Wilfrid Gariépy
Encyclopedia
Wilfrid Gariepy was a Canadian
politician, member of the Legislative Assembly of Alberta
and provincial cabinet minister, member of the Canadian House of Commons
, and municipal councillor in Edmonton
.
on March 14, 1877 born to parents Joseph Gariépy
and Etudienne Boissoneault. He graduated high school from St-Laurent College and came to Edmonton with his family in 1893. Shortly after he returned to Montreal for university, earning a B.A. from Université Laval
in 1899 and a B.C.L. from McGill University
in 1902.
He married Albertina Lessard, with whom he would have four children. He was admitted to the Alberta bar the same year and began work with the firm Taylor, Boyle & Gariépy. Later, he would head Gariépy, Landry & Landry.
His younger brother was Charles Gariépy
who would, like Wilfrid and their father, take an interest in politics.
. He would serve in this capacity for nine years, eventually becoming chair.
In the 1906 election
, Gariépy ran for election to Edmonton City Council
, finished first of twelve candidates for alderman, and was elected to a two year term. He was re-elected in 1908
, finishing first of thirteen candidates, but did not seek re-election at the conclusion of this second term. He was known for supporting the viewpoints of organized labour.
, when he planned to run as an independent Liberal
in St. Albert
but withdrew before the election. He stayed in the race until election day in the 1909 election
(while he was still an alderman in Edmonton), running in the same riding and under the same banner after refusing to contest the Liberal nomination on the grounds that he considered it rigged in favour of Lucien Boudreau
. Gariépy was defeated by Boudreau in the election itself, finishing second of three candidates.
He was more successful in the 1913 election
, when he ran in the new Beaver River
electoral district. He handily defeated Conservative
candidate Ambrose Gray in a two person race, and became a member of the Legislative Assembly of Alberta
. Premier Arthur Sifton named him to his cabinet as Minister of Municipal Affairs. In accordance with the customs of the day, Gariépy resigned to contest a by-election; no opponents stepped forward, and he was acclaimed.
He was re-elected in the 1917 election
by an even larger margin over Gray, his 1913 opponent. When Charles Stewart
took over from Sifton as premier, he initially left Gariépy in the municipal affairs portfolio, but appointed him Provincial Secretary instead in 1918. Gariépy lasted only a short time in the job, and quit a month later to move to Trois-Rivières
, Quebec
, where he had been promised a seat in the Canadian House of Commons
. However, the promised seat didn't materialize, and he returned to Alberta shortly thereafter to resume his career as an MLA (a position from which he had not resigned).
During the Conscription Crisis of 1917
Gariépy aligned himself against Robert Borden
's Unionist government
(of which his old boss Sifton had resigned as premier to become a member), and toured the province with Frank Oliver speaking against it.
A motion was moved in the Legislature in 1920 by John Stewart
questioning whether Gariépy had a right to sit and vote in the legislature as he signed the Legislature registry with his home as being Three Rivers in Quebec. The motion asked the committee of privileges and elections for investigation. John Boyle
amended the motion to ask the provincial courts to investigate the matter. The amendment and motion passed on a recorded division.
He did not seek re-election in the 1921 election
and moved back to Trois-Rivières.
and the 1925 federal election
, but did not run in either.
When the Liberal
MP for Three Rivers and St. Maurice
, Arthur Bettez
, died on January 4, 1931, Gariépy finally did run, securing the Liberal nomination in the by-election to replace Bettez. In the by-election, held August 10, he was defeated by thirty-eight votes by Conservative
candidate Charles Bourgeois
.
In the 1935 federal election
, Gariépy was again the Liberal candidate in the riding (now called Three Rivers
). This time, he was elected from a field of six candidates (Bourgeois not among them). On the outbreak of World War II
, he broke from the policy of the government of William Lyon MacKenzie King
, going so far as to vote against war credits, and when he sought re-election in the 1940 election
it was as an independent Liberal. He was defeated in the two person race by Robert Ryan
, the Liberal Party's duly-nominated candidate.
The King government's policy of conscription
cost it popularity in Quebec, and Gariépy's critical approach gained favour. So it was that when he ran again during the 1945 election
, this time as an independent, he came out ahead of his six opponents (Ryan finished fourth). During this, his second term in the House of Commons, he reconciled with his old party, and ran in the 1949 election
it was once again as a Liberal. He came in fifty-nine votes behind Progressive Conservative
Léon Balcer
, and did not seek public office again in his lifetime.
. He was also member of the Société Parler Français, and represented Alberta at 1912's Congrès de la langue française in Québec. He was a Rotarian
and a member of the Knights of Columbus
.
In 1909, Gariépy founded le Progrès libéral, Alberta's third French-language newspaper, in Morinville, Alberta
. In 1914, it relocated to Edmonton and was renamed le Progrès albertain. The paper's loyalties were to the Liberal Party
, and it encouraged francophone immigration to Alberta. It folded in August 1915.
Wilfrid Gariépy died January 13, 1960 in Trois-Rivières. Gariépy Neighborhood in Edmonton, Alberta is named in his family's honor.
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, member of the Legislative Assembly of Alberta
Legislative Assembly of Alberta
The Legislative Assembly of Alberta is one of two components of the Legislature of Alberta, the other being the Queen, represented by the Lieutenant-Governor of Alberta. The Alberta legislature meets in the Alberta Legislature Building in the provincial capital, Edmonton...
and provincial cabinet minister, member of 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...
, and municipal councillor in Edmonton
Edmonton
Edmonton is the capital of the Canadian province of Alberta and is the province's second-largest city. Edmonton is located on the North Saskatchewan River and is the centre of the Edmonton Capital Region, which is surrounded by the central region of the province.The city and its census...
.
Early life
Wilfrid Gariépy was born in Montreal, Quebec, QuebecQuebec
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....
on March 14, 1877 born to parents Joseph Gariépy
Joseph Gariépy
Joseph Hormidas Gariépy was a politician in Alberta, Canada and a municipal councillor in Edmonton.-Biography:...
and Etudienne Boissoneault. He graduated high school from St-Laurent College and came to Edmonton with his family in 1893. Shortly after he returned to Montreal for university, earning a B.A. from 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 1899 and a B.C.L. from McGill University
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 1902.
He married Albertina Lessard, with whom he would have four children. He was admitted to the Alberta bar the same year and began work with the firm Taylor, Boyle & Gariépy. Later, he would head Gariépy, Landry & Landry.
His younger brother was Charles Gariépy
Charles Gariepy
Charles Edward Gariepy was a Canadian politician. He was elected to the separate Catholic school board from 1929-1937...
who would, like Wilfrid and their father, take an interest in politics.
Edmonton municipal politics
Gariépy's involvement in politics began with his election to Edmonton's Catholic school board in the 1905 Edmonton electionEdmonton municipal election, 1905
The 1905 municipal election was held December 11, 1905 for the purpose of electing a mayor and four aldermen to sit on the Edmonton City Council, as well as five public school trustees and five separate school trustees. There were eight aldermen on city council, but four of the positions were...
. He would serve in this capacity for nine years, eventually becoming chair.
In the 1906 election
Edmonton municipal election, 1906
The 1906 municipal election was held December 10, 1906 for the purpose of electing a mayor and four aldermen to sit on the Edmonton City Council, as well as five public school trustees and six separate school trustees...
, Gariépy ran for election to Edmonton City Council
Edmonton City Council
The Edmonton City Council is the governing body of the City of Edmonton, Alberta, Canada.Members represent wards throughout the city, and are known as councillors. Until 2010, Edmonton was divided in six wards with two councillors representing citizens in each ward...
, finished first of twelve candidates for alderman, and was elected to a two year term. He was re-elected in 1908
Edmonton municipal election, 1908
The 1908 municipal election was held December 14, 1908 for the purpose of electing a mayor and six aldermen to sit on the Edmonton City Council, as well as three public school trustees and five separate school trustees...
, finishing first of thirteen candidates, but did not seek re-election at the conclusion of this second term. He was known for supporting the viewpoints of organized labour.
Alberta provincial politics
Gariépy made a first, abortive, bid for provincial office during the 1905 Alberta electionAlberta general election, 1905
The Alberta general election of 1905 was the first general election held in the Province of Alberta, Canada. It was held on 9 November 1905, to elect members of the Alberta legislature to the 1st Alberta Legislative Assembly, shortly after the province was created out of the Northwest Territories...
, when he planned to run as an independent Liberal
Alberta Liberal Party
The Alberta Liberal Party is a provincial political party in Alberta, Canada. Originally founded in 1905, when the province was created, it was the dominant political party until 1921 when it was defeated. It has never been in government since that time...
in St. Albert
St. Albert (provincial electoral district)
St. Albert formally styled Saint Albert is a provincial electoral district in Alberta, Canada. The district is one of 83 current districts mandate to return a single member to the Legislative Assembly of Alberta of Alberta, Canada....
but withdrew before the election. He stayed in the race until election day in the 1909 election
Alberta general election, 1909
The Alberta general election was 1909 was the second general election for the Province of Alberta, Canada. It was held on 22 March 1909 to elect members of the Legislative Assembly of Alberta....
(while he was still an alderman in Edmonton), running in the same riding and under the same banner after refusing to contest the Liberal nomination on the grounds that he considered it rigged in favour of Lucien Boudreau
Lucien Boudreau
Lucien Boudreau was a politician, mayor of St. Albert, Alberta, and member of the Legislative Assembly of Alberta .-Early life:...
. Gariépy was defeated by Boudreau in the election itself, finishing second of three candidates.
He was more successful in the 1913 election
Alberta general election, 1913
The Alberta general election of 1913 was the third general election for the Province of Alberta, Canada. The writ was dropped on 25 March 1913 and election day was held 17 April 1913 to elect members of the Legislative Assembly of Alberta. Elections in two northern districts took place on 30 July...
, when he ran in the new Beaver River
Beaver River (provincial electoral district)
-1944 general election:- External links :*...
electoral district. He handily defeated Conservative
Progressive Conservative Association of Alberta
The Progressive Conservative Association of Alberta is a provincial centre-right party in the Canadian province of Alberta...
candidate Ambrose Gray in a two person race, and became a member of the Legislative Assembly of Alberta
Legislative Assembly of Alberta
The Legislative Assembly of Alberta is one of two components of the Legislature of Alberta, the other being the Queen, represented by the Lieutenant-Governor of Alberta. The Alberta legislature meets in the Alberta Legislature Building in the provincial capital, Edmonton...
. Premier Arthur Sifton named him to his cabinet as Minister of Municipal Affairs. In accordance with the customs of the day, Gariépy resigned to contest a by-election; no opponents stepped forward, and he was acclaimed.
He was re-elected in the 1917 election
Alberta general election, 1917
The Alberta general election of 1917 was the fourth general election for the Province of Alberta, Canada, held on 7 June 1917 to elect members of the Legislative Assembly of Alberta....
by an even larger margin over Gray, his 1913 opponent. When Charles Stewart
Charles Stewart (Canadian politician)
Charles Stewart, PC was a Canadian politician who served as the third Premier of Alberta from 1917 until 1921. Born in Strabane, Ontario, in Wentworth County, Stewart was a farmer who moved west to Alberta after his farm was destroyed by a storm...
took over from Sifton as premier, he initially left Gariépy in the municipal affairs portfolio, but appointed him Provincial Secretary instead in 1918. Gariépy lasted only a short time in the job, and quit a month later to move to Trois-Rivières
Trois-Rivières
Trois-Rivières means three rivers in French and may refer to:in Canada*Trois-Rivières, the largest city in the Mauricie region of Quebec, Canada*Circuit Trois-Rivières, a racetrack in Trois-Rivières, Quebec...
, 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....
, where he had been promised a seat 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...
. However, the promised seat didn't materialize, and he returned to Alberta shortly thereafter to resume his career as an MLA (a position from which he had not resigned).
During the Conscription Crisis of 1917
Conscription Crisis of 1917
The Conscription Crisis of 1917 was a political and military crisis in Canada during World War I.-Background:...
Gariépy aligned himself against Robert Borden
Robert Borden
Sir Robert Laird Borden, PC, GCMG, KC was a Canadian lawyer and politician. He served as the eighth Prime Minister of Canada from October 10, 1911 to July 10, 1920, and was the third Nova Scotian to hold this office...
's Unionist government
Unionist Party (Canada)
The Unionist Party was formed in 1917 by Members of Parliament in Canada who supported the "Union government" formed by Sir Robert Borden during the First World War....
(of which his old boss Sifton had resigned as premier to become a member), and toured the province with Frank Oliver speaking against it.
A motion was moved in the Legislature in 1920 by John Stewart
John Smith Stewart
John Smith Stewart, C.M.G., D.S.O., Croix de guerre, D.D.S. served as a member of the Legislative Assembly of Alberta from 1911 to 1925 and as a Member of Parliament for the Canadian House of Commons in the Lethbridge riding from 1930 to 1935. He was a Brigadier-General for the 3rd Canadian...
questioning whether Gariépy had a right to sit and vote in the legislature as he signed the Legislature registry with his home as being Three Rivers in Quebec. The motion asked the committee of privileges and elections for investigation. John Boyle
John R. Boyle
John Robert Boyle was a Canadian politician and jurist who served as a Member of the Legislative Assembly of Alberta, a cabinet minister in the Government of Alberta, and a judge on the Supreme Court of Alberta. Born in Ontario, he came west and eventually settled in Edmonton, where he practiced...
amended the motion to ask the provincial courts to investigate the matter. The amendment and motion passed on a recorded division.
He did not seek re-election in the 1921 election
Alberta general election, 1921
The Alberta general election of 1921 was the fifth general election for the Province of Alberta, Canada. It was held on July 18, 1921 to elect members to the 5th Alberta Legislative Assembly....
and moved back to Trois-Rivières.
Federal politics
Some time after his return to Quebec, Gariépy was again involved in politics. He was a Liberal organizer in Trois Rivières, and was rumoured candidate in the 1923 provincial electionQuebec general election, 1923
The Quebec general election of 1923 was held on February 5, 1923 to elect members of the 16th Legislative Assembly of Quebec, Canada. The incumbent Quebec Liberal Party, led by Louis-Alexandre Taschereau, was re-elected, defeating the Quebec Conservative Party, led by Arthur Sauvé.It was the first...
and the 1925 federal election
Canadian federal election, 1925
The Canadian federal election of 1925 was held on October 29 to elect members of the Canadian House of Commons of the 15th Parliament of Canada. Prime Minister William Lyon Mackenzie King's Liberal Party formed a minority government. This precipitated the "King-Byng Affair".The Liberals under...
, but did not run in either.
When the Liberal
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...
MP for Three Rivers and St. Maurice
Three Rivers and St. Maurice
Three Rivers and St. Maurice was a federal electoral district in Quebec, Canada, that was represented in the Canadian House of Commons from 1892 to 1935....
, Arthur Bettez
Arthur Bettez
Arthur Bettez was a Canadian politician from Quebec, Canada.He was born in Trois-Rivières, Mauricie and became an accountant by trade. From 1923 to 1931 he was Mayor of Trois-Rivières....
, died on January 4, 1931, Gariépy finally did run, securing the Liberal nomination in the by-election to replace Bettez. In the by-election, held August 10, he was defeated by thirty-eight votes by 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...
candidate Charles Bourgeois
Charles Bourgeois
Charles Bourgeois was a politician in the Quebec, Canada. He served as a Member of Parliament and as a Senator.-Early life:He was born on July 29, 1879 in Trois-Rivières, Mauricie. He was an attorney.-Member of Parliament:...
.
In the 1935 federal election
Canadian federal election, 1935
The Canadian federal election of 1935 was held on October 14, 1935 to elect members of the Canadian House of Commons of the 18th Parliament of Canada. The Liberal Party of William Lyon Mackenzie King won a majority government, defeating Prime Minister R.B. Bennett's Conservative Party.The central...
, Gariépy was again the Liberal candidate in the riding (now called Three Rivers
Trois-Rivières (electoral district)
Trois-Rivières is an electoral district in Quebec, Canada that has been represented in the Canadian House of Commons from 1867 to 1892 and from 1935 to the present....
). This time, he was elected from a field of six candidates (Bourgeois not among them). On the outbreak of World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
, he broke from the policy of the government of William Lyon MacKenzie King
William Lyon Mackenzie King
William Lyon Mackenzie King, PC, OM, CMG was the dominant Canadian political leader from the 1920s through the 1940s. He served as the tenth Prime Minister of Canada from December 29, 1921 to June 28, 1926; from September 25, 1926 to August 7, 1930; and from October 23, 1935 to November 15, 1948...
, going so far as to vote against war credits, and when he sought re-election in the 1940 election
Canadian federal election, 1940
The Canadian federal election of 1940 was the 19th general election in Canadian history. It was held March 26, 1940 to elect members of the Canadian House of Commons of the 19th Parliament of Canada...
it was as an independent Liberal. He was defeated in the two person race by Robert Ryan
Robert Ryan (Canadian politician)
Robert Ryan was a politician from Quebec, Canada.An accountant by profession, he was a Liberal candidate in the federal district of Three Rivers and St. Maurice in 1925, but lost....
, the Liberal Party's duly-nominated candidate.
The King government's policy of conscription
Conscription Crisis of 1944
The Conscription Crisis of 1944 was a political and military crisis following the introduction of forced military service in Canada during World War II. It was similar to the Conscription Crisis of 1917, but was not as politically damaging....
cost it popularity in Quebec, and Gariépy's critical approach gained favour. So it was that when he ran again during the 1945 election
Canadian federal election, 1945
The Canadian federal election of 1945 was the 20th general election in Canadian history. It was held June 11, 1945 to elect members of the Canadian House of Commons of the 20th Parliament of Canada...
, this time as an independent, he came out ahead of his six opponents (Ryan finished fourth). During this, his second term in the House of Commons, he reconciled with his old party, and ran in the 1949 election
Canadian federal election, 1949
The Canadian federal election of 1949 was held on June 27 to elect members of the Canadian House of Commons of the 21st Parliament of Canada. It was the first election in Canada in almost thirty years in which the Liberal Party of Canada was not led by William Lyon Mackenzie King. King had...
it was once again as a Liberal. He came in fifty-nine votes behind Progressive Conservative
Progressive Conservative Party of Canada
The Progressive Conservative Party of Canada was a Canadian political party with a centre-right stance on economic issues and, after the 1970s, a centrist stance on social issues....
Léon Balcer
Léon Balcer
Léon Balcer, PC was a Canadian politician.He was born on October 13, 1917 in Trois-Rivières, Quebec and was a lawyer by profession.-Member of the House of Commons:...
, and did not seek public office again in his lifetime.
Other activities, personal life, and legacy
In 1894, Gariépy was co-founder of Edmonton's Saint-Jean-Baptiste SocietySaint-Jean-Baptiste Society
The Saint-Jean-Baptiste Society is an institution in Quebec dedicated to the protection of Quebec francophone interests and to the promotion of Quebec Sovereignism. Its current President is Mario Beaulieu....
. He was also member of the Société Parler Français, and represented Alberta at 1912's Congrès de la langue française in Québec. He was a Rotarian
Rotary International
Rotary International is an organization of service clubs known as Rotary Clubs located all over the world. The stated purpose of the organization is to bring together business and professional leaders to provide humanitarian service, encourage high ethical standards in all vocations, and help...
and a member of the Knights of Columbus
Knights of Columbus
The Knights of Columbus is the world's largest Catholic fraternal service organization. Founded in the United States in 1882, it is named in honor of Christopher Columbus....
.
In 1909, Gariépy founded le Progrès libéral, Alberta's third French-language newspaper, in Morinville, Alberta
Morinville, Alberta
Morinville is a town in central Alberta, Canada. It is located north of Edmonton on Highway 2.- History :Morinville was settled by Father Morin, an Oblate missionary, who brought many French settlers in the late 1800s, followed by several German pioneers—hence its many French and German families...
. In 1914, it relocated to Edmonton and was renamed le Progrès albertain. The paper's loyalties were to the Liberal Party
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...
, and it encouraged francophone immigration to Alberta. It folded in August 1915.
Wilfrid Gariépy died January 13, 1960 in Trois-Rivières. Gariépy Neighborhood in Edmonton, Alberta is named in his family's honor.
External links
- Legislative Assembly of Alberta Members Listing
- Federal Political Experience Wilfrid Gariépy
- Edmonton Public Library biography of Wilfred Gariepy
- City of Edmonton biography of Wilfred Gariepy
- The Edmonton Labour Council in municipal politics
- The Quebec History Encyclopaedia's entry on Wilfrid Gariépy
- Francoidentitaire's entry on Wilfrid Gariépy
- Alberta Heritage's history of Morinville, Alberta
- The French Canadians and the Second World War