Louis-Honoré Fréchette
Encyclopedia
Louis-Honoré Fréchette, (November 16, 1839 – May 31, 1908), was a Canadian
poet
, politician
, playwright
, and short story
writer
.
, Lower Canada
, from 1854 to 1860 Fréchette did his classical studies at the Séminaire de Québec, the Collège de Sainte-Anne-de-la-Pocatière and at the Séminaire de Nicolet. He later studied law at Université Laval
.
In 1864, he opened a lawyer's office in Lévis where he founded two newspapers: Le drapeau de Lévis and La Tribune de Levis. He exiled himself in Chicago
where he wrote La voix d'un exilé. A number of plays which he wrote during that period were lost in the Great Chicago Fire
.
Soon after he returned home in 1874, he was elected Member of Parliament in Ottawa
. He served in the Canadian House of Commons
from 1874 to 1878 as the Liberal Party of Canada
member from Lévis
.He was not re-elected in 1878. After that, he moved to Montreal
where he began writing full time, having inherited the wealth of his aunt when she died.
He was the first Quebecer to receive the Montyon Prize
of the Académie française
for his collection of poems Les Fleurs boréales, les oiseaux de neige (1879).
In 1897 he was created a Companion of the Order of St Michael and St George
.
Canada Post issued a postage stamp in his honour on July 7, 1989.
In 1991, Louis Honoré Fréchette Public School, opened in Thornhill, Ontario.
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...
poet
Poet
A poet is a person who writes poetry. A poet's work can be literal, meaning that his work is derived from a specific event, or metaphorical, meaning that his work can take on many meanings and forms. Poets have existed since antiquity, in nearly all languages, and have produced works that vary...
, politician
Politician
A politician, political leader, or political figure is an individual who is involved in influencing public policy and decision making...
, playwright
Playwright
A playwright, also called a dramatist, is a person who writes plays.The term is not a variant spelling of "playwrite", but something quite distinct: the word wright is an archaic English term for a craftsman or builder...
, and short story
Short story
A short story is a work of fiction that is usually written in prose, often in narrative format. This format tends to be more pointed than longer works of fiction, such as novellas and novels. Short story definitions based on length differ somewhat, even among professional writers, in part because...
writer
Writer
A writer is a person who produces literature, such as novels, short stories, plays, screenplays, poetry, or other literary art. Skilled writers are able to use language to portray ideas and images....
.
Biography
Born in LévisLévis, Quebec
Lévis is a city in eastern Quebec, Canada. It is located on the south shore of the St. Lawrence River, opposite Quebec City. A ferry links Old Quebec with Old Lévis, and two bridges, the Quebec Bridge and the Pierre Laporte Bridge, connect western Lévis with Quebec City. The Société de transport de...
, 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...
, from 1854 to 1860 Fréchette did his classical studies at the Séminaire de Québec, the Collège de Sainte-Anne-de-la-Pocatière and at the Séminaire de Nicolet. He later studied law 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...
.
In 1864, he opened a lawyer's office in Lévis where he founded two newspapers: Le drapeau de Lévis and La Tribune de Levis. He exiled himself in Chicago
Chicago
Chicago is the largest city in the US state of Illinois. With nearly 2.7 million residents, it is the most populous city in the Midwestern United States and the third most populous in the US, after New York City and Los Angeles...
where he wrote La voix d'un exilé. A number of plays which he wrote during that period were lost in the Great Chicago Fire
Great Chicago Fire
The Great Chicago Fire was a conflagration that burned from Sunday, October 8, to early Tuesday, October 10, 1871, killing hundreds and destroying about in Chicago, Illinois. Though the fire was one of the largest U.S...
.
Soon after he returned home in 1874, he was elected Member of Parliament in Ottawa
Ottawa
Ottawa is the capital of Canada, the second largest city in the Province of Ontario, and the fourth largest city in the country. The city is located on the south bank of the Ottawa River in the eastern portion of Southern Ontario...
. He served in 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...
from 1874 to 1878 as the Liberal Party of Canada
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...
member from Lévis
Lévis (electoral district)
Lévis was a federal electoral district in Quebec, Canada, that was represented in the Canadian House of Commons from 1867 to 2004. It was created by the British North America Act of 1867. From 1998 to 2003, it was known as Lévis-et-Chutes-de-la-Chaudière...
.He was not re-elected in 1878. After that, he moved to Montreal
Montreal
Montreal is a city in Canada. It is the largest city in the province of Quebec, the second-largest city in Canada and the seventh largest in North America...
where he began writing full time, having inherited the wealth of his aunt when she died.
He was the first Quebecer to receive the Montyon Prize
Montyon Prizes
Montyon Prizes are a series of prizes awarded annually by the Académie Française. They were endowed by the French benefactor Baron de Montyon....
of the Académie française
Académie française
L'Académie française , also called the French Academy, is the pre-eminent French learned body on matters pertaining to the French language. The Académie was officially established in 1635 by Cardinal Richelieu, the chief minister to King Louis XIII. Suppressed in 1793 during the French Revolution,...
for his collection of poems Les Fleurs boréales, les oiseaux de neige (1879).
In 1897 he was created a Companion of the Order of St Michael and St George
Order of St Michael and St George
The Most Distinguished Order of Saint Michael and Saint George is an order of chivalry founded on 28 April 1818 by George, Prince Regent, later George IV of the United Kingdom, while he was acting as Prince Regent for his father, George III....
.
Canada Post issued a postage stamp in his honour on July 7, 1989.
In 1991, Louis Honoré Fréchette Public School, opened in Thornhill, Ontario.
Poetry
- La voix d'un exilé (1866)
- La découverte du Mississippi (1873)
- Pêle-mêle (1877)
- La Légende d'un peuple (1877)
- Poésies choisies (1879)
- Les Fleurs boréales, les oiseaux de neige (1879)
Short stories
- L'Iroquoise du lac Saint-Pierre (1861)
- Originaux et détraqués (1892), based on real life characters
- Les contes de Jos Violon
- Christmas in French Canada (1899)
Plays
- Le retour de l'exilé (1880)
- Papineau (1880)
- La retour de l'exilé (1880)
- Félix Poutré (1892)