Sir Louis-Hippolyte Ménard '' dit'' La Fontaine, 1st Baronet,

KCMG KCMG may refer to * KC Motorgroup, based in Hong Kong, China * Knight Commander of the Order of St Michael and St George, British honour * KCMG-LP, radio station in New Mexico, USA * KCMG, callsign 1997-2001 of Los Angeles radio station KKLQ (FM) ...

(October 4, 1807 – February 26, 1864) was a Canadian politician who served as the first Premier of the United Province of Canada and the first head of a

responsible government Responsible government is a conception of a system of government that embodies the principle of parliamentary accountability, the foundation of the Westminster system of parliamentary democracy. Governments (the equivalent of the executive bran ...

in Canada. He was born in

Boucherville Boucherville is a city in the Montérégie region in Quebec, Canada. It is a suburb of Montreal on the South Shore (Montreal), South shore of the Saint Lawrence River. Boucherville is part of both the urban agglomeration of Longueuil and Greate ...

, Lower Canada in 1807. A

jurist A jurist is a person with expert knowledge of law; someone who analyses and comments on law. This person is usually a specialist legal scholar, mostly (but not always) with a formal qualification in law and often a legal practitioner. In the Uni ...

and

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, La Fontaine was first elected to the

Legislative Assembly of Lower Canada The Legislative Assembly of Lower Canada was the lower house of the bicameral structure of provincial government in Lower Canada until 1838. The legislative assembly was created by the Constitutional Act of 1791. The lower house consisted of el ...

in 1830. He was a supporter of Papineau and member of the ''

Parti canadien The Parti canadien () or Parti patriote () was a primarily francophone political party in what is now Quebec founded by members of the liberal elite of Lower Canada at the beginning of the 19th century. Its members were made up of liberal pro ...

'' (later the ''

Parti patriote The Parti canadien () or Parti patriote () was a primarily francophone political party in what is now Quebec founded by members of the liberal elite of Lower Canada at the beginning of the 19th century. Its members were made up of liberal prof ...

''). After the severe consequences of the

Rebellions of 1837 Rebellion, uprising, or insurrection is a refusal of obedience or order. It refers to the open resistance against the orders of an established authority. A rebellion originates from a sentiment of indignation and disapproval of a situation and ...

against the British authorities, he advocated political reforms within the new Union regime of 1841. Under this Union of the two Canadas he worked with

Robert Baldwin Robert Baldwin (May 12, 1804 – December 9, 1858) was an Upper Canada, Upper Canadian lawyer and politician who with his political partner Louis-Hippolyte Lafontaine of Lower Canada, led the first responsible government ministry in the Province ...

in the formation of a party of Upper and Lower Canadian

liberal Liberal or liberalism may refer to: Politics * a supporter of liberalism ** Liberalism by country * an adherent of a Liberal Party * Liberalism (international relations) * Sexually liberal feminism * Social liberalism Arts, entertainment and m ...

reformers. He and Baldwin formed a government in 1842 but resigned in 1843. In 1848 he was asked by the

Governor-General Governor-general (plural ''governors-general''), or governor general (plural ''governors general''), is the title of an office-holder. In the context of governors-general and former British colonies, governors-general are appointed as viceroy t ...

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, to form the first administration under the new policy of

. The La Fontaine-Baldwin government, formed on March 11, battled for the restoration of the official status of the French language, which was abolished with the Union Act, and the principles of

and the

double-majority A double majority is a voting system which requires a majority of votes according to two separate criteria. The mechanism is usually used to require strong support for any measure considered to be of great importance. Typically in legislative ...

in the voting of bills. While Baldwin was reforming Canada West (Upper Canada), La Fontaine passed bills to abolish the ''tenure seigneuriale'' (

seigneurial system Seigneurial system may refer to: * Manorialism - the socio-economic system of the Middle Ages and Early Modern period * Seigneurial system of New France The manorial system of New France, known as the seigneurial system (french: Régime seigneu ...

) and grant amnesty to the leaders of the rebellions in Lower Canada who had been exiled. The bill passed, but it was not accepted by the loyalists of Canada East who protested violently and burned down the

Parliament In modern politics, and history, a parliament is a legislative body of government. Generally, a modern parliament has three functions: Representation (politics), representing the Election#Suffrage, electorate, making laws, and overseeing ...

Montreal Montreal ( ; officially Montréal, ) is the List of the largest municipalities in Canada by population, second-most populous city in Canada and List of towns in Quebec, most populous city in the Provinces and territories of Canada, Canadian ...

. La Fontaine retired to private life in 1851 but was appointed Chief Justice of Canada East in 1853. In 1854 he was created a baronet by

Queen Victoria Victoria (Alexandrina Victoria; 24 May 1819 – 22 January 1901) was Queen of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland from 20 June 1837 until Death and state funeral of Queen Victoria, her death in 1901. Her reign of 63 years and 21 ...

and a knight commander in the pontifical

Order of St. Sylvester Pontifical Equestrian Order of Saint Sylvester Pope and Martyr ( la, Ordo Sancti Silvestri Papae, it, Ordine di San Silvestro Papa), sometimes referred to as the Sylvestrine Order, or the Pontifical Order of Pope Saint Sylvester, is one of five o ...

Pope Pius IX Pope Pius IX ( it, Pio IX, ''Pio Nono''; born Giovanni Maria Mastai Ferretti; 13 May 1792 – 7 February 1878) was head of the Catholic Church from 1846 to 1878, the longest verified papal reign. He was notable for convoking the First Vatican ...

in 1855. His last name is often written in one word (Lafontaine or LaFontaine); his own signature was one word.

Political career

During the 1840s, Willson continued his association with the Reform Party; he was, for example, the campaign manager in the area for both

and LaFontaine, the "Fathers of

Responsible Government Responsible government is a conception of a system of government that embodies the principle of parliamentary accountability, the foundation of the Westminster system of parliamentary democracy. Governments (the equivalent of the executive bran ...

" and first elected premiers of the province. It was the Children of Peace who ensured the election of Montreal lawyer Louis La Fontaine as their representative in Upper Canada. Willson argued that this was an opportunity, as he said, "to show our impartial respect to the Canadian people of the Lower province." Here, Willson is expressing a clear Canadian identity that overcame differences in the language and religion. It was a vision of Canadian citizenship that was ultimately successful, as La Fontaine was elected in the 4th Riding of York. Subsequently, they elected Baldwin in their riding. The band of the Children of Peace was a familiar sight at Baldwin's campaign rallies. In 1844, they held a campaign rally for Baldwin concurrently with the illumination of the Temple. Over 3000 people attended, an event that helped end the reign of Orange Order electoral violence. In

Canada East Canada East (french: links=no, Canada-Est) was the northeastern portion of the United Province of Canada. Lord Durham's Report investigating the causes of the Upper and Lower Canada Rebellions recommended merging those two colonies. The new ...

, gerrymandering and Orange Order violence were used to prevent the election of LaFontaine, leader of the

Canadien 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 Fren ...

reformers in

Terrebonne Terrebonne, meaning ''good earth'' in French, is a name of several places in North America: ;Canada *Terrebonne, Quebec, a suburb of Montreal ** Terrebonne station, a commuter railway station in Terrebonne, Quebec **Terrebonne City Council, the go ...

, outside Montreal. In order to ensure La Fontaine a seat, Baldwin proposed to David Willson, leader of the

Children of Peace Children of Peace is a United Kingdom, British-based, non-partisan Charitable organization, charity that focuses upon building friendship, trust and reconciliation between Israeli and Palestinian people, Palestinian children, aged 4–17, reg ...

, that they nominate La Fontaine for the seat in 4th York. Baldwin also insisted that Sydenham include La Fontaine in the reformed Executive Council, or he would resign as Solicitor General. Their alliance allowed La Fontaine to have a seat in the assembly in 1841 and for Baldwin to win the by-election in 1843. On 3 September 1841, the Children of Peace held a campaign rally for Baldwin and La Fontaine in their

Temple A temple (from the Latin ) is a building reserved for spiritual rituals and activities such as prayer and sacrifice. Religions which erect temples include Christianity (whose temples are typically called churches), Hinduism (whose temples ...

, where they rejoiced "to say that we have it in our power to show our impartial respect to the Canadian people of the Lower Province." Despite threats of Orange Order violence, La Fontaine was elected as representative of 4th York. However, before La Fontaine could take up his seat, Governor Sydenham died. His replacement, Sir

Charles Bagot Sir Charles Bagot GCB (23 September 1781 – 19 May 1843) was a British politician, diplomat and colonial administrator. He served as ambassador to the United States, Russia, and the Netherlands. He served as the second Governor General of ...

, was not able to form a mixed cabinet of Reformers and Tories, and so he was forced to include the "Canadien party" under La Fontaine. La Fontaine refused to join the Executive Council unless Baldwin was also included. Bagot was finally forced to accede in September, 1842, and when he became severely ill thereafter, Baldwin and La Fontaine became the first real premiers of the Province of Canada. However, in order to take office as ministers, the two had to run for re-election. While La Fontaine was easily re-elected in 4th York, Baldwin lost his seat in Hastings as a result of Orange Order violence. It was now that the pact between the two men was completely solidified, as La Fontaine arranged for Baldwin to run in

Rimouski Rimouski ( ) is a city in Quebec, Canada. Rimouski is located in the Bas-Saint-Laurent region, at the mouth of the Rimouski River. It has a population of 48,935 (as of 2021). Rimouski is the site of Université du Québec à Rimouski (UQAR), t ...

, Canada East. This was the union of the Canadas they sought, where La Fontaine overcame linguistic prejudice to gain a seat in English Canada, and Baldwin obtained his seat in French Canada.

Family

He first married on July 9, 1831 to Adèle Berthelot (1813–1859). Their union produced no children. His real family name is Ménard. He is the son of Antoine Ménard. The Hon. Sir Louis Hypolite Ménard, Bart., then Chief Justice of Lower Canada then married Montreal, January 30, 1861, the widowed Jane Élisabeth Geneviève Morrison, (1822–1905) daughter of Charles Morrison, on January 30, 1861. Julie had married in Montreal, December 18, 1848, Thomas Kinton, of the Royal Engineers Department. This second marriage produced two sons who died in infancy; Louis-Hippolyte (born July 11, 1862) and Charles François Hypolite Lafontaine, born April 13, 1864 who died the following year. The elder son succeeded to the baronetcy at eighteen months old in February, 1864, but died in 1867. The family residence was

Saint Denis Street Saint Denis Street (officially in french: Rue Saint-Denis) is a major north–south thoroughfare in Montreal, Quebec. It extends from the Notre-Dame-de-Bon-Secours Chapel on Saint Paul Street in Old Montreal to the bank of the Rivière des Pra ...

, Montreal.

Memorials

The Louis Hippolyte Ménard Monument in La Fontaine Park Montreal

The city authorities of Montreal named Louis-Hippolyte La Fontaine park as a tribute to Chief Justice Lafontaine's memory. The unveiling of the La Fontaine Monument in Parc La Fontaine Montreal was a tremendous event to honour such a great man, who is considered the father of responsible Government in Canada. In a book published by Le Comité Du Monument LaFontaine in 1930 titled ''Hommage à LaFontaine''. The book is a compilation of letters sent to various people about the unveiling of the monument in Montreal. In these letters and speeches, people expressed their sentiments about the unveiling of the LaFontaine Monument and it is clear they saw him as a great man. Mayor. C.Houde explained how . The crowd was extremely large at the unveiling and Mayor. Houde explained how the monument was erected . The Chief Justice for Sir Wilfrid Laurier was also present the day of the unveiling and he spoke very highly of the monument and LaFontaine as he said "It is a grateful joy to be allowed to laud and magnify LaFontaine's imperishable name. I would fain do it, excluding in a rise of Canada from colonial inferiority to international equality, wherein La Fontaine bore so great a part.

The Louis Hippolyte Ménard Monument in Boucherville

La Fontaine was born in

and moved to Montreal to begin his political career. A monument was unveiled in Boucherville after his demise as well as a commemorative plaque, placed upon his birth home. Evidence of this is given by Dr. Eudore Dubeau a doctor of the town who explained, . He goes further to explain how on La Fontaine's birth home they placed a bronze plaque which . Once again he is referenced as not only the father of responsible government, but also the defender of the French language. LaFontaine refused to speak English in the Assembly and fought to use his mother tongue. It was not that he was incapable of speaking English, he just believed people should be able to speak their mother tongue and supported the French Canadians right to do so.

The Louis-Hippolyte-La Fontaine Bridge-Tunnel

More about the Louis-Hippolyte LaFontaine Tunnel can be found here. In brief construction began in 1963 and they named it after LaFontaine in order to preserve his memory for future generations. File:Louis H Lafontaine Tunnel.JPG, The LaFontaine Tunnel

Louis-Hippolyte Ménard Hospital

The Louis-Hippolyte-La Fontaine Hospital opened its doors in 1873 under the name "d'Hospice Saint-Jean-De-Dieu...La congrégation des Soeurs de la Providence". It was and still is a psychiatric hospital, although it speculated that they also took care of orphans who they wrongly labeled as mentally ill to conduct medical experiments, they are called the

Duplessis Orphans The Duplessis Orphans (french: link=no, les Orphelins de Duplessis) were a population of Canadian children wrongly certified as mentally ill by the provincial government of Quebec and confined to psychiatric institutions in the 1940s and 1950s ...

. The name was changed because of letters from patients, although the reason they chose La Fontaine's name over others is not documented. File:StJeanduDieuHospice02.jpg, The Former Home of Louis-Hippolyte LaFontaine in Montreal

The Baldwin and La Fontaine Monument on Parliament Hill

Created by Walter Seymour Allward who is best known for his design of the "mammoth Canadian Battlefields Memorial in Vimy, France (1922-36), that commemorated the important battle of Vimy Ridge." Allward created the statue of La Fontaine and Baldwin which rests on Parliament Hill in

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 ...

. The "La Fontaine-Baldwin administration throughout the years 1849 and 1850 remained in a position of exceptional power". Under this regime La Fontaine fought to see the seigneurial system "abolished, but wished to find means to respect the interests of the seigniors by a proper compensation". Baldwin and La Fontaine fought hard to build unity in the government of Canada and build a true responsible government. If you would like to learn more about Baldwin and La Fontaine a Canadian Historical minute has been made concerning their rise into leadership which can be viewed a
Baldwin and La Fontaine Historical Minute

Awaiting Designations

The house Louis-Hippolyte La Fontaine lived in as a politician in Montreal is still standing today and is located on 1395 Overdale, Montreal, Quebec. However, the City of Montreal has not yet designated the building into a historical site. It was discovered in July 1987 by Senator Serge Joyal that this home was once the former home of Louis Hippolyte La Fontaine. During the Rebellion for the Losses Bill in which Parliament was burned this home was also the target of many rioters. Since it was rediscovered in 1987 its facade has been left to be battered by the elements. Heritage Montreal has been lobbying for th
Sir Louis-Hippolyte LaFontaine House
for many years and they are hoping that the City comes forward to help. Heritage Montreal and other advocates hope this home can be renovated and built into something such as an interpretive museum exploring the development of responsible government in Canada. File:Maison Louis-Hippolyte Lafontaine 02.jpg, The Birth Home of Louis-Hippolyte La Fontaine in Boucherville

Writings

Works

* ''Les deux girouettes, ou l'hypocrisie démasquée'', Montréal, 1834
online
* ''Notes sur l'inamovibilité des curés dans le Bas-Canada'', Montréal, 1837 * ''Analyse de l'ordonnance du Conseil spécial sur les bureaux d'hypothèques ..', Montréal, 1842 * ''De l'esclavage en Canada'', Montréal, 1859With Jacques Viger
online
* ''De la famille des Lauson. Vice-rois et lieutenants généraux des rois de France en Amérique'', 1859
online

Other

* ''The Address to the Electors of Terrebonne'', 1840

Notes

Bibliography

In English

* Abbott Nish, M. E. ''Double majority: Concept, Practice and Negotiations, 1840–1848'', Master Thesis, McGill University, Montréal, 1966 * * * ''Heritage Montreal'', "Louis-Hippolyte LaFontaine Mansion", Montreal, https://web.archive.org/web/20110203084745/http://www.heritagemontreal.org/en/louis-hippolyte-lafontaine-mansion/. * * * Saul, John Ralston. ''Louis-Hippolyte LaFontaine and Robert Baldwin'' (2010
online
*

In French

* Aubin, Georges (2002–05). ''Louis-Hippolyte La Fontaine. Correspondance générale'' ** Tome 1: ''Les ficelles du pouvoir: correspondance entre Louis-Hippolyte La Fontaine et Robert Baldwin, 1840–1854'' ** Tome 2: ''Au nom de la loi: lettres de Louis-Hippolyte La Fontaine à divers correspondants, 1829–1847'' ** Tome 3: ''Mon cher Amable: lettres de Louis-Hippolyte La Fontaine à divers correspondants, 1848–1864'' * Aubin, Georges (1999). ''Louis-Hippolyte La Fontaine. Journal de voyage en Europe, 1837–1838'', Sillery: Septentrion, 153 p. * Bertrand, Réal (1993). ''Louis-Hippolyte LaFontaine'', Montréal: Lidec, 60 p. * Auclair, Elie-Joseph (1933). ''Figures canadiennes'', Montréal, vol. 2, pp. 9–19
online
* DeCelles, Alfred Duclos, ''LaFontaine et son temps'', Montréal: Librairie Beauchemin,192g
online
* Laurent-Olivier David (1872). ''Sir Ls.-H. Lafontaine'', Montréal: Typographie Geo. E. Desbarats, 45 p. *Fauteaux, M Aegidius. H''ommages à LaFontaine''. Montreal" le Comité Du Monument LaFontaine, 1931. *A Propos. "Historique".''Hôpital Louis-Hippolye LaFontaine'', Montreal:(accessed Feb 2011) * https://web.archive.org/web/20110202081420/http://www.hlhl.qc.ca/hopital/portrait/historique.html.

External links

{{DEFAULTSORT:Lafontaine, Louis-Hippolyte 1807 births 1864 deaths Baronets in the Baronetage of the United Kingdom Canadian baronets Canadian Knights Commander of the Order of St Michael and St George Knights of the Order of St. Sylvester Members of the Legislative Assembly of Lower Canada Members of the Legislative Assembly of the Province of Canada from Canada East Members of the Legislative Assembly of the Province of Canada from Canada West Premiers of the Province of Canada Persons of National Historic Significance (Canada) Attorneys-General of the Province of Canada Burials at Notre Dame des Neiges Cemetery