Georges Héon
Encyclopedia
Georges-Henri Héon QC
(6 September 1902 – 8 January 1965) was an Independent Conservative
and Independent Progressive Conservative member of the Canadian House of Commons
. He was born in Saint-Wenceslas, Quebec
and became a crown attorney
and lawyer by profession.
Héon attended Victoria Commercial College in Victoriaville, St Charles College in Sherbrooke, then the Université de Montréal
attaining Bachelor of Arts
and Master of Laws
degrees. He served as a senior Crown Attorney for Terrebonne
district, then as a municipal solicitor for Lachute. He received a King's Counsel
designation by the late 1940s.
He was first elected to Parliament at the Argenteuil riding as an Independent Conservative
in a by-election on 28 February 1938 but was defeated in the 1940 federal election
in which he ran as an official Conservative candidate under the National Government banner the party was using in that election. Héon lost to James McGibbon of the Liberal party
.
Although Héon frequently took a nationalist position, he sided with plans for Canada to join World War II
when the issue was debated in Parliament in September 1939 but opposed plans to introduce conscription
.
Héon won back Argenteuil in the 1945 election
as an Independent Progressive Conservative, and served a full term. He was a close ally of Renaud Chapdelaine
and campaigned with him in the June 6, 1949 by-election
that elected Chapdelaine to the House of Commons as a Progressive Conservative MP. Héon subsequently joined the Progressive Conservative
caucus immediately prior to the beginning of the 1949 federal election
campaign and became party leader George A. Drew's Quebec lieutenant
in charge of the Tory campaign in that province. Due to redistribution
he ran for re-election in the new riding of Argenteuil—Deux-Montagnes and was defeated by Philippe Valois
of the Liberals.
Queen's Counsel
Queen's Counsel , known as King's Counsel during the reign of a male sovereign, are lawyers appointed by letters patent to be one of Her [or His] Majesty's Counsel learned in the law...
(6 September 1902 – 8 January 1965) was an Independent Conservative
Independent (politician)
In politics, an independent or non-party politician is an individual not affiliated to any political party. Independents may hold a centrist viewpoint between those of major political parties, a viewpoint more extreme than any major party, or they may have a viewpoint based on issues that they do...
and Independent Progressive Conservative member of 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...
. He was born in Saint-Wenceslas, Quebec
Saint-Wenceslas, Quebec
Saint-Wenceslas, Quebec is a community in Nicolet-Yamaska Regional County Municipality, Quebec, Canada. The town is situated at a bend in the Bécancour River. The northern branch of Autoroute 55 terminated at the 9e rang of Saint-Wenceslas until its completion in October 2006...
and became 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...
and lawyer by profession.
Héon attended Victoria Commercial College in Victoriaville, St Charles College in Sherbrooke, then the Université de Montréal
Université de Montréal
The Université de Montréal is a public francophone research university in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. It comprises thirteen faculties, more than sixty departments and two affiliated schools: the École Polytechnique and HEC Montréal...
attaining Bachelor of Arts
Bachelor of Arts
A Bachelor of Arts , from the Latin artium baccalaureus, is a bachelor's degree awarded for an undergraduate course or program in either the liberal arts, the sciences, or both...
and Master of Laws
Master of Laws
The Master of Laws is an advanced academic degree, pursued by those holding a professional law degree, and is commonly abbreviated LL.M. from its Latin name, Legum Magister. The University of Oxford names its taught masters of laws B.C.L...
degrees. He served as a senior Crown Attorney for Terrebonne
Terrebonne, Quebec
Terrebonne is an off-island suburb of Montreal, in western Quebec, Canada. It is located on the north shores of the Rivière des Mille-Îles and of the Rivière des Prairies, North of Montreal and Laval....
district, then as a municipal solicitor for Lachute. He received a King's Counsel
Queen's Counsel
Queen's Counsel , known as King's Counsel during the reign of a male sovereign, are lawyers appointed by letters patent to be one of Her [or His] Majesty's Counsel learned in the law...
designation by the late 1940s.
He was first elected to Parliament at the Argenteuil riding as an Independent Conservative
Independent (politician)
In politics, an independent or non-party politician is an individual not affiliated to any political party. Independents may hold a centrist viewpoint between those of major political parties, a viewpoint more extreme than any major party, or they may have a viewpoint based on issues that they do...
in a by-election on 28 February 1938 but was defeated in the 1940 federal election
Canadian federal election, 1940
The Canadian federal election of 1940 was the 19th general election in Canadian history. It was held March 26, 1940 to elect members of the Canadian House of Commons of the 19th Parliament of Canada...
in which he ran as an official Conservative candidate under the National Government banner the party was using in that election. Héon lost to James McGibbon of the Liberal party
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...
.
Although Héon frequently took a nationalist position, he sided with plans for Canada to join World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
when the issue was debated in Parliament in September 1939 but opposed plans to introduce conscription
Conscription
Conscription is the compulsory enlistment of people in some sort of national service, most often military service. Conscription dates back to antiquity and continues in some countries to the present day under various names...
.
Héon won back Argenteuil in the 1945 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...
as an Independent Progressive Conservative, and served a full term. He was a close ally of Renaud Chapdelaine
Renaud Chapdelaine
Renaud Chapdelaine was a Quebec lawyer and was briefly a Member of Parliament in the Canadian House of Commons.Chapdelaine won an upset victory in a February 1949 by-election in Nicolet—Yamaska - the first francophone riding to be won in Quebec since the Conservative Party relaunched itself as the...
and campaigned with him in the June 6, 1949 by-election
By-election
A by-election is an election held to fill a political office that has become vacant between regularly scheduled elections....
that elected Chapdelaine to the House of Commons as a Progressive Conservative MP. Héon subsequently joined 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....
caucus immediately prior to the beginning of the 1949 federal election
Canadian federal election, 1949
The Canadian federal election of 1949 was held on June 27 to elect members of the Canadian House of Commons of the 21st Parliament of Canada. It was the first election in Canada in almost thirty years in which the Liberal Party of Canada was not led by William Lyon Mackenzie King. King had...
campaign and became party leader George A. Drew's Quebec lieutenant
Quebec lieutenant
In Canadian politics, a Quebec lieutenant is a politician, from Quebec, usually a francophone and most often a Member of Parliament or at least a current or former candidate for Parliament, who is selected by a senior politician such as the Prime Minister or the leader of a national federal party,...
in charge of the Tory campaign in that province. Due to redistribution
Redistribution (election)
Redistribution , called redistricting in the United States, is the process of changing of political borders. This is a form of boundary delimitation that changes electoral district boundaries, usually in response to periodic census results that cause malportionment of representation...
he ran for re-election in the new riding of Argenteuil—Deux-Montagnes and was defeated by Philippe Valois
Philippe Valois
Philippe Valois was a Liberal party member of the Canadian House of Commons. He was a lawyer by career.Born in Lachute, Quebec, Valois was educated at the Seminaire de Joliette and the Université de Montréal, attained Bachelor of Arts and Bachelor of Laws degrees.He was first elected at the...
of the Liberals.