Vincent-Joseph Pottier (11 April 1897 – 4 February 1980) was a Liberal party member of 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 ...

. He was the first

Acadian The Acadians (french: Acadiens , ) are an ethnic group descended from the French who settled in the New France colony of Acadia during the 17th and 18th centuries. Most Acadians live in the region of Acadia, as it is the region where the de ...

from Nova Scotia elected to the House of Commons and the first Acadian to serve on the Nova Scotia Supreme Court.

Early life and education

He was born in

Belleville, Nova Scotia Argyle, officially named the Municipality of the District of Argyle, is a district municipality in Yarmouth County, Nova Scotia. Statistics Canada classifies the district municipality as a municipal district. The district municipality occupies th ...

to Augustin and Rose Emma Pothier. He graduated from Dalhousie Law School in 1920 and was a barrister by trade.

Political career

Pottier served as a school commissioner and town councillor. He was first elected to Parliament at the

Shelburne—Yarmouth—Clare Shelburne—Yarmouth—Clare was a federal electoral district in the province of Nova Scotia, Canada, that was represented in the House of Commons of Canada from 1935 to 1949 and from 1953 to 1968. This riding was created in 1933 from parts of Dig ...

riding in the 1935 general election, the first

from Nova Scotia to join the House of Commons. He was re-elected in

1940 A calendar from 1940 according to the Gregorian calendar, factoring in the dates of Easter and related holidays, cannot be used again until the year 5280. Events Below, the events of World War II have the "WWII" prefix. January *January ...

. After completing his second term, the

19th Canadian Parliament The 19th Canadian Parliament was in session from 16 May 1940, until 16 April 1945. The membership was set by the 1940 federal election on 26 March 1940, and it changed only somewhat due to resignations and by-elections until it was dissolved ...

, Pottier did not seek further re-election in

1945 1945 marked the end of World War II and the fall of Nazi Germany and the Empire of Japan. It is also the only year in which nuclear weapons have been used in combat. Events Below, the events of World War II have the "WWII" prefix. Januar ...

Judicial career

In 1947, Pottier was appointed a judge at County Court number 1 in Halifax. On 4 January 1965, he became the first Acadian appointed to the Nova Scotia Supreme Court, serving in that role until his retirement after five years. In his final years, he donated his time supporting the Dalhousie Legal Aid Service.

References

External links

* 1897 births 1980 deaths Politicians of Acadian descent People from Yarmouth County Judges in Nova Scotia Lawyers in Nova Scotia Liberal Party of Canada MPs Members of the House of Commons of Canada from Nova Scotia New Brunswick municipal councillors {{NovaScotia-politician-stub