Hormidas Laporte

Infobox Mayor


imagesize = 150px
honorific-prefix = Mayor
name = Hormidas Laporte
honorific-suffix =
caption =
order = 27th Mayor of Montreal
term_start = 1904
term_end = 1906
constituency =
predecessor = James Cochrane
successor = Henry Archer Ekers
term_start2 =
term_end2 =
constituency2 =
predecessor2 =
successor2 =
birth_date = 7 November 1850
birth_place = Lachine, Province of Canada
death_date = death date and age|1934|2|20|1850|11|7
death_place = Montreal, Quebec, Canada
party =
alma_mater =
spouse =
profession = businessman, financier
religion =


footnotes =Sir Hormidas Laporte, PC, (7 November 1850 – 20 February 1934) was a Montreal businessman and financier. He served as Mayor of Montreal from 1904 to 1906.web cite | url = http://www2.ville.montreal.qc.ca/archives/democratie/democratie_en/expo/maires/laporte/index.shtm | title = Democracy in Montreal: Hormidas Laporte | publisher = City of Montreal website | accessdate = 2007-02-08]

Laporte began working at the age of 17 in a nail factory and studied at night with a tutor. By the age of 20, he was working in a grocery and set up his own business within six months. He established Laporte, Martin and Co., a wholesale grocery, in 1881. The enterprise was successful despite instances of flooding and fire and he developed it into a chain. In 1892 he became the first president of the "Alliance Nationale", a mutual aid society which evolved into a major Quebec insurance company. [ [http://www.inalco.com/english/company/history/creation/alliance/alliance.jsp Industrielle Alliance - history] Retrieved on 2007-02-08.]

He was elected to city council as an alderman in 1896 and became mayor eight years later. He was a reformer on council and wanted to curtail the growth of public expenditures and eliminate patronage and corruption. As mayor, he campaigned to abolish the public utility trusts in favour of public ownership of municipal services. As mayor with a strong majority, he brought the gas utility under municipal control but was unable to defeat the private trusts that controlled transit and electricity.

Laporte left the mayor's office in 1906 and, in 1907, became president of the Provincial Bank of Canada and remained so until his death. [http://www.genealogie.org/famille/laporte/fr/hormidas.html Sir Hormidas Laporte] , Le Centre de généalogie francophone d'Amérique, Retrieved on 2007-02-08.]

During World War I he headed a government commission in charge of provisions and was appointed to the Queen's Privy Council for Canada. Following the war he was created a knight by King George V for his service.

References