Jacques Ferron
Encyclopedia
Jacques Ferron was a Canadian
physician
and author
.
Jacques Ferron was born in Louiseville
, Quebec
, the son of Joseph-Alphonse Ferron and Adrienne Caron. On March 5, 1931 his mother died. He attended Collège Jean-de-Brébeuf
but was expelled in 1936. He continued his education at Collège Saint-Laurent and then was readmitted at Jean-de-Brébeuf, only to be expelled again. In September 1941, he was accepted at Université Laval
where he studied medicine and on July 22, 1943 he married a fellow student, Magdeleine Thérien whom he divorced in 1949.
November 1943, he enrolled in the Canadian army as a medic and received the acceptance in June 1945. He trained in British Columbia
and Ontario
and after that was sent to Quebec and New Brunswick
as a medic. When relieved of duty in 1946, he settled in Rivière-Madeleine, Quebec
. His time in Gaspèsie was the inspiration for many of his stories written later. He may have had to leave Rivière-Madeleine because he was denounced from the pulpit as a communist by the local parish priest. In 1947, his father died.
In 1948, he returned to Montréal. In 1949, he moved to Longueuil
, Quebec
and his first book, L'ogre, was published. He lived among working class people that lived in Longueuil-annexe in those years, often offering is services for free-refusing to be paid, or omitting to ask. Not in the name of charity, but rather of solidarity- his giving was politically motivated, and he understood that his training as a doctor-his privilege- was paid for
by the misery that the francophone working class was experiencing at that time.
In 1951, he began a 30-year collaboration with "L'Information médicale et paramédicale". On June 28, 1952, he married Madeleine Lavalée. In 1954 he became an important member of the "Congrès Canadien pour la Paix" (Canadian Peace Congress
). In 1959 he helped in the foundation of the magazine Situations. In 1960, with the help of Raoul Roy, he created L'Action socialiste pour l'indépendance du Québec.
In 1962, he received the Governor General's Award for French fiction
for his book Contes du pays incertain.
In 1963 he founded the Parti Rhinocéros, which he described as "an intellectual guerrilla
party". He also began to write for the magazine Parti pris. In 1969, he became a member of the Parti québécois
.
In 1977, the Quebec government awarded him the Prix Athanase-David
. He was named an honorary member of the Union des écrivains québécois in 1981.
He died of a heart attack 1985 at his home in St-Lambert
, Quebec
, aged 64.
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...
physician
Physician
A physician is a health care provider who practices the profession of medicine, which is concerned with promoting, maintaining or restoring human health through the study, diagnosis, and treatment of disease, injury and other physical and mental impairments...
and author
Author
An author is broadly defined as "the person who originates or gives existence to anything" and that authorship determines responsibility for what is created. Narrowly defined, an author is the originator of any written work.-Legal significance:...
.
Jacques Ferron was born in Louiseville
Louiseville, Quebec
Louiseville is a town in the Mauricie region of the province of Quebec in Canada. It is located near the mouth of the Wolf River on the north shore of Lac Saint-Pierre....
, 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....
, the son of Joseph-Alphonse Ferron and Adrienne Caron. On March 5, 1931 his mother died. He attended Collège Jean-de-Brébeuf
Collège Jean-de-Brébeuf
Collège Jean-de-Brébeuf is a private French-language educational institution offering secondary school and CEGEP college-level instruction in Montreal, Quebec. It is a co-ed establishment for students in their final year of secondary school and in college. It is boys-only in the first four years...
but was expelled in 1936. He continued his education at Collège Saint-Laurent and then was readmitted at Jean-de-Brébeuf, only to be expelled again. In September 1941, he was accepted at 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...
where he studied medicine and on July 22, 1943 he married a fellow student, Magdeleine Thérien whom he divorced in 1949.
November 1943, he enrolled in the Canadian army as a medic and received the acceptance in June 1945. He trained in British Columbia
British Columbia
British Columbia is the westernmost of Canada's provinces and is known for its natural beauty, as reflected in its Latin motto, Splendor sine occasu . Its name was chosen by Queen Victoria in 1858...
and Ontario
Ontario
Ontario is a province of Canada, located in east-central Canada. It is Canada's most populous province and second largest in total area. It is home to the nation's most populous city, Toronto, and the nation's capital, Ottawa....
and after that was sent to Quebec and 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...
as a medic. When relieved of duty in 1946, he settled in Rivière-Madeleine, 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....
. His time in Gaspèsie was the inspiration for many of his stories written later. He may have had to leave Rivière-Madeleine because he was denounced from the pulpit as a communist by the local parish priest. In 1947, his father died.
In 1948, he returned to Montréal. In 1949, he moved to Longueuil
Longueuil, Quebec
Longueuil is a city in the province of Quebec, Canada. It is the seat of the Montérégie administrative region and sits on the south shore of the Saint Lawrence River directly across from Montreal. The population as of the Canada 2006 Census totaled 229,330, making it the third largest city 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....
and his first book, L'ogre, was published. He lived among working class people that lived in Longueuil-annexe in those years, often offering is services for free-refusing to be paid, or omitting to ask. Not in the name of charity, but rather of solidarity- his giving was politically motivated, and he understood that his training as a doctor-his privilege- was paid for
by the misery that the francophone working class was experiencing at that time.
In 1951, he began a 30-year collaboration with "L'Information médicale et paramédicale". On June 28, 1952, he married Madeleine Lavalée. In 1954 he became an important member of the "Congrès Canadien pour la Paix" (Canadian Peace Congress
Canadian Peace Congress
The Canadian Peace Congress is an anti-imperialist group founded in 1949 by Canadian minister James Gareth Endicott in response to the new dangers to peace posed because of the Cold War. It described itself as "a place were people of different views and faiths can meet and discuss world affairs.....
). In 1959 he helped in the foundation of the magazine Situations. In 1960, with the help of Raoul Roy, he created L'Action socialiste pour l'indépendance du Québec.
In 1962, he received the Governor General's Award for French fiction
1962 Governor General's Awards
Each winner of the 1962 Governor General's Awards for Literary Merit was selected by a panel of judges administered by the Canada Council for the Arts.-English Language:*Fiction: Kildare Dobbs, Running to Paradise....
for his book Contes du pays incertain.
In 1963 he founded the Parti Rhinocéros, which he described as "an intellectual guerrilla
Guerrilla warfare
Guerrilla warfare is a form of irregular warfare and refers to conflicts in which a small group of combatants including, but not limited to, armed civilians use military tactics, such as ambushes, sabotage, raids, the element of surprise, and extraordinary mobility to harass a larger and...
party". He also began to write for the magazine Parti pris. In 1969, he became a member of the Parti québécois
Parti Québécois
The Parti Québécois is a centre-left political party that advocates national sovereignty for the province of Quebec and secession from Canada. The Party traditionally has support from the labour movement. Unlike many other social-democratic parties, its ties with the labour movement are informal...
.
In 1977, the Quebec government awarded him the Prix Athanase-David
Prix Athanase-David
The Prix Athanase-David is a literary award presented annually by the government of Quebec as part of the Prix du Québec to a Quebec writer, to honour the body of his or her work....
. He was named an honorary member of the Union des écrivains québécois in 1981.
He died of a heart attack 1985 at his home in St-Lambert
Saint-Lambert, Quebec
Saint-Lambert is a Canadian city in the province of Quebec located opposite Montreal on the south shore of the St. Lawrence River. Saint-Lambert was named for either the early French Canadian hunter Lambert Closse or for Roman Catholic Bishop Lambert of Maastricht...
, 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....
, aged 64.