Napoléon Belcourt
Encyclopedia
Napoléon Antoine Belcourt, PC
(September 15, 1860 – August 7, 1932) was a Franco-Ontarian
parliamentarian
in Canada
.
to French-Canadian parents, Ferdinand-Napoléon Belcourt and Marie-Anne Clair, and raised in Trois-Rivières, Quebec
. He studied law at Université Laval
, was called to the Quebec bar in 1882 and began his legal practice in Montreal
in 1882 before moving to Ottawa
in 1884. Belcourt was called to the Ontario bar in 1884. He joined the law faculty at the University of Ottawa
in 1891, and became proprietor of the newspaper Le Temps which supported the Liberal Party
of Wilfrid Laurier
. Belcourt served as clerk of the peace and crown attorney for Carleton County
from 1894 to 1896. In 1899, he was named Queen's Counsel
.
He was married twice: to Hectorine, the daughter of Senator Joseph Shehyn
, in 1889 and to Mary Margaret Haycock in 1903.
in the 1891 election
but was defeated. He won a seat in the 1896 election
, and used his position as a Member of Parliament
(MP) to lobby in favour of the Franco-Ontarian community.
In 1904, he became Speaker of the Canadian House of Commons
but only remained in that position for the rest of that Parliament's term. He stepped down following the 1904 election
, but remained an MP.
In 1907, he was appointed to the Canadian Senate
by Laurier.
Belcourt became a leader in the movement for French language Separate School
s in Ontario. He presided over the first Congress of Franco-Ontarians in 1910 called to oppose the Ontario government's attempts to suppress the use of the French language in schools. He was also a leader in the struggle against Regulation 17
which was implemented by the provincial government in June 1912 to limit the use of French as a language of instruction in both the public and separate school systems. Opposition culminated in demonstrations of several thousand people in Ottawa with Belcourt speaking on behalf of the protesters.
He unsuccessfully argued against Regulation 17 in Ontario's Supreme Court in 1914. Hed appealed all the way to the Judicial Committee of the Privy Council
in Britain, where he argued that the Regulation violated the rights of French taxpayers to have their money used in accordance to their wishes, and that it deprived citizens the right to use their own language and decide upon their children's language of instruction. While Belcourt lost in court, the protest movement he led prevented the Regulation from being fully implemented.
In 1924, Belcourt was made Canada's Minister Plenipotentiary to the Interallied Conference in London and, the next year, he presided over the meeting of the Inter-Parliamentary Union in Ottawa.
He died at Blue Sea Lake
in Quebec at the age of 71.
The Municipality of Belcourt
in Quebec, Canada, was named after him.
Queen's Privy Council for Canada
The Queen's Privy Council for Canada ), sometimes called Her Majesty's Privy Council for Canada or simply the Privy Council, is the full group of personal consultants to the monarch of Canada on state and constitutional affairs, though responsible government requires the sovereign or her viceroy,...
(September 15, 1860 – August 7, 1932) was a Franco-Ontarian
Franco-Ontarian
Franco-Ontarians are French Canadian or francophone residents of the Canadian province of Ontario. They are sometimes known as "Ontarois"....
parliamentarian
Member of Parliament
A Member of Parliament is a representative of the voters to a :parliament. In many countries with bicameral parliaments, the term applies specifically to members of the lower house, as upper houses often have a different title, such as senate, and thus also have different titles for its members,...
in Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
.
Early life
Belcourt was born in TorontoToronto
Toronto is the provincial capital of Ontario and the largest city in Canada. It is located in Southern Ontario on the northwestern shore of Lake Ontario. A relatively modern city, Toronto's history dates back to the late-18th century, when its land was first purchased by the British monarchy from...
to French-Canadian parents, Ferdinand-Napoléon Belcourt and Marie-Anne Clair, and raised in Trois-Rivières, Quebec
Trois-Rivières, Quebec
Trois-Rivières is a city in the Mauricie region of Quebec, Canada, located at the confluence of the Saint-Maurice and Saint Lawrence Rivers. It is situated in the Mauricie administrative region, on the north shore of the Saint Lawrence River across from the city of Bécancour...
. He studied law at Université Laval
Université Laval
Laval University is the oldest centre of education in Canada and was the first institution in North America to offer higher education in French...
, was called to the Quebec bar in 1882 and began his legal practice in Montreal
Montreal
Montreal is a city in Canada. It is the largest city in the province of Quebec, the second-largest city in Canada and the seventh largest in North America...
in 1882 before moving to Ottawa
Ottawa
Ottawa is the capital of Canada, the second largest city in the Province of Ontario, and the fourth largest city in the country. The city is located on the south bank of the Ottawa River in the eastern portion of Southern Ontario...
in 1884. Belcourt was called to the Ontario bar in 1884. He joined the law faculty at the University of Ottawa
University of Ottawa
The University of Ottawa is a bilingual, research-intensive, non-denominational, international university in Ottawa, Ontario. It is one of the oldest universities in Canada. It was originally established as the College of Bytown in 1848 by the Missionary Oblates of Mary Immaculate...
in 1891, and became proprietor of the newspaper Le Temps which supported the 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...
of Wilfrid Laurier
Wilfrid Laurier
Sir Wilfrid Laurier, GCMG, PC, KC, baptized Henri-Charles-Wilfrid Laurier was the seventh Prime Minister of Canada from 11 July 1896 to 6 October 1911....
. Belcourt served as clerk of the peace and crown attorney for Carleton County
Carleton County, Ontario
Carleton County is the name of a historic county in Ontario, Canada. In 1969 it was superseded by the Regional Municipality of Ottawa-Carleton. In 2001 the Regional Municipality and the eleven local municipalities within it were replaced by the current City of Ottawa.-History:Carleton County was...
from 1894 to 1896. In 1899, he was named Queen's Counsel
Queen's Counsel
Queen's Counsel , known as King's Counsel during the reign of a male sovereign, are lawyers appointed by letters patent to be one of Her [or His] Majesty's Counsel learned in the law...
.
He was married twice: to Hectorine, the daughter of Senator Joseph Shehyn
Joseph Shehyn
Joseph Shehyn was a Canadian businessman and politician.Born in Quebec City, Quebec, the son of Edmond Sheehy and Marie Parent, Shehyn was raised by his maternal uncle after the death of his mother. He started working when he was 15 in a dry goods wholesalers...
, in 1889 and to Mary Margaret Haycock in 1903.
Career
He first ran for a seat in the Canadian House of CommonsCanadian 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...
in the 1891 election
Canadian federal election, 1891
The Canadian federal election of 1891 was held on March 5 to elect members of the Canadian House of Commons of the 7th Parliament of Canada. It was won by the Conservative Party of Prime Minister Sir John A. Macdonald....
but was defeated. He won a seat in the 1896 election
Canadian federal election, 1896
The Canadian federal election of 1896 was held on June 23, 1896 to elect members of the Canadian House of Commons of the 8th Parliament of Canada. Though the Conservative Party won a plurality of the popular vote, the Liberal Party, led by Wilfrid Laurier, won the majority of seats to form the...
, and used his position as a Member of Parliament
Member of Parliament
A Member of Parliament is a representative of the voters to a :parliament. In many countries with bicameral parliaments, the term applies specifically to members of the lower house, as upper houses often have a different title, such as senate, and thus also have different titles for its members,...
(MP) to lobby in favour of the Franco-Ontarian community.
In 1904, he became Speaker of the Canadian House of Commons
Speaker of the Canadian House of Commons
The Speaker of the House of Commons of Canada is the presiding officer of the lower house of the Parliament of Canada and is elected at the beginning of each new parliament by fellow Members of Parliament...
but only remained in that position for the rest of that Parliament's term. He stepped down following the 1904 election
Canadian federal election, 1904
The Canadian federal election of 1904 was held on November 3 to elect members of the Canadian House of Commons of the 10th Parliament of Canada...
, but remained an MP.
In 1907, he was appointed to the Canadian Senate
Canadian Senate
The Senate of Canada is a component of the Parliament of Canada, along with the House of Commons, and the monarch . The Senate consists of 105 members appointed by the governor general on the advice of the prime minister...
by Laurier.
Belcourt became a leader in the movement for French language Separate School
Separate school
In Canada, separate school refers to a particular type of school that has constitutional status in three provinces and statutory status in three territories...
s in Ontario. He presided over the first Congress of Franco-Ontarians in 1910 called to oppose the Ontario government's attempts to suppress the use of the French language in schools. He was also a leader in the struggle against Regulation 17
Regulation 17
Regulation 17 was a regulation of the Ontario Ministry of Education, issued in July 1912 by the Conservative government of premier Sir James P. Whitney. It restricted the use of French as a language of instruction to the first two years of schooling. It was amended in 1913, and it is that version...
which was implemented by the provincial government in June 1912 to limit the use of French as a language of instruction in both the public and separate school systems. Opposition culminated in demonstrations of several thousand people in Ottawa with Belcourt speaking on behalf of the protesters.
He unsuccessfully argued against Regulation 17 in Ontario's Supreme Court in 1914. Hed appealed all the way to the Judicial Committee of the Privy Council
Judicial Committee of the Privy Council
The Judicial Committee of the Privy Council is one of the highest courts in the United Kingdom. Established by the Judicial Committee Act 1833 to hear appeals formerly heard by the King in Council The Judicial Committee of the Privy Council (JCPC) is one of the highest courts in the United...
in Britain, where he argued that the Regulation violated the rights of French taxpayers to have their money used in accordance to their wishes, and that it deprived citizens the right to use their own language and decide upon their children's language of instruction. While Belcourt lost in court, the protest movement he led prevented the Regulation from being fully implemented.
In 1924, Belcourt was made Canada's Minister Plenipotentiary to the Interallied Conference in London and, the next year, he presided over the meeting of the Inter-Parliamentary Union in Ottawa.
He died at Blue Sea Lake
Blue Sea Lake
Blue Sea Lake is a lake in the municipalities of Blue Sea and Messines, Quebec, Canada, about north of Gatineau. It is known for its crystal clear water and is surrounded by cottages on its shores....
in Quebec at the age of 71.
The Municipality of Belcourt
Belcourt, Quebec
Belcourt is a municipality in northwestern Quebec, Canada, in the La Vallée-de-l'Or Regional County Municipality.-History:Following the construction of the National Transcontinental Railway, the area opened up for colonization. The new settlement was originally called Café or Coffee but renamed to...
in Quebec, Canada, was named after him.