesage in 1934, then with Charles Gavan Power
, Valmore Bienvenue
, Paul Lesage, and Jean Turgeon. He married Corinne Lagarde, a singer and the daughter of Alexandre Lagarde and Valéria Matte.
He was made a Crown attorney
for Wartime Prices and Trade Board from 1939 to 1944.
as a Liberal
for the first time in the 1945 general election
. After his re-election in 1949, he was first named Parliamentary Secretary to the Secretary of State for External Affairs
from 25 January 1951 to 31 December 1952, he was then named Parliamentary Secretary for the Minister of Finance from 1 January 1953 to 13 June 1953. Following his re-election in 1953, Jean Lesage was appointed Minister of Resources and Development from 17 September 1953 to 15 December 1953 and then Minister of Northern Affairs and National Resources from 16 December 1953 to 21 June 1957
He survived the Progressive Conservative
ascendancy and was re-elected in both 1957
and 1958
. However, he resigned from his seat 13 June 1958 following his election as leader of the Liberal Party of Quebec on 31 May 1958.
, Jean Lesage's Liberal Party won the 1960 Quebec general election
, campaigning with the slogan of C’est le temps que ça change (It’s time things changed) and putting an end to the long reign of the Union nationale that had governed Quebec under Maurice Duplessis
since 1935 (except for the period from 1940 to 1944). Lesage became Premier
, President of the Executive Council, and Minister of Finance from 5 July 1960 to 16 June 1966; he was also Minister of Federal-Provincial Affairs from 28 March 1961 to 16 June 1966 and Minister of Revenue from 30 May 1963 to 8 August 1963.
Lesage's election campaign ushered the Quiet Revolution
, which began to change the traditional domination of Quebec's economy by English-speaking Canadians, and the traditional domination of the public lives of French-speaking Quebecers by the Roman Catholic Church was replaced by a larger role for the government of Quebec.
In 1962
, the Liberal Party of Quebec won re-election with the slogan Maitres chez nous (Masters in Our Own Home). In the last decade, it had already ended its affiliation with the Liberal Party of Canada
.
Some of the major accomplishments were the creation of the Ministry of Education, the nationalization of hydro-electricity (Hydro-Québec) and more control over the health care system. Major reforms were also made in the public sector and improved working conditions were implemented as well.
Queen's Privy Council for Canada
The Queen's Privy Council for Canada ), sometimes called Her Majesty's Privy Council for Canada or simply the Privy Council, is the full group of personal consultants to the monarch of Canada on state and constitutional affairs, though responsible government requires the sovereign or her viceroy,...
, CC
Order of Canada
The Order of Canada is a Canadian national order, admission into which is, within the system of orders, decorations, and medals of Canada, the second highest honour for merit...
, CD
Canadian Forces Decoration
The Canadian Forces Decoration is a Canadian award bestowed upon members of the Canadian Forces who have completed twelve years of military service, with certain conditions. By convention, it is also given to the Governor General of Canada upon his or her appointment as viceroy, which includes the...
(10 June 1912 – 12 December 1980) was a lawyer and politician in Quebec
Quebec
Quebec or is a province in east-central Canada. It is the only Canadian province with a predominantly French-speaking population and the only one whose sole official language is French at the provincial level....
, Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
. He served as the 19th Premier of Quebec
Premier of Quebec
The Premier of Quebec is the first minister of the Canadian province of Quebec. The Premier is the province's head of government and his title is Premier and President of the Executive Council....
from 22 June 1960, to 16 August 1966. Alongside Georges-Émile Lapalme
Georges-Émile Lapalme
Georges-Émile Lapalme was a politician in Quebec, Canada, member of the Legislative Assembly of Quebec, and leader of the Quebec Liberal Party.-Background:...
, René Lévesque
René Lévesque
René Lévesque was a reporter, a minister of the government of Quebec, , the founder of the Parti Québécois political party and the 23rd Premier of Quebec...
and other French-Canadians, he is often viewed as the father of the Quiet Revolution
Quiet Revolution
The Quiet Revolution was the 1960s period of intense change in Quebec, Canada, characterized by the rapid and effective secularization of society, the creation of a welfare state and a re-alignment of politics into federalist and separatist factions...
.
Background
Born in Montreal to Xavéri Lesage, teacher and public servant, and Cécile Côté. Jean Lesage's education included the kindergarten Saint-Enfant-Jésus de Montréal, the boarding school Saint-Louis-de-Gonzague in Quebec CityQuebec City
Quebec , also Québec, Quebec City or Québec City is the capital of the Canadian province of Quebec and is located within the Capitale-Nationale region. It is the second most populous city in Quebec after Montreal, which is about to the southwest...
, the Quebec City Seminary, and Université Laval
Université Laval
Laval University is the oldest centre of education in Canada and was the first institution in North America to offer higher education in French...
in Quebec City where he received a law degree. He was admitted to the Barreau du Québec
Barreau du Quebec
The Bar of Quebec is the provincial law society for lawyers in Quebec, Canada...
on 10 July 1934. He also served in the Canadian Army reserve from 1933 to 1945.
Legal career
He practised law in Quebec CityQuebec City
Quebec , also Québec, Quebec City or Québec City is the capital of the Canadian province of Quebec and is located within the Capitale-Nationale region. It is the second most populous city in Quebec after Montreal, which is about to the southwest...
with Paul Lesage in 1934, then with Charles Gavan Power
Charles Gavan Power
Charles Gavan "Chubby" Power, MC, PC was a Canadian politician and athlete. Power's father, William Power, was also a Member of Parliament from Quebec, retiring in 1917...
, Valmore Bienvenue
Valmore Bienvenue
Valmore Bienvenue was a lawyer and political figure in Quebec. He represented Bellechasse in the Legislative Assembly of Quebec from 1939 to 1948 as a Liberal. Bienvenue was Speaker of the Legislative Assembly in 1942....
, Paul Lesage, and Jean Turgeon. He married Corinne Lagarde, a singer and the daughter of Alexandre Lagarde and Valéria Matte.
He was made a Crown attorney
Crown attorney
Crown Attorneys or Crown Counsel are the prosecutors in the legal system of Canada.Crown Attorneys represent the Crown and act as prosecutor in proceedings under the Criminal Code of Canada...
for Wartime Prices and Trade Board from 1939 to 1944.
Political Career in Ottawa
Jean Lesage was elected as a federal Member of Parliament for the riding of Montmagny-L'IsletMontmagny—L'Islet—Kamouraska—Rivière-du-Loup
Montmagny—L'Islet—Kamouraska—Rivière-du-Loup is a federal electoral district in Quebec, Canada, that has been represented in the Canadian House of Commons since 2004...
as a Liberal
Liberal Party of Canada
The Liberal Party of Canada , colloquially known as the Grits, is the oldest federally registered party in Canada. In the conventional political spectrum, the party sits between the centre and the centre-left. Historically the Liberal Party has positioned itself to the left of the Conservative...
for the first time in the 1945 general election
Canadian federal election, 1945
The Canadian federal election of 1945 was the 20th general election in Canadian history. It was held June 11, 1945 to elect members of the Canadian House of Commons of the 20th Parliament of Canada...
. After his re-election in 1949, he was first named Parliamentary Secretary to the Secretary of State for External Affairs
Secretary of State for External Affairs (Canada)
Canada's Secretary of State for External Affairs was, from 1909 to 1993, the member of the Cabinet of Canada responsible for overseeing the federal government's international relations and the former Department of External Affairs...
from 25 January 1951 to 31 December 1952, he was then named Parliamentary Secretary for the Minister of Finance from 1 January 1953 to 13 June 1953. Following his re-election in 1953, Jean Lesage was appointed Minister of Resources and Development from 17 September 1953 to 15 December 1953 and then Minister of Northern Affairs and National Resources from 16 December 1953 to 21 June 1957
He survived the Progressive Conservative
Progressive Conservative Party of Canada
The Progressive Conservative Party of Canada was a Canadian political party with a centre-right stance on economic issues and, after the 1970s, a centrist stance on social issues....
ascendancy and was re-elected in both 1957
Canadian federal election, 1957
The Canadian federal election of 1957 was held June 10, 1957, to select the 265 members of the House of Commons of Canada. In one of the great upsets in Canadian political history, the Progressive Conservative Party , led by John Diefenbaker, brought an end to 22 years of Liberal rule, as the...
and 1958
Canadian federal election, 1958
The Canadian federal election of 1958 was the 24th general election in Canada's history. It was held to elect members of the Canadian House of Commons of the 24th Parliament of Canada on March 31, 1958, just nine months after the 23rd election...
. However, he resigned from his seat 13 June 1958 following his election as leader of the Liberal Party of Quebec on 31 May 1958.
The Lesage Government
Elected to the National Assembly of QuebecNational Assembly of Quebec
The National Assembly of Quebec is the legislative body of the Province of Quebec. The Lieutenant Governor and the National Assembly compose the Parliament of Quebec, which operates in a fashion similar to those of other British-style parliamentary systems.The National Assembly was formerly the...
, Jean Lesage's Liberal Party won the 1960 Quebec general election
Quebec general election, 1960
The Quebec general election of 1960 was held on June 22, 1960 to elect members of the Legislative Assembly of Quebec, Canada. It was one of the most significant elections in Quebec history, rivalled perhaps only by the 1976 general election...
, campaigning with the slogan of C’est le temps que ça change (It’s time things changed) and putting an end to the long reign of the Union nationale that had governed Quebec under Maurice Duplessis
Maurice Duplessis
Maurice Le Noblet Duplessis served as the 16th Premier of the Canadian province of Quebec from 1936 to 1939 and 1944 to 1959. A founder and leader of the highly conservative Union Nationale party, he rose to power after exposing the misconduct and patronage of Liberal Premier Louis-Alexandre...
since 1935 (except for the period from 1940 to 1944). Lesage became Premier
Premier of Quebec
The Premier of Quebec is the first minister of the Canadian province of Quebec. The Premier is the province's head of government and his title is Premier and President of the Executive Council....
, President of the Executive Council, and Minister of Finance from 5 July 1960 to 16 June 1966; he was also Minister of Federal-Provincial Affairs from 28 March 1961 to 16 June 1966 and Minister of Revenue from 30 May 1963 to 8 August 1963.
Lesage's election campaign ushered the Quiet Revolution
Quiet Revolution
The Quiet Revolution was the 1960s period of intense change in Quebec, Canada, characterized by the rapid and effective secularization of society, the creation of a welfare state and a re-alignment of politics into federalist and separatist factions...
, which began to change the traditional domination of Quebec's economy by English-speaking Canadians, and the traditional domination of the public lives of French-speaking Quebecers by the Roman Catholic Church was replaced by a larger role for the government of Quebec.
In 1962
Quebec general election, 1962
The Quebec general election of 1962 was held on November 14, 1962, to elect members of the Legislative Assembly of the Province of Quebec, Canada. The incumbent Quebec Liberal Party, led by Jean Lesage, won re-election, defeating the Union Nationale led by Daniel Johnson, Sr..In an unusual move,...
, the Liberal Party of Quebec won re-election with the slogan Maitres chez nous (Masters in Our Own Home). In the last decade, it had already ended its affiliation with the Liberal Party of Canada
Liberal Party of Canada
The Liberal Party of Canada , colloquially known as the Grits, is the oldest federally registered party in Canada. In the conventional political spectrum, the party sits between the centre and the centre-left. Historically the Liberal Party has positioned itself to the left of the Conservative...
.
Some of the major accomplishments were the creation of the Ministry of Education, the nationalization of hydro-electricity (Hydro-Québec) and more control over the health care system. Major reforms were also made in the public sector and improved working conditions were implemented as well.
See also
- Politics of QuebecPolitics of QuebecThe politics of Quebec are centred on a provincial government resembling that of the other Canadian provinces, namely a constitutional monarchy and parliamentary democracy. The capital of the province is Quebec City, where the Lieutenant Governor, Premier, the legislature, and cabinet reside.The...
- Quebec general electionsQuebec general electionsThis article provides a summary of results for the general elections to the Canadian province of Quebecs unicameral legislative body, the National Assembly of Quebec...
- Quiet RevolutionQuiet RevolutionThe Quiet Revolution was the 1960s period of intense change in Quebec, Canada, characterized by the rapid and effective secularization of society, the creation of a welfare state and a re-alignment of politics into federalist and separatist factions...
- History of QuebecHistory of QuebecQuebec has played a special role in Canadian history; it is the site where French settlers founded the colony of Canada in the 17th and 18th centuries.-Paleoindian Era :...
- Mackenzie King
- Québec City Jean Lesage International Airport
Book References
- Rouillard, Jacques (2003), Le syndicalisme Québécois : Deux siècles d'histoire, Boréal Editions, 335p.
- Comeau, Robert & Bourque, Gilles (1989), Jean Lesage et l'éveil d'une nation Sillery Editions, 367p.
- Thomson, Dale Carins (1984), Jean Lesage et la révolution tranquille, du Trecarre Editions, 615p.
- Fullerton, Douglas H. (1978), The dangerous delusion McClelland and Stuart Editions, 240p.