- René Hamel
René Hamel (
February 9 ,1910 –December 16 ,1982 ) was a local politician inQuebec ,Canada . He served as Member of the Canadian Parliament and as Member of the Legislative Assembly of Quebec. [ [http://www2.parl.gc.ca/parlinfo/Files/Parliamentarian.aspx?Item={D5718E82-6D02-4656-8D03-BB9F9B5D5C86}&Language=E HAMEL, Joseph-Irénée-René] , ParlInfo - Parliament of Canada]Early life
He was born in 1910 in
Grand-Mère, Quebec ,Mauricie .World War II politics
During
World War II Hamel joined theBloc Populaire Canadien , a political party that opposedconscription . He was the party’s provincial candidate in the district of Saint-Maurice in 1944, but lost the election againstMarc Trudel . The following year though, he successfully ran in the federal district ofSaint-Maurice—Laflèche . After the was, the party quickly dissolved and by 1949 Hamel was sitting as an Independent MP. He lost re-election in that same year.Fighting Duplessis
Hamel, who opposed Premier
Maurice Duplessis , made a political comeback in 1952. Benefiting from a strong support among Shawinigan’s labor class population, he was elected LiberalMember of the Legislative Assembly for the district of Saint-Maurice. Hamel became of one the most effective Liberalfloor leader s.In order to pressure voters into defeating Hamel, Duplessis refused to authorize the construction of a new bridge between Shawinigan and Shawinigan-Sud. Local Liberals jokingly claimed that they would rather swim than support Duplessis.
Nonetheless, Hamel was slightly re-elected against Shawinigan Mayor
Gaston Hardy in 1956. He also was a candidate for the leadership of the Liberal Party in 1958, but was defeated byJean Lesage .Member of the Cabinet
In 1960 the Liberals won the provincial election and Lesage became Premier. Shawinigan got a new bridge. Hamel was appointed to the Cabinet. He was Minister of
Municipal Affairs from 1960 to 1961, Minister of Labour from 1960 to 1963 andAttorney General from 1963 to 1964. [ [http://www.assnat.qc.ca/fra/membres/notices/g-i/HAMER.htm René Hamel] , Assemblée nationale du Québec]After retirement from politics
In 1964, Hamel was appointed Judge and resigned his
legislative and executive functions.He died in Shawinigan in 1982.
Footnotes
ee also
*
Mauricie
*Saint-Maurice Legislators
*Saint-Maurice—Champlain Federal Electoral District
*Saint-Maurice Provincial Electoral District
*Shawinigan, Quebec
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