Gérard Cournoyer was a Liberal party

Liberal Party of Canada

The Liberal Party of Canada , colloquially known as the Grits, is the oldest federally registered party in Canada. In the conventional political spectrum, the party sits between the centre and the centre-left. Historically the Liberal Party has positioned itself to the left of the Conservative...

 member of the Canadian House of Commons

Canadian House of Commons

The House of Commons of Canada is a component of the Parliament of Canada, along with the Sovereign and the Senate. The House of Commons is a democratically elected body, consisting of 308 members known as Members of Parliament...

. He was born in Sorel, Quebec and became a lawyer by career.

Cournoyer studied at the Saint Hyacinthe Seminary, then attended the University of Montreal where he received his Bachelor of Arts

Bachelor of Arts

A Bachelor of Arts , from the Latin artium baccalaureus, is a bachelor's degree awarded for an undergraduate course or program in either the liberal arts, the sciences, or both...

 and Bachelor of Laws

Bachelor of Laws

The Bachelor of Laws is an undergraduate, or bachelor, degree in law originating in England and offered in most common law countries as the primary law degree...

 degrees. He was called to the Quebec bar in 1935.

He was first elected to Parliament at the Richelieu—Verchères

Richelieu—Verchères

Richelieu—Verchères was a federal electoral district in Quebec, Canada, that was represented in the Canadian House of Commons from 1935 to 1968.This riding was created in 1933 from parts of Chambly—Verchères, Richelieu, St...

 riding in a by-election on 23 December 1946 then re-elected there in the 1949 federal election

Canadian federal election, 1949

The Canadian federal election of 1949 was held on June 27 to elect members of the Canadian House of Commons of the 21st Parliament of Canada. It was the first election in Canada in almost thirty years in which the Liberal Party of Canada was not led by William Lyon Mackenzie King. King had...

.

Cournoyer resigned his House of Commons seat on 5 July 1952 during his term in the 21st Canadian Parliament

21st Canadian Parliament

The 21st Canadian Parliament was in session from September 15, 1949 until June 13, 1953. The membership was set by the 1949 federal election on June 27, 1949, and it changed only somewhat due to resignations and by-elections until it was dissolved prior to the 1953 election.It was controlled by a...

 to pursue provincial politics in Quebec where he won a Legislative Assembly

Legislative Assembly of Quebec

The Legislative Assembly of Quebec was the name of the lower house of Quebec's legislature until 1968, when it was renamed the National Assembly of Quebec. At the same time, the upper house of the legislature, the Legislative Council, was abolished...

 seat in the Richelieu

Richelieu (provincial electoral district)

Richelieu is a provincial electoral riding in the province of Quebec, Canada. Located in the Montérégie region, the district was created in 1792. Between 1936 and 1944, it was part of the defunct riding of Richelieu-Vercheres...

 riding later that year. He was defeated in 1956, but was elected back to the Quebec Legislature in 1960 and again in 1962. From 1960 to 1964, he was Minister of Transport and Communication under the Jean Lesage

Jean Lesage

Jean Lesage, PC, CC, CD was a lawyer and politician in Quebec, Canada. He served as the 19th Premier of Quebec from 22 June 1960, to 16 August 1966...

 administration, then was minister of Hunting and Fishing until 1965, then a minister without portfolio

Minister without Portfolio

A minister without portfolio is either a government minister with no specific responsibilities or a minister that does not head a particular ministry...

 until his election defeat in 1966.

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