Laurier Lévesque
Encyclopedia
Laurier Lévesque was a Canadian
educator and a politician in the Province of New Brunswick
.
A graduate of St. Joseph's College in Memramcook
and the New Brunswick Teachers' College
in Fredericton
, Laurier Lévesque taught school before entering political life. A resident of Edmundston, New Brunswick
, he was first elected to the Legislative Assembly
in the 1960 New Brunswick general election
as a Liberal Party
candidate for one of the three seats for Madawaska County
. He was reelected in 1963
, 1967
, and 1970
.
In the 1974 election
, he lost by 95 votes to the Progressive Conservative
candidate Jean-Pierre Ouellet
in the newly created riding of Madawaska-les-Lacs
. Without the Parti acadien
contesting the riding, Lévesque may have won. The Parti acadien received 99 votes, ones that are generally accepted as being traditional Liberal supporters. Laurier Lévesque attempted a political comeback in the City of Edmundston
riding in 1982 but lost to Jean-Maurice Simard
.
As a Member of the Legislative Assembly in the government of Premier
Louis Robichaud
, Laurier Lévesque was an ardent defender of Francophone
rights and was one of the first Members to give his speeches in the Assembly in the French language
.
Out of politics, in 1990 the Government of Canada
appointed him to diplomatic missions abroad which organized and supervised democratic
election
s in 10 Africa
n countries, in 2 countries from the former Soviet Union
, as well as in Bosnia and Herzegovina
.
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...
educator and a politician in the Province of 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...
.
A graduate of St. Joseph's College in Memramcook
Memramcook, New Brunswick
Memramcook is a Canadian village in Westmorland County, New Brunswick. Located in south-eastern New Brunswick, the community is predominantly people of Acadian descent who speak the Chiac derivative of the French language....
and the New Brunswick Teachers' College
New Brunswick Teachers' College
The New Brunswick Teachers' College was a normal school in Fredericton, New Brunswick which granted teaching certificates.It was founded on February 10, 1848 as the Provincial Normal School with Joseph Marshall de Brett Maréchal, Baron d'Avray as the first principal...
in Fredericton
Fredericton, New Brunswick
Fredericton is the capital of the Canadian province of New Brunswick, by virtue of the provincial parliament which sits there. An important cultural, artistic, and educational centre for the province, Fredericton is home to two universities and cultural institutions such as the Beaverbrook Art...
, Laurier Lévesque taught school before entering political life. A resident of Edmundston, New Brunswick
Edmundston, New Brunswick
Edmundston is a Canadian city in Madawaska County, New Brunswick.-History:During the early colonial period, the area was an important meeting place and hunting/fishing spot of the Maliseet nation. A considerable sized village was located there around the turn of the 19th century...
, he was first elected to the Legislative Assembly
Legislative Assembly of New Brunswick
The Legislative Assembly of New Brunswick is located in Fredericton. It was established de jure when the colony was created in 1784, but only came in to session in 1786 following the first elections in late 1785. Until 1891, it was the lower house in a bicameral legislature when its upper house...
in the 1960 New Brunswick general election
New Brunswick general election, 1960
The 24th New Brunswick general election was held on June 27, 1960, to elect 52 members to the 44th New Brunswick Legislative Assembly, the governing house of the province of New Brunswick, Canada. New Brunswick general election, 1960 Name Seats...
as a Liberal Party
New Brunswick Liberal Association
The New Brunswick Liberal Association , more popularly known as the New Brunswick Liberal Party or Liberal Party of New Brunswick, is one of the two major political parties in the Canadian province of New Brunswick...
candidate for one of the three seats for Madawaska County
Madawaska County, New Brunswick
Madawaska County , also known as the "New Brunswick Panhandle", is located in northwestern New Brunswick, Canada. Over 90% of the county's population speaks French...
. He was reelected in 1963
New Brunswick general election, 1963
The 25th New Brunswick general election was held on April 22, 1963, to elect 52 members to the 45th New Brunswick Legislative Assembly, the governing house of the province of New Brunswick, Canada....
, 1967
New Brunswick general election, 1967
The 26th New Brunswick general election was held on October 23, 1967, to elect 58 members to the 46th New Brunswick Legislative Assembly, the governing house of the province of New Brunswick, Canada....
, and 1970
New Brunswick general election, 1970
The 27th New Brunswick general election was held on November 18, 1974, to elect 58 members to the 47th New Brunswick Legislative Assembly, the governing house of the province of New Brunswick, Canada...
.
In the 1974 election
New Brunswick general election, 1974
The 28th New Brunswick general election was held on November 18, 1974, to elect 58 members to the 48th New Brunswick Legislative Assembly, the governing house of the province of New Brunswick, Canada...
, he lost by 95 votes to the Progressive Conservative
Progressive Conservative Party of New Brunswick
The Progressive Conservative Party of New Brunswick is a centre-right political party in New Brunswick, Canada. It has its origins in the pre-Canadian confederation Conservative Party that opposed the granting of responsible government to the colony...
candidate Jean-Pierre Ouellet
Jean-Pierre Ouellet
Jean-Pierre Ouellet is a Canadian politician in the province of New Brunswick....
in the newly created riding of Madawaska-les-Lacs
Madawaska-les-Lacs
Madawaska-les-Lacs is a provincial electoral district for the Legislative Assembly of New Brunswick, Canada. Its MLA is Jeannot Volpé, a Progressive Conservative....
. Without the Parti acadien
Parti acadien
The Parti Acadien was a political party in New Brunswick, Canada, in the 1970s and 1980s. The party was founded in 1972 by Acadians who were upset over poorer living conditions in predominantly francophone areas of the province versus those areas dominated by anglophones...
contesting the riding, Lévesque may have won. The Parti acadien received 99 votes, ones that are generally accepted as being traditional Liberal supporters. Laurier Lévesque attempted a political comeback in the City of Edmundston
Edmundston-Saint Basile
Edmundston-Saint Basile is a provincial electoral district for the Legislative Assembly of New Brunswick, Canada.It was created as Edmundston in 1967 and was unchanged in the 1973 and 1994...
riding in 1982 but lost to Jean-Maurice Simard
Jean-Maurice Simard
Jean-Maurice Simard was a Canadian Chartered Accountant and politician remembered as a strong promoter of French language rights and defender of Canadian bilingualism....
.
As a Member of the Legislative Assembly in the government of Premier
Premier of New Brunswick
The Premier of New Brunswick is the first minister for the Canadian province of New Brunswick. They are the province's head of government and de facto chief executive....
Louis Robichaud
Louis Robichaud
Louis Joseph Robichaud, PC, CC, QC , popularly known as "Little Louis" or "P'tit-Louis" , was a Canadian lawyer and politician...
, Laurier Lévesque was an ardent defender of Francophone
Francophone
The adjective francophone means French-speaking, typically as primary language, whether referring to individuals, groups, or places. Often, the word is used as a noun to describe a natively French-speaking person....
rights and was one of the first Members to give his speeches in the Assembly in the French language
French language
French is a Romance language spoken as a first language in France, the Romandy region in Switzerland, Wallonia and Brussels in Belgium, Monaco, the regions of Quebec and Acadia in Canada, and by various communities elsewhere. Second-language speakers of French are distributed throughout many parts...
.
Out of politics, in 1990 the Government of Canada
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...
appointed him to diplomatic missions abroad which organized and supervised democratic
Democracy
Democracy is generally defined as a form of government in which all adult citizens have an equal say in the decisions that affect their lives. Ideally, this includes equal participation in the proposal, development and passage of legislation into law...
election
Election
An election is a formal decision-making process by which a population chooses an individual to hold public office. Elections have been the usual mechanism by which modern representative democracy operates since the 17th century. Elections may fill offices in the legislature, sometimes in the...
s in 10 Africa
Africa
Africa is the world's second largest and second most populous continent, after Asia. At about 30.2 million km² including adjacent islands, it covers 6% of the Earth's total surface area and 20.4% of the total land area...
n countries, in 2 countries from the former Soviet Union
Soviet Union
The Soviet Union , officially the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics , was a constitutionally socialist state that existed in Eurasia between 1922 and 1991....
, as well as in Bosnia and Herzegovina
Bosnia and Herzegovina
Bosnia and Herzegovina , sometimes called Bosnia-Herzegovina or simply Bosnia, is a country in Southern Europe, on the Balkan Peninsula. Bordered by Croatia to the north, west and south, Serbia to the east, and Montenegro to the southeast, Bosnia and Herzegovina is almost landlocked, except for the...
.