Joseph-Balsora Turgeon (1810 – July 17, 1897) was the first

French-Canadian French Canadians (referred to as Canadiens mainly before the twentieth century; french: Canadiens français, ; feminine form: , ), or Franco-Canadians (french: Franco-Canadiens), refers to either an ethnic group who trace their ancestry to Fr ...

mayor of Bytown, Canada. He was born in Terrebonne, Quebec in 1810 and came to Bytown in around 1836. He was elected to the town council in 1848, 1849, 1851 and 1852. In 1852, he became a school trustee and also founded L'Institut canadien-français d'Ottawa. He became mayor of Bytown in 1853. Turgeon proposed the establishment of a

Separate School In Canada, a separate school is a type of school that has constitutional status in three provinces (Ontario, Alberta and Saskatchewan) and statutory status in the three territories ( Northwest Territories, Yukon and Nunavut). In these Canadi ...

system in Bytown and also lobbied for more French-speaking teachers. He also suggested a new name rich in history,

Ottawa Ottawa (, ; Canadian French: ) is the capital city of Canada. It is located at the confluence of the Ottawa River and the Rideau River in the southern portion of the province of Ontario. Ottawa borders Gatineau, Quebec, and forms the core ...

, for the town. He died in

Hull, Quebec Hull is the central business district and oldest neighbourhood of the city of Gatineau, Quebec, Canada. It is located on the west bank of the Gatineau River and the north shore of the Ottawa River, directly opposite Ottawa. As part of the Canadia ...

in 1897 and buried at

Notre Dame Cemetery Notre Dame Cemetery, is a Catholic cemetery in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada. Opened in 1872, it is the most prominent Catholic cemetery in Ottawa. The cemetery's western edge is located in Vanier, just south of Beechwood Cemetery. Its eastern lim ...

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* 1810 births 1897 deaths 19th-century mayors of places in Canada Mayors of Bytown People from Terrebonne, Quebec Province of Canada politicians {{Ontario-mayor-stub