Sir Joseph Amable Thomas Chapais (March 23, 1858 – July 15, 1946) was a
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 Fren ...
author, editor, historian, journalist, professor, and politician.
Born in
Saint-Denis, Quebec (then
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 ...
), the son of
Jean-Charles Chapais
Jean-Charles Chapais, (December 2, 1811 – July 17, 1885) was a Canadian Conservative politician, and considered a Father of Canadian Confederation for his participation in the Quebec Conference to determine the form of Canada's governmen ...
, a
Father of Canadian Confederation, and Henriette-Georgina Dionne, he received a bachelor's degree in 1876 from
Université Laval
Université Laval is a public research university in Quebec City, Quebec, Canada. The university was founded by royal charter issued by Queen Victoria in 1852, with roots in the founding of the Séminaire de Québec in 1663 by François de Montmo ...
and was called to the Bar of Quebec in 1879.
From 1879 to 1884, he was the principal secretary to the
Lieutenant Governor of Quebec
The lieutenant governor of Quebec (; French (masculine): ''Lieutenant-gouverneur du Québec'', or (feminine): ''Lieutenante-gouverneure du Québec'') is the viceregal representative in Quebec of the , who operates distinctly within the province ...
,
Théodore Robitaille
Théodore Robitaille, (29 January 1834 – 17 August 1897) was a Canadian physician, politician, and the fourth Lieutenant Governor of Quebec.
Born in Varennes, Lower Canada, the son of Louis-Adolphe Robitaille (pronounced "ro-bee-tie") a ...
. Turning to journalism, he became the editor-in-chief of the daily newspaper, ''
Le Courrier du Canada'' in 1884 and from 1890 to 1901 was the owner. From 1907 to 1934, he was a professor of history at Université Laval.
In 1891, he ran unsuccessfully as a
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 i ...
for the
House of Commons of Canada
The House of Commons of Canada (french: Chambre des communes du Canada) is the lower house of the Parliament of Canada. Together with the Crown and the Senate of Canada, they comprise the bicameral legislature of Canada.
The House of Common ...
in the riding of
Kamouraska. He was appointed to the
Legislative Council of Quebec
The Legislative Council of Quebec (French; ''Conseil législatif du Québec'') was the unelected upper house of the bicameral legislature in the Canadian province of Quebec from 1867 to 1968. The Legislative Assembly of Quebec, Legislative Assem ...
in 1892 representing Laurentides. From 1893 to 1894, he was the Leader of the Government. In 1893, he was appointed Minister without Portfolio in the cabinet of
Louis-Olivier Taillon
Sir Louis-Olivier Taillon (September 26, 1840 – April 25, 1923) was a Canadian lawyer and politician. He was the eighth premier of Quebec, serving two separate terms.
Political career
Taillon's first term of office was just four days, from J ...
. From 1895 to 1897, he was the speaker of the legislative council. From 1896 to 1897, he was the president of the executive council in the cabinet of
Edmund James Flynn
Edmund James Flynn (November 16, 1847 – June 7, 1927) was a Canadian politician and the tenth premier of Quebec, from 1896 to 1897.
Background
Flynn, the son of Jacques Flynn and Elizabeth Tostevin, was born at Percé on November 16, 184 ...
and was a Cabinet Minister. In 1917, he refused a seat in the Senate but was summoned to the Senate in 1919. A Conservative, he represented the senatorial division of Grandville, Quebec and served until his death in 1946.
From 1936 to 1939 and again from 1944 to 1946, he was the leader of the government in the legislative council. From 1936 to 1938, he was a minister without portfolio in the cabinet of
Maurice Duplessis
Maurice Le Noblet Duplessis (; April 20, 1890 – September 7, 1959), was a Canadian lawyer and politician who served as the 16th premier of Quebec. A conservative, nationalist, anti-Communist, anti-unionist and fervent Catholic, he and his ...
. He was appointed again in 1944.
In 1912, he was made a
fellow of the Royal Society of Canada
Fellowship of the Royal Society of Canada (FRSC) is an award granted to individuals that the Royal Society of Canada judges to have "made remarkable contributions in the arts, the humanities and the sciences, as well as in Canadian public life ...
and was its president from 1923 to 1924. From 1925 to 1926, he was the president of the
Canadian Historical Association
The Canadian Historical Association (CHA; French ''Société historique du Canada'', SHC) is a Canadian organization founded in 1922 for the purposes of promoting historical research and scholarship. It is a bilingual, not-for-profit, charitable ...
. In 1930, he was a member of the Canadian delegation to the
League of Nations
The League of Nations (french: link=no, Société des Nations ) was the first worldwide intergovernmental organisation whose principal mission was to maintain world peace. It was founded on 10 January 1920 by the Paris Peace Conference that ...
. In 1935, he was made a
Knight Bachelor
The title of Knight Bachelor is the basic rank granted to a man who has been knighted by the monarch but not inducted as a member of one of the organised orders of chivalry; it is a part of the British honours system. Knights Bachelor are the ...
by
George V
George V (George Frederick Ernest Albert; 3 June 1865 – 20 January 1936) was King of the United Kingdom and the British Dominions, and Emperor of India, from 6 May 1910 until Death and state funeral of George V, his death in 1936.
Born duri ...
.
Parc Thomas-Chapais in Montreal is named in his honour.
Chapais, Quebec
Chapais is a community in the Canadian province of Quebec, located on Route 113 near Chibougamau in the Jamésie region. It is surrounded by, but not a part of, the local municipality of Eeyou Istchee James Bay Regional Government. The community ...
is named for him.
Published works
* ''Congrégations enseignantes et le brevet de capacité'' (1893)
* ''Discours et conférences'' (1895)
* ''le Serment du roi'' (1901)
* ''Jean Talon, intendant de la Nouvelle-France'' (1904)
* ''Mélanges de polémique et d'études religieuses, politiques et littéraires'' (1905)
* ''le Marquis de Montcalm'' (1911)
* ''Mélanges'' (1915)
* ''Cours d'histoire du Canada'', 1760–1867 (1919)
See also
*
Université Laval
Université Laval is a public research university in Quebec City, Quebec, Canada. The university was founded by royal charter issued by Queen Victoria in 1852, with roots in the founding of the Séminaire de Québec in 1663 by François de Montmo ...
References
External links
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{{DEFAULTSORT:Chapais, Thomas
1858 births
1946 deaths
Academics in Quebec
Canadian male non-fiction writers
Canadian senators from Quebec
Canadian non-fiction writers in French
Conservative Party of Canada (1867–1942) candidates for the Canadian House of Commons
Fellows of the Royal Society of Canada
Conservative Party of Canada (1867–1942) senators
Journalists from Quebec
Canadian Knights Bachelor
Presidents of the Legislative Council of Quebec
Conservative Party of Quebec MLCs
Historians from Quebec
Université Laval alumni
Persons of National Historic Significance (Canada)
19th-century Canadian historians
20th-century Canadian historians
Université Laval faculty
Presidents of the Canadian Historical Association
19th-century Canadian male writers
20th-century Canadian male writers