- Louis-Victor Sicotte
.
He was born Louis Cicot in Boucherville, Lower Canada in 1812. He studied law and was called to the bar in 1839. He helped found the Aide-toi, le Ciel t’aidera (God helps those who help themselves) society, which is credited with introducing the celebration of Saint-Jean-Baptiste Day for French Canadians, and was also its secretary-treasurer. He supported the Patriotes but apparently took no part in the Rebellions of 1837-38. He believed, correctly as it turned out, that rebellion would only lead to an imposed union with
Upper Canada .In 1838, he set up a practice in Saint-Hyacinthe. In 1851, he was elected to the Legislative Assembly representing Saint-Hyacinthe. He became part of the Hincks-Morin government for a short time in August 1853. He was reelected in 1854 and elected speaker. In the same year, he was named
Queen's Counsel . In 1857, he was chosen as Commissioner of Crown Lands. He was reelected in 1858 and became Commissioner of Public Works in the Cartier-Macdonald government from 1858 to 1859. He was Joint Premier of the Province of Canada withJohn Sandfield Macdonald fromMay 24 ,1862 toMay 15 ,1863 . He refused a cabinet post in the Macdonald-Dorion government that followed and, after his reelection in 1863, introduced amotion of non-confidence , which was rejected by a small margin. In September 1863, he accepted an appointment as judge of the Superior Court in the Saint-Hyacinthe district, serving until 1887.He died in Saint-Hyacinthe in 1889.
Sicotte Township, located in the
Outaouais region of Quebec, was named in his honour (but renamed to Grand-Remous in 1973).cite web |url=http://www.toponymie.gouv.qc.ca/ct/topos/carto.asp?Speci=379142&Latitude=46,61666&Longitude=-75,9&Zoom=1700 |title=Canton de Sicotte |accessdate=2008-08-05 |publisher=Commission de toponymie du Québec |language=French]References
External links
* [http://www.biographi.ca/009004-119.01-e.php?&id_nbr=5830 Biography at the "Dictionary of Canadian Biography Online"]
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