Rémi Benoît (January 3, 1842 – June 19, 1919) was a man of a number of
vocation
A vocation () is an Work (human activity), occupation to which a person is especially drawn or for which they are suited, trained or qualified. Though now often used in non-religious contexts, the meanings of the term originated in Christianity.
...
s from
D'Escousse,
Nova Scotia
Nova Scotia is a Provinces and territories of Canada, province of Canada, located on its east coast. It is one of the three Maritime Canada, Maritime provinces and Population of Canada by province and territory, most populous province in Atlan ...
.
Benoît, at various times, was a
teacher
A teacher, also called a schoolteacher or formally an educator, is a person who helps students to acquire knowledge, competence, or virtue, via the practice of teaching.
''Informally'' the role of teacher may be taken on by anyone (e.g. w ...
, an
office holder, a
newspaper editor
An editor-in-chief (EIC), also known as lead editor or chief editor, is a publication's editorial leader who has final responsibility for its operations and policies. The editor-in-chief heads all departments of the organization and is held account ...
. He was a French-speaking
Acadian
The Acadians (; , ) are an ethnic group descended from the French who settled in the New France colony of Acadia during the 17th and 18th centuries. Today, most descendants of Acadians live in either the Northern American region of Acadia, ...
who received a great deal of his education in English, resulting in his being fluently bi-lingual. He is important to
Canadian history
The history of Canada covers the period from the arrival of the Paleo-Indians to North America thousands of years ago to the present day. The lands encompassing present-day Canada have been inhabited for millennia by Indigenous peoples, with di ...
because of his support of the
Acadian nationalist cause. This support was most evident in his work involving a mutual benefit society. In 1881 he helped organize the ''
Convention Nationale des Acadiens'' and also on three subsequent occasions. This culminated in 1902 with the formation of the ''
Société l'Assomption'', a mutual benefit society. This became the most important Acadian
financial institution
A financial institution, sometimes called a banking institution, is a business entity that provides service as an intermediary for different types of financial monetary transactions. Broadly speaking, there are three major types of financial ins ...
of the 20th century and Benoît served as president, chancellor, and a director.
Benoît devoted much energy to
Acadia
Acadia (; ) was a colony of New France in northeastern North America which included parts of what are now the The Maritimes, Maritime provinces, the Gaspé Peninsula and Maine to the Kennebec River. The population of Acadia included the various ...
n causes and founding an institution that, in an altered form, still exists today.
External links
Biography at the ''Dictionary of Canadian Biography Online''
Acadian people
1842 births
1919 deaths
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