Jean-Charles Chapais, (December 2, 1811 – July 17, 1885) was a
Canadian
Canadians (french: Canadiens) are people identified with the country of Canada. This connection may be residential, legal, historical or cultural. For most Canadians, many (or all) of these connections exist and are collectively the source of ...
Conservative
Conservatism is a cultural, social, and political philosophy that seeks to promote and to preserve traditional institutions, practices, and values. The central tenets of conservatism may vary in relation to the culture and civilization in ...
politician, and considered a Father of
Canadian Confederation
Canadian Confederation (french: Confédération canadienne, link=no) was the process by which three British North American provinces, the Province of Canada, Nova Scotia, and New Brunswick, were united into one federation called the Dominion ...
for his participation in the
Quebec Conference to determine the form of Canada's government.
Chapais was born in
Rivière-Ouelle
Rivière-Ouelle () is a town located in the Kamouraska Regional County Municipality within the Bas-Saint-Laurent region of Quebec. It is located on the Saint Lawrence River; the Ouelle River flows through the town. It was part of the seignory of ...
, a small town in
Kamouraska, Quebec, and was educated in
Nicolet.
Following his success as a farmer and merchant, in 1845 he became the first mayor of
Saint-Denis-de-la-Bouteillerie, the town he had lived in from 1833. The following year, he married Georgina Dionne; they had six children together.
Political career
At the prompting of his father-in-law, Chapais entered regional politics. In 1851, he was elected for the first time to the
Legislative Assembly of the Province of Canada; he was eventually to serve a total of five terms representing
Kamouraska. A
"bleu", he was a supporter of
Augustin-Norbert Morin
Augustin-Norbert Morin (October 13, 1803 – July 27, 1865) was a Canadien lawyer and judge.
Born in Saint-Michel-de-Bellechasse, Lower Canada, into a large Roman Catholic farming family, Morin was identified by the parish priest at a young ...
,
Étienne-Paschal Taché
Sir Étienne-Paschal Taché (5 September 1795 – 30 July 1865) was a Canadian doctor, politician, and Father of Confederation.
Life
Born in St. Thomas, Lower Canada, in 1795, the third son of Charles Taché and Geneviève Michon, Tachà ...
and
George-Étienne Cartier
Sir George-Étienne Cartier, 1st Baronet, (pronounced ; September 6, 1814May 20, 1873) was a Canadian statesman and Father of Confederation.
The English spelling of the name—George, instead of Georges, the usual French spelling—is explained ...
. He worked to abolish the system of
seigneurial tenure in
Quebec
Quebec ( ; )According to the Canadian government, ''Québec'' (with the acute accent) is the official name in Canadian French and ''Quebec'' (without the accent) is the province's official name in Canadian English is one of the thirtee ...
and reform agricultural legislation.
Following the
Charlottetown Conference
The Charlottetown Conference (Canada's Conference) was held in Charlottetown, Prince Edward Island for representatives from colonies of British North America to discuss Canadian Confederation. The conference took place between September 1 thr ...
in September 1864, Chapais attended the
Quebec Conference to negotiate on behalf of
Canada East for provincial governments to have greater power in the Canadian federal system.
Chapais was Commissioner of Public Works in the
Great Coalition
The Great Coalition was a grand coalition of political parties that brought an end to political deadlock in the Province of Canada. It existed from May 1864 until Confederation in 1867.
Prelude
Four different ministries had failed in the prev ...
of 1864–1867, and is credited with establishing the
Intercolonial Railway
The Intercolonial Railway of Canada , also referred to as the Intercolonial Railway (ICR), was a historic Canadian railway that operated from 1872 to 1918, when it became part of Canadian National Railways. As the railway was also completely o ...
and expanding the
Grand Trunk Railway
The Grand Trunk Railway (; french: Grand Tronc) was a railway system that operated in the Canadian provinces of Quebec and Ontario and in the American states of Connecticut, Maine, Michigan, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, and Vermont. The rail ...
. In 1867 the
British North America Act was passed, creating the Dominion of Canada, and Chapais became the first
Minister of Agriculture
An agriculture ministry (also called an) agriculture department, agriculture board, agriculture council, or agriculture agency, or ministry of rural development) is a ministry charged with agriculture. The ministry is often headed by a minister ...
. At this time, he also switched to representing
Champlain in the Quebec legislature, due to a scandal over electoral irregularities in Kamouraska. On 30 January 1868, Jean-Charles Chapais entered the
Senate of Canada, and sat in the body until his death.
As Minister, Chapais was in charge of more than simply agriculture: the department was also responsible for the import and export of animals, immigration, the
census
A census is the procedure of systematically acquiring, recording and calculating information about the members of a given population. This term is used mostly in connection with national population and housing censuses; other common censuses in ...
, patent administration and trademarks,
public health
Public health is "the science and art of preventing disease, prolonging life and promoting health through the organized efforts and informed choices of society, organizations, public and private, communities and individuals". Analyzing the det ...
, manufacturing, and the
arts
The arts are a very wide range of human practices of creative expression, storytelling and cultural participation. They encompass multiple diverse and plural modes of thinking, doing and being, in an extremely broad range of media. Both ...
. After less than three years, he was replaced by
Christopher Dunkin
The Hon. Christopher Dunkin, (September 25, 1812 – January 6, 1881) was a Canadian editor, lawyer, teacher, judge, and politician.
Early life
Born at Walworth, London, England, he was the son of Summerhayes Dunkin (1779-1823), of Hors ...
, which he greatly resented. His new position of
Receiver General for Canada
The receiver general for Canada (french: receveur général du Canada) is responsible for making payments to the Government of Canada each fiscal year, accepting payments from financial institutions and preparing the Public Accounts of Canada, co ...
was significantly less prestigious and powerful, requiring little more than making and accepting payments on behalf of the government. (Today, the portfolio has passed to the
Minister of Public Works
This list indicates government departments in various countries dedicated to public works or infrastructure.
See also
* Public works
* Ministry or Board of Public Works, the imperial Chinese ministry overseeing public projects from the Tang ...
.) Chapais resigned in 1873, saying that he wanted to spend more time with his family and business. He is buried in Saint-Denis-De La Bouteillerie, Quebec.
Chapais' house in Saint-Denis-De La Bouteillerie was designated a
National Historic Site of Canada
National Historic Sites of Canada (french: Lieux historiques nationaux du Canada) are places that have been designated by the federal Minister of the Environment on the advice of the Historic Sites and Monuments Board of Canada (HSMBC), as being ...
in 1962.
References
Sources
*
*
*
BiographyLibraries and Collections Canada
Biography from the Ministry of Agriculture
{{DEFAULTSORT:Chapais, Jean-Charles
1811 births
1885 deaths
Businesspeople from Quebec
Canadian farmers
Canadian senators from Quebec
Fathers of Confederation
French Quebecers
Conservative Party of Canada (1867–1942) senators
Members of the King's Privy Council for Canada
Members of the Legislative Assembly of the Province of Canada from Canada East
Conservative Party of Quebec MNAs
People from Bas-Saint-Laurent
Persons of National Historic Significance (Canada)