Jean Lesage
Jean Lesage was a prominent Canadian lawyer and politician born on June 10, 1912, in Montreal. He pursued his education at the Seminary of Québec and graduated with a law degree from Laval University in 1934. His legal career began in Quebec City, and he served in various government roles, including as a crown attorney during World War II. Lesage entered politics in 1945 as a member of Parliament, representing the Liberal Party, and he held multiple significant positions, culminating in his election as Premier of Quebec in 1960.
Lesage is often recognized as a key figure in the Quiet Revolution, a transformative period in Quebec's history characterized by a push for secularism, modernization, and the assertion of francophone rights. His government implemented major reforms in health care and education and nationalized hydroelectric power, which altered the economic landscape of Quebec and aimed to reduce the historical dominance of anglophone Canadians. Despite the political challenges and eventual defeat in 1966, Lesage's legacy persists in the institutional changes he championed, which have shaped contemporary Quebec and its governance. He passed away on December 12, 1980, leaving behind a significant impact on Canadian politics and society.
Subject Terms
Jean Lesage
Politician
- Born: June 10, 1912
- Birthplace: Montreal, Quebec
- Died: December 12, 1980
- Place of death: Sillery, Quebec
Contribution: Jean Lesage was a Canadian lawyer and politician who served as premier of Quebec from 1960 to 1966. He is regarded as one of the leaders of the Quiet Revolution, which introduced substantial political and cultural changes to the province of Quebec.
Early Life and Education
Jean Lesage was born in Montreal on June 10, 1912, to parents Xavéri Lesage and Cécile Côté. He studied at the Seminary of Québec and graduated with a law degree from the Université Laval (Laval University) in Quebec in 1934. Lesage was a reservist in the Canadian Army from 1933 to 1945.
Political Career
Beginning in 1934, Lesage practiced law with various firms in Quebec City. From 1939 to 1944, he was a crown attorney at the Wartime Prices and Trade Board.
Lesage’s political career began in 1945, when he was elected a federal member of Parliament for the provincial electoral district of Montmagny-L’Islet, representing the Liberal Party. After winning reelection in 1949, Lesage was made parliamentary secretary to the secretary of state for external affairs from 1951 to 1952 and parliamentary secretary for the minister of finance in 1953. Elected for a third term in 1953, he served as minister of resources and development and minister of northern affairs and national resources, holding the latter post until 1957. He was also a delegate to the United Nations.
When the Liberal Party won the Quebec general election in 1960, Lesage became premier of Quebec, president of the executive council, and minister of finance. He is considered one of the fathers of the Quiet Revolution, a period of social development and modernization particularly characterized by a move toward secularization of society in Quebec. The movement represented a major shift in Quebec’s political, social, and cultural life and in its relations with the rest of Canada.
Lesage’s government instituted a wide-scale bureaucracy in Quebec that had a far-reaching impact on education and health care, especially hospitalization, among other areas. Although the reforms strained relations between the province and the federal government and greatly increased taxes, they also helped to reverse the traditional domination of anglophone Canadians over Quebec’s economy. Most notable in this regard was the nationalization of hydroelectric power.
It was the representation of francophone Quebecois that drove the revolution. Under the slogan “maitres chez nous” (masters in our own home), Lesage and others in the party asserted the cultural rights of francophones, eventually even arguing that the provincial government of Quebec should be viewed as the national government for these citizens. Though the spirit behind the revolution—for example, the concept of Canada as a nation jointly founded by and equally representative of two cultures—found widespread acceptance among Canadians, there was eventually a backlash against some of the revolution’s more extreme sentiments and figures. The Lesage government was defeated in the 1966 elections.
Despite this defeat, the Quiet Revolution had a lasting impact on Quebec’s—and Canada’s—social and political makeup. The government institutions it established continue to shape the state. It also produced several young political leaders who would go on to achieve national prominence, including Gérard Pelletier, Jean Marchand, and Pierre Trudeau. Their vision of a bilingual, bicultural country outlasted the idea of a special status for Quebec.
Personal Life
Lesage married Corinne Lagarde in 1938 in Saint-Raymond, Quebec. The couple had four children: Jules, René, Marie, and Raymond. Lesage died from throat cancer on December 12, 1980, in Sillery, Quebec.
Bibliography
Bélanger, Claude. “Jean Lesage and the Quiet Revolution (1960–1966).” Quebec History. Marianopolis College, 23 Aug. 2000. Web. 2 Aug. 2013.
Durocher, René, M. D. Behiels, and Dominique Millette. “Quiet Revolution.” Canadian Encyclopedia. Historica-Dominion, n.d. Web. 2 Aug. 2013.
Giniger, Henry. “Jean Lesage, 68, Dies in Canada; Was Premier of Quebec in 1960s; Increasing Role of Government.” New York Times 13 Dec. 1980, Metropolitan Report sec.: 34. Print.
Latouche, Daniel. “Jean Lesage.” Canadian Encyclopedia. Historica-Dominion, n.d. Web. 2 Aug. 2013.
Wilson-Smith, Anthony. “The Legacy of Jean Lesage.” Maclean’s 18 Aug. 1997: 9. Print.