Irénée Vautrin was a Canadian politician from

Quebec Quebec is Canada's List of Canadian provinces and territories by area, largest province by area. Located in Central Canada, the province shares borders with the provinces of Ontario to the west, Newfoundland and Labrador to the northeast, ...

Background

He was born on December 21, 1888, near Napierville and became an architect.

Member of Legislative Assembly

Vautrin ran as a Liberal candidate for the

Legislative Assembly of Quebec A legislature (, ) is a deliberative assembly with the authority, legal authority to make laws for a Polity, political entity such as a Sovereign state, country, nation or city on behalf of the people therein. They are often contrasted with th ...

in the 1919 election for the district of

Montréal–Saint-Jacques Montréal–Saint-Jacques was a former provincial electoral district in the Montreal region of Quebec, Canada that elected members to the Legislative Assembly of Quebec. It was created for the 1912 election from part of Montréal division no. 2 ...

and won but was defeated by the

Conservative Conservatism is a cultural, social, and political philosophy and ideology that seeks to promote and preserve traditional institutions, customs, and values. The central tenets of conservatism may vary in relation to the culture and civiliza ...

candidate Joseph-Ambroise-Eusèbe Beaudoin in the 1923 election. He was re-elected in the

1927 Events January * January 1 – The British Broadcasting ''Company'' becomes the BBC, British Broadcasting ''Corporation'', when its Royal Charter of incorporation takes effect. John Reith, 1st Baron Reith, John Reith becomes the first ...

and

1931 Events January * January 2 – South Dakota native Ernest Lawrence invents the cyclotron, used to accelerate particles to study nuclear physics. * January 4 – German pilot Elly Beinhorn begins her flight to Africa. * January 22 – Sir I ...

elections. He served as Deputy Speaker from 1930 to 1934.

Cabinet Member

Vautrin was appointed to the Cabinet and served as Deputy House Speaker from 1930 to 1934,

Minister without Portfolio A minister without portfolio is a government minister without specific responsibility as head of a government department. The sinecure is particularly common in countries ruled by coalition governments and a cabinet with decision-making authorit ...

in 1934 and Minister of Colonization from 1934 until his defeat in the 1935 election by the Conservative candidate Henry Lemaître Auger. Soon after he left office, Vautrin appeared before the ''Standing Committee on Public Accounts'' and became one of the favourite targets of Conservative Leader

Maurice Duplessis Maurice Le Noblet Duplessis, (; April 20, 1890 – September 7, 1959) byname "Le Chef" (, "The Boss"), was a Canadian lawyer and politician who served as the 16th premier of Quebec. A Conservatism in Canada, conservative, Quebec nationalism, ...

, who exposed the corrupt practices of the Liberal government. The undesired attention earned Vautrin, who had bought pants by the colonization fund, the unflattering nickname ''Les culottes à Vautrin''.

Death

He died on February 2, 1974, in

Montreal Montreal is the List of towns in Quebec, largest city in the Provinces and territories of Canada, province of Quebec, the List of the largest municipalities in Canada by population, second-largest in Canada, and the List of North American cit ...

and was entombed at the

Notre Dame des Neiges Cemetery Notre Dame des Neiges Cemetery (, ) is a rural cemetery located in the borough of Côte-des-Neiges-Notre-Dame-de-Grâce, Montreal, Quebec, Canada, which was founded in 1854. The entrance and the grounds run along a part of Côte-des-Neiges Ro ...

in Montreal.

Footnotes

1888 births 1974 deaths Quebec Liberal Party MNAs Vice presidents of the National Assembly of Quebec Burials at Notre Dame des Neiges Cemetery 20th-century members of the National Assembly of Quebec {{Liberal-Quebec-MNA-stub