Maurice A. Dionne
Encyclopedia
Maurice A. Dionne was an educator and politician
in the Miramichi River
Valley of New Brunswick
, Canada
.
Dionne attended teacher's college and taught in a variety of locations, including Baie-Comeau, Quebec
, where he met his future wife, Precille. Dionne moved to the Miramichi to become principal of Millerton High School.
Dionne was long active in Liberal Party of Canada
circles, and was elected to the Canadian House of Commons
, serving from 1974
to 1984
and again from 1988
to 1993
. He lost his seat in 1984, when Brian Mulroney
's Progressive Conservative Party of Canada
won the largest landslide
in terms of total seats in Canadian history. During these years out of office, he worked in the forestry
industry in a consulting capacity.
As a Member of Parliament
, Dionne's major accomplishments were securing government assistance to aid expansion to the major pulp mill in the valley, securing the dredging of the entrance to the Miramichi River
to enable ports there to continue receiving ocean-going vessels, and securing the construction of a federal
maximum security prison at Renous
in the valley.
In 1992, Maurice Dionne called a press conference to announce that he was suffering from Alzheimer's Disease
. This was one of the first occasions that a public figure made such an announcement, and it helped to create understanding of the affliction. Dionne did not run in the next election, and died in 2003.
Dionne and his wife had two daughters and three sons.
Politician
A politician, political leader, or political figure is an individual who is involved in influencing public policy and decision making...
in the Miramichi River
Miramichi River
The Miramichi River is a Canadian river located in the east-central part of New Brunswick. The river drains into Miramichi Bay in the Gulf of St. Lawrence...
Valley of New Brunswick
New Brunswick
New Brunswick is one of Canada's three Maritime provinces and is the only province in the federation that is constitutionally bilingual . The provincial capital is Fredericton and Saint John is the most populous city. Greater Moncton is the largest Census Metropolitan Area...
, 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...
.
Dionne attended teacher's college and taught in a variety of locations, including Baie-Comeau, 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....
, where he met his future wife, Precille. Dionne moved to the Miramichi to become principal of Millerton High School.
Dionne was long active in 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...
circles, and was elected to the Canadian House of Commons
Canadian House of Commons
The House of Commons of Canada is a component of the Parliament of Canada, along with the Sovereign and the Senate. The House of Commons is a democratically elected body, consisting of 308 members known as Members of Parliament...
, serving from 1974
Canadian federal election, 1974
The Canadian federal election of 1974 was held on July 8, 1974 to elect members of the Canadian House of Commons of the 30th Parliament of Canada. The governing Liberal Party won its first majority government since 1968, and gave Prime Minister Pierre Trudeau his third term...
to 1984
Canadian federal election, 1984
The Canadian federal election of 1984 was held on September 4 of that year to elect members of the Canadian House of Commons of the 33rd Parliament of Canada...
and again from 1988
Canadian federal election, 1988
The Canadian federal election of 1988 was held November 21, 1988, to elect members of the Canadian House of Commons of the 34th Parliament of Canada. It was an election largely fought on a single issue: the Canada-U.S. Free Trade Agreement ....
to 1993
Canadian federal election, 1993
The Canadian federal election of 1993 was held on October 25 of that year to elect members to the Canadian House of Commons of the 35th Parliament of Canada. Fourteen parties competed for the 295 seats in the House at that time...
. He lost his seat in 1984, when Brian Mulroney
Brian Mulroney
Martin Brian Mulroney, was the 18th Prime Minister of Canada from September 17, 1984, to June 25, 1993 and was leader of the Progressive Conservative Party of Canada from 1983 to 1993. His tenure as Prime Minister was marked by the introduction of major economic reforms, such as the Canada-U.S...
's Progressive Conservative Party of Canada
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....
won the largest landslide
Landslide
A landslide or landslip is a geological phenomenon which includes a wide range of ground movement, such as rockfalls, deep failure of slopes and shallow debris flows, which can occur in offshore, coastal and onshore environments...
in terms of total seats in Canadian history. During these years out of office, he worked in the forestry
Forestry
Forestry is the interdisciplinary profession embracing the science, art, and craft of creating, managing, using, and conserving forests and associated resources in a sustainable manner to meet desired goals, needs, and values for human benefit. Forestry is practiced in plantations and natural stands...
industry in a consulting capacity.
As a Member of Parliament
Member of Parliament
A Member of Parliament is a representative of the voters to a :parliament. In many countries with bicameral parliaments, the term applies specifically to members of the lower house, as upper houses often have a different title, such as senate, and thus also have different titles for its members,...
, Dionne's major accomplishments were securing government assistance to aid expansion to the major pulp mill in the valley, securing the dredging of the entrance to the Miramichi River
Miramichi River
The Miramichi River is a Canadian river located in the east-central part of New Brunswick. The river drains into Miramichi Bay in the Gulf of St. Lawrence...
to enable ports there to continue receiving ocean-going vessels, and securing the construction of a federal
Government of Canada
The Government of Canada, formally Her Majesty's Government, is the system whereby the federation of Canada is administered by a common authority; in Canadian English, the term can mean either the collective set of institutions or specifically the Queen-in-Council...
maximum security prison at Renous
Renous, New Brunswick
Renous is a Canadian rural community in Northumberland County, New Brunswick.Located where the Renous River discharges into the Southwest Miramichi River, Renous makes up part of the local service district of Renous-Quarryville....
in the valley.
In 1992, Maurice Dionne called a press conference to announce that he was suffering from Alzheimer's Disease
Alzheimer's disease
Alzheimer's disease also known in medical literature as Alzheimer disease is the most common form of dementia. There is no cure for the disease, which worsens as it progresses, and eventually leads to death...
. This was one of the first occasions that a public figure made such an announcement, and it helped to create understanding of the affliction. Dionne did not run in the next election, and died in 2003.
Dionne and his wife had two daughters and three sons.