George Sylvain
Encyclopedia
George Sylvain was a Quebec
businessman and political figure. He represented Rimouski
in the 1st Canadian Parliament
as a Conservative
member.
He was born Michel-George Sylvain in Saint-Vallier
, Lower Canada
in 1819. He entered the forestry business working for the William Price
Company at Montmagny
and was later put in charge of a new operation at Bic. He also managed sawmill
s for the company along the lower Saint Lawrence
. Sylvain served as lieutenant in the local militia and postmaster. He was mayor of Bic from 1855 to 1874 and from 1875 to 1876. He also served as Vice-Consul in the region for Norway
and Sweden
. In 1861, Sylvain was elected to the Legislative Assembly of the Province of Canada
for Rimouski; he was reelected in 1863 and again after Confederation
. In 1887, he was named Crown Lands agent and served in that post until his death at Rimouski in 1891.
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....
businessman and political figure. He represented Rimouski
Rimouski (electoral district)
Rimouski was a federal electoral district in Quebec, Canada, that was represented in the Canadian House of Commons from 1867 to 2003....
in the 1st Canadian Parliament
1st Canadian Parliament
The 1st Canadian Parliament was in session from November 6, 1867 until July 8, 1872. The membership was set by the 1867 federal election from August 7 to September 20, 1867, and it changed only somewhat due to resignations and by-elections until it was prorogued prior to the 1872 election.It was...
as a Conservative
Conservative Party of Canada (historical)
The Conservative Party of Canada has gone by a variety of names over the years since Canadian Confederation. Initially known as the "Liberal-Conservative Party", it dropped "Liberal" from its name in 1873, although many of its candidates continued to use this name.As a result of World War I and the...
member.
He was born Michel-George Sylvain in Saint-Vallier
Saint-Vallier, Quebec
Saint-Vallier is a small village of about 1,100 people in the Bellechasse Regional County Municipality, part of the Chaudière-Appalaches administrative region, located in the province of Quebec in Canada....
, Lower Canada
Lower Canada
The Province of Lower Canada was a British colony on the lower Saint Lawrence River and the shores of the Gulf of Saint Lawrence...
in 1819. He entered the forestry business working for the William Price
William Price (merchant)
William Price was a Quebec lumber merchant and manufacturer.- References :...
Company at Montmagny
Montmagny, Quebec
-External links:*...
and was later put in charge of a new operation at Bic. He also managed sawmill
Sawmill
A sawmill is a facility where logs are cut into boards.-Sawmill process:A sawmill's basic operation is much like those of hundreds of years ago; a log enters on one end and dimensional lumber exits on the other end....
s for the company along the lower Saint Lawrence
Saint Lawrence River
The Saint Lawrence is a large river flowing approximately from southwest to northeast in the middle latitudes of North America, connecting the Great Lakes with the Atlantic Ocean. It is the primary drainage conveyor of the Great Lakes Basin...
. Sylvain served as lieutenant in the local militia and postmaster. He was mayor of Bic from 1855 to 1874 and from 1875 to 1876. He also served as Vice-Consul in the region for Norway
Norway
Norway , officially the Kingdom of Norway, is a Nordic unitary constitutional monarchy whose territory comprises the western portion of the Scandinavian Peninsula, Jan Mayen, and the Arctic archipelago of Svalbard and Bouvet Island. Norway has a total area of and a population of about 4.9 million...
and Sweden
Sweden
Sweden , officially the Kingdom of Sweden , is a Nordic country on the Scandinavian Peninsula in Northern Europe. Sweden borders with Norway and Finland and is connected to Denmark by a bridge-tunnel across the Öresund....
. In 1861, Sylvain was elected to the Legislative Assembly of the Province of Canada
Legislative Assembly of the Province of Canada
The Legislative Assembly of the Province of Canada was the lower house of the legislature for the Province of Canada, which consisted of the former provinces of Lower Canada, then known as Canada East and later the province of Quebec, and Upper Canada, then known as Canada West and later the...
for Rimouski; he was reelected in 1863 and again after Confederation
Canadian Confederation
Canadian Confederation was the process by which the federal Dominion of Canada was formed on July 1, 1867. On that day, three British colonies were formed into four Canadian provinces...
. In 1887, he was named Crown Lands agent and served in that post until his death at Rimouski in 1891.