Joseph Girard was a Canadian

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...

 politician.

He was elected to the National Assembly of Quebec

National Assembly of Quebec

The National Assembly of Quebec is the legislative body of the Province of Quebec. The Lieutenant Governor and the National Assembly compose the Parliament of Quebec, which operates in a fashion similar to those of other British-style parliamentary systems.The National Assembly was formerly the...

 for Lac-Saint-Jean at the general elections of 1892 and re-elected in 1897. A Conservative, Girard was first elected in 1900 from the riding of Chicoutimi—Saguenay

Chicoutimi—Saguenay

Chicoutimi—Saguenay was a federal electoral district in Quebec, Canada, that was represented in the Canadian House of Commons from 1867 to 1925.It was created by the British North America Act of 1867, and was amalgamated into the Chicoutimi and Lake St...

. He remained in parliament for seventeen years until his defeat in the Conscription crisis

Conscription crisis

A conscription crisis is a public dispute about a policy of conscription, or mandatory service in the military, also known as a "draft". A dispute can become a crisis when submission to military service becomes highly controversial and popular revolt ensues...

 election of 1917

Canadian federal election, 1917

The 1917 Canadian federal election was held on December 17, 1917, to elect members of the Canadian House of Commons of the 13th Parliament of Canada. Described by historian Michael Bliss as the "most bitter election in Canadian history", it was fought mainly over the issue of conscription...

 when he ran as a supporter of the Conservative-Unionist government's conscription policy.