Ottawa’s Francophone leaders

The Ottawa Francophone community has been able to count on men and women who, through their courage and determination, have secured a better future for their community. Ardent defenders of French, they have fought epic battles not only to maintain the language, but also to support its development in various sectors of collective life. We have selected a dozen of these leaders, who left their mark at different points in our history. They deserve our admiration and respect.

 

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Samuel Genest [ca. 1920]. Samuel Genest is one of the leading figures in the Franco-Ontarian resistance to Regulation 17 prohibiting the use of French in Ontario schools. In 1912, as president of the Ottawa Separate School Board, he instructs teachers to ignore the regulation. An Ottawa secondary school has carried the name Collège catholique Samuel-Genest since 1979.
 

Université d'Ottawa, CRCCF, Fonds Association canadienne-française de l'Ontario (C2), Ph2-33.

Black and white studio photograph, three-quarter view, of an elderly man with white hair, beard and mustache. He wears a white shirt, and pin-striped suit and tie, looking very distinguished.

Samuel Genest

Samuel Genest [ca. 1920]. Samuel Genest is one of the leading figures in the Franco-Ontarian resistance to Regulation 17 prohibiting the use of French in Ontario schools. In 1912, as president of the Ottawa Separate School Board, he instructs teachers to ignore the regulation. An Ottawa secondary school has carried the name Collège catholique Samuel-Genest since 1979.
 

University of Ottawa, CRCCF, Fonds Association canadienne-française de l’Ontario (C2), Ph2-33.

Black and white studio photograph, three-quarter view, of an elderly man with white hair, beard and mustache. He wears a white shirt, and pin-striped suit and tie, looking very distinguished.

Séraphin Marion

Séraphin Marion, historian and professor, Ottawa [ca. 1923 or 1924]. In 1926, this historian by profession, who holds a doctorate from the Université de Paris, becomes a professor of Canadian literature at the University of Ottawa. He remains in this position until his retirement in 1954. Marion becomes known nationally and internationally through his lectures on French Canada and his numerous publications. He is the author of the collection “Les Lettres canadiennes d’autrefois” (1939-1958). Photo: J.-A. Castonguay.
 

University of Ottawa, CRCCF, Fonds Séraphin-Marion (P106), Ph152-A9.

Black and white studio photograph of a serious-looking young man with glasses, dark hair, and a small mustache. He is seated and wears a fur-trimmed academic robe. The photographer’s name and studio address are printed in English at the bottom of the photograph.

Robert Gauthier

Robert Gauthier, director of French-language instruction in Ontario from 1937 to 1965, receives an honorary doctorate from the Université Laval in 1942. In 1937, the Ontario Ministry of Education makes a major change in the direction of Franco-Ontarian schools. The directors of French and English teaching in bilingual schools are replaced by a single director of French education. In his position from 1937 to 1965, Robert Gauthier leaves his mark on the Franco-Ontarian school system. Under his leadership, Franco-Ontarian schools give unequivocal priority to the French language. Robert Gauthier is the founder of the Association des enseignants franco-ontariens (1939). Photo: Horsdal. 

University of Ottawa, CRCCF, Fonds Robert-Gauthier (P255), Ph183-5.

Black and white, head-and-shoulders studio photograph of a dark-haired, middle-aged man, seen from the front. He wears glasses and a small mustache. The man is dressed in a white shirt, bow tie and fur-trimmed academic robe.

Rémy Beauregard

Rémy Beauregard (1943-2010) in his office at the Association canadienne-française de l’Ontario (ACFO) [ca. 1970]. Rémy Beauregard serves as assistant secretary and secretary general of ACFO during a period of great change for the organization (1964-1978). In 1986, this prominent bureaucrat takes over as head of the new Office of Francophone Affairs, a body responsible for administering the French Language Services Act. In 1994, Rémy Beauregard becomes the first Francophone executive director of the Ontario Human Rights Commission. His expertise in this field is internationally recognized. On his death in 2010, Rémy Beauregard led the Rights & Democracy advocacy organization.
 

University of Ottawa, CRCCF, Fonds Association canadienne-française de l’Ontario (C2), Ph2-967-3.

Black and white photograph of a dark-haired young man working at a messy desk, smiling at the camera. He wears a white shirt, dark suit, and dark tie.

Trèva Cousineau

At the 2009 Francophonie de Prescott et Russell banquet, Trèva Cousineau receives the Ordre de la Francophonie de Prescott et Russell, March 14, 2009. Born in Timmins, this long-time activist settles in Ottawa where she is a tireless advocate for Francophone education – alternately director general of the Conseil d’éducation catholique pour les francophones de l’Ontario, provincial president and acting director general of the Association canadienne-française de l’Ontario, and director general of the Fédération nationale des conseils scolaires de langue française. Trèva Cousineau sits on several boards and committees, including the Conseil des affaires franco-ontariennes. Photo: Étienne Ranger, Le Droit.
 

Le Droit, 090316 cousineau treva.

Colour photograph, slightly green-tinted, of a middle-aged man and an older woman standing on a stage, seen from below. They are holding a framed certificate between them, and smiling lightly. In the background, mostly green, a Canadian flag, Franco-Ontarian flag, and the logos of various organizations.

Jacques Legendre

A well-known activist in the region, Jacques Legendre is first elected to the council of the former City of Ottawa in 1991. He represents the new City of Ottawa’s Rideau-Rockcliffe ward from 2001 to 2010. Jacques Legendre has been a strong advocate for institutionalizing the City of Ottawa’s bilingualism policy, and applying it in all municipal departments.

 

Le Droit, 101002 legendre jacques 166.

Colour photograph of an older, balding man with a salt and pepper beard, smiling at the camera. He wears a beige coat splattered with raindrops, and stands in front of a multi-storey, concrete and glass building bearing the City of Ottawa sign.

Madeleine Meilleur

Photograph illustrating Sylvie Branch’s article, “La ministre Madeleine Meilleur quitte la vie politique” (Minister Madeleine Meilleur leaves political life), published in Le Droit [Web], June 29, 2016. Madeleine Meilleur is first elected to Queen’s Park in 2003, representing the Ottawa-Vanier riding until 2016. At Queen’s Park, she holds several positions, including Minister Responsible for Francophone Affairs; Minister of Culture; Minister of Community and Social Services; and Minister of Community Safety and Correctional Services. She is the first woman to serve as Ontario’s Attorney General, and when she is appointed in 2014, she does not hesitate to say that she is immensely proud on behalf of both the Franco-Ontarian community and women in taking up this coveted position.
 

Le Droit, 1210030-madeleine-meilleur-aura-francophonie-cœur.

Close-up colour photograph of a mature woman with strawberry blond hair, in three-quarter view. She wears gold earrings, a dark top, and a small smile. In the foreground, part of the Franco-Ontarian flag, out of focus.

Mathieu Fleury

In 2010, at the age of 25, Mathieu Fleury becomes the youngest councillor on the City of Ottawa Council. Since his appointment, he has been an ardent supporter of Francophones in the capital and the Rideau-Vanier ward, which includes Lowertown, Sandy Hill and Vanier. Photo: Stéphane Galipeau, 2013.

Collection de Mathieu Fleury, Mathieu Fleury.

Colour photograph of a young man with brown hair, wearing a chequered shirt. He sits on a park bench, with his face turned to the camera, his look piercing. In the background, trees and a paved roadway.
The Ordre de Jacques-Cartier : secret society
Recipients of the Prix Bernard-Grandmaître