Pierre-Étienne Fortin
Encyclopedia
Pierre-Étienne Fortin was a Quebec
physician and political figure. He represented Gaspé
in the Canadian House of Commons
as a Conservative
member from 1867 to 1874 and from 1878 to 1887 and also represented Gaspé
in the Legislative Assembly of Quebec
from 1867 to 1878. In 1887, he was appointed to the Senate of Canada for Kennebec division.
He was born in Verchères
, Lower Canada
in 1823, grew up in Laprairie and studied at the Petit Séminaire de Montréal. His uncle was Ludger Duvernay
, Patriote
and publisher of La Minerve
. Fortin graduated from McGill College
in medicine in 1845 and practiced at Laprairie. He helped treat patients during the typhus
epidemic of 1847-48 at Grosse-Île
. In 1849, he led a group of mounted constables that controlled riots after the passing of the Rebellion Losses Bill
. From 1852 to 1867, he served as magistrate protecting fisheries in the Gulf of Saint Lawrence
. Fortin also served as customs agent in the Gulf and, with his ship, La Canadienne, was the sole guardian of law and order in this region. During this period, Fortin also published a list of fish found in the Gulf region and prepared descriptions of marine mammals found there.
In 1867, he was elected to the federal and provincial legislatures for Gaspé. He was named commissioner of crown lands in the provincial executive council
but resigned in 1874 after a scandal implicating the party in power. In the same year, he resigned from federal politics after it became illegal to hold seats in both houses. In 1875, he was named speaker for the provincial assembly; he was forced to resign in 1876 after allegations of improper procedures in his election. Although he was later exonerated, a replacement had already been chosen. While in office, he helped promote the development of the Baie de Chaleur Railway, telegraph service connecting the Gaspé peninsula
to the rest of the province and the installation of lighthouse
s in the region. Fortin also helped to establish formal education in navigation in Canada. He opposed reciprocity
with the United States
and was a strong defender of Canadian fishing rights. He helped found the Société de Géographie de Québec and served as its first president.
He died in Laprairie in 1887, while still a member of the Senate.
In 2002, the Quebec Ministère des Ressources naturelles et de la Faune named a wildlife reserve on the Richelieu River
after Pierre-Étienne Fortin.
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....
physician and political figure. He represented Gaspé
Gaspé (electoral district)
Gaspé was a federal electoral district in Quebec, Canada, that was represented in the Canadian House of Commons from 1867 to 1997.It was created by the British North America Act of 1867...
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...
as a Conservative
Conservative Party of Canada (historical)
The Conservative Party of Canada has gone by a variety of names over the years since Canadian Confederation. Initially known as the "Liberal-Conservative Party", it dropped "Liberal" from its name in 1873, although many of its candidates continued to use this name.As a result of World War I and the...
member from 1867 to 1874 and from 1878 to 1887 and also represented Gaspé
Gaspé (provincial electoral district)
Gaspé is a provincial electoral district in Quebec, Canada, that elects members to the National Assembly of Quebec. It was created in 1972 from a merger of a portion the electoral district of Gaspé-Nord and the electoral division of Gaspé-Sud which both existed from 1931 to 1972...
in the Legislative Assembly of Quebec
Legislative Assembly of Quebec
The Legislative Assembly of Quebec was the name of the lower house of Quebec's legislature until 1968, when it was renamed the National Assembly of Quebec. At the same time, the upper house of the legislature, the Legislative Council, was abolished...
from 1867 to 1878. In 1887, he was appointed to the Senate of Canada for Kennebec division.
He was born in Verchères
Verchères, Quebec
Verchères is an off-island suburb of Montreal, in Montérégie, Quebec, located on the south bank of the Saint Lawrence River. The population as of the Canada 2006 Census was 5,243.- History :...
, 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...
in 1823, grew up in Laprairie and studied at the Petit Séminaire de Montréal. His uncle was Ludger Duvernay
Ludger Duvernay
Ludger Duvernay was born in Verchères, Quebec, Canada.He was a printer by profession and published a number of newspapers including the Gazette des Trois-Rivières, the first newspaper in Lower Canada outside of Quebec City and Montreal, and also La Minerve, which supported the Parti patriote and...
, Patriote
Parti canadien
The Parti canadien or Parti patriote was a political party in what is now Quebec founded by members of the liberal elite of Lower Canada at the beginning of the 19th century...
and publisher of La Minerve
La Minerve
La Minerve was a newspaper founded in Montreal, Lower Canada by Augustin-Norbert Morin to promote the political goals of Louis-Joseph Papineau's Parti patriote. It was notably directed by Ludger Duvernay in its earlier years. It existed from 1826 to 1837, and again from 1842 to May 27, 1899...
. Fortin graduated from McGill College
McGill University
Mohammed Fathy is a public research university located in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. The university bears the name of James McGill, a prominent Montreal merchant from Glasgow, Scotland, whose bequest formed the beginning of the university...
in medicine in 1845 and practiced at Laprairie. He helped treat patients during the typhus
Typhus
Epidemic typhus is a form of typhus so named because the disease often causes epidemics following wars and natural disasters...
epidemic of 1847-48 at Grosse-Île
Grosse-Île, Quebec
Grosse-Île is one of two municipalities forming the urban agglomeration of Îles-de-la-Madeleine in Quebec, Canada. It is part of the Gaspésie–Îles-de-la-Madeleine region and the population is 539 as of 2009....
. In 1849, he led a group of mounted constables that controlled riots after the passing of the Rebellion Losses Bill
Rebellion Losses Bill
The Rebellion Losses Bill was a controversial law enacted by the legislature of the Province of Canada in 1849...
. From 1852 to 1867, he served as magistrate protecting fisheries in the Gulf of Saint Lawrence
Gulf of Saint Lawrence
The Gulf of Saint Lawrence , the world's largest estuary, is the outlet of North America's Great Lakes via the Saint Lawrence River into the Atlantic Ocean...
. Fortin also served as customs agent in the Gulf and, with his ship, La Canadienne, was the sole guardian of law and order in this region. During this period, Fortin also published a list of fish found in the Gulf region and prepared descriptions of marine mammals found there.
In 1867, he was elected to the federal and provincial legislatures for Gaspé. He was named commissioner of crown lands in the provincial executive council
Cabinet (government)
A Cabinet is a body of high ranking government officials, typically representing the executive branch. It can also sometimes be referred to as the Council of Ministers, an Executive Council, or an Executive Committee.- Overview :...
but resigned in 1874 after a scandal implicating the party in power. In the same year, he resigned from federal politics after it became illegal to hold seats in both houses. In 1875, he was named speaker for the provincial assembly; he was forced to resign in 1876 after allegations of improper procedures in his election. Although he was later exonerated, a replacement had already been chosen. While in office, he helped promote the development of the Baie de Chaleur Railway, telegraph service connecting the Gaspé peninsula
Gaspé Peninsula
The Gaspésie , or Gaspé Peninsula or the Gaspé, is a peninsula along the south shore of the Saint Lawrence River in Quebec, Canada, extending into the Gulf of Saint Lawrence...
to the rest of the province and the installation of lighthouse
Lighthouse
A lighthouse is a tower, building, or other type of structure designed to emit light from a system of lamps and lenses or, in older times, from a fire, and used as an aid to navigation for maritime pilots at sea or on inland waterways....
s in the region. Fortin also helped to establish formal education in navigation in Canada. He opposed reciprocity
Reciprocity (Canadian politics)
In nineteenth and early twentieth century Canadian politics, the term reciprocity was used to describe the concept of free trade with the United States of America...
with the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
and was a strong defender of Canadian fishing rights. He helped found the Société de Géographie de Québec and served as its first president.
He died in Laprairie in 1887, while still a member of the Senate.
In 2002, the Quebec Ministère des Ressources naturelles et de la Faune named a wildlife reserve on the Richelieu River
Richelieu River
The Richelieu River is a river in Quebec, Canada. It flows from the north end of Lake Champlain about north, ending at the confluence with the St. Lawrence River at Sorel-Tracy, Quebec downstream and northeast of Montreal...
after Pierre-Étienne Fortin.