Onésime Gagnon

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Onésime Gagnon

Onésime Gagnon , PC , QC (born October 23, 1888 in Saint-Léon-de-Standon , Québec , † September 30, 1961 in Québec ) was a Canadian politician . From 1930 to 1935 he was a Conservative MP in the Canadian House of Commons , from 1936 to 1958 Member of the Union nationale in the National Assembly of Québec . He was a member of Maurice Duplessis' provincial cabinet for 17 years . Finally, he served as Vice-Governor of the Province of Quebec from 1958 until his death .

biography

Gagnon studied law at the Laval University . There he met Maurice Duplessis , with whom he was friends for the rest of his life. He also studied at the University of Oxford as a Rhodes Scholar . In 1912 he was admitted as a lawyer and practiced then in Quebec City. From 1942 to 1944 he was a lecturer at the Université Laval, then adjunct professor .

As a candidate for the Conservative Party of Canada , Gagnon ran for the general election in 1930 and prevailed against the liberal incumbent in the Dorchester constituency. As a backbencher , he supported the federal government of Richard Bedford Bennett . In 1935 he was a minister with no portfolio in the cabinet for almost two months . In the general election in 1935 he was unable to defend his seat.

In October 1933, Gagnon wanted to be elected chairman of the Parti conservateur du Québec , but was defeated by Duplessis. Two years later the party was reorganized as the Union nationale . In 1936 he stood for this to the election of the National Assembly of Québec and won in the Matane constituency. He was re-elected five times (1939, 1944, 1948, 1952 and 1956).

From 1936 to 1939 Gagnon served in Duplessis' government as Mining and Fisheries Minister, after which the Union nationale was in opposition for five years. After the party was able to put the government back in 1944, he served under Duplessis as treasurer until 1951, then as finance minister. Just three weeks after his resignation, Governor General Vincent Massey swore in him on February 14, 1958 as Lieutenant Governor of Québec. He held this representative office until his death.

Honors

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