Paul Sauvé

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17th Premier of Quebec
Paul Sauvé
In office September 7, 1959 – January 2, 1960
Preceded by	Maurice Duplessis
Succeeded by	Antonio Barrette

Born	March 24, 1907 St-Benoit, Quebec
Died	January 02 1960 (aged 52) Saint-Eustache, Quebec
Political party	Union Nationale
Spouse	Luce Pelland
Profession	lawyer
Religion	Roman Catholic

Joseph-Mignault-Paul Sauvé (March 24, 1907 – January 2, 1960) was a Quebec politician.

1 Life
2 Achievements
3 Elections as party leader
4 See also
5 References
6 External links

[edit] Life

Sauvé was born in St-Benoit, Quebec, Canada to Arthur Sauvé, journalist and parlementarian, and Marie-Louise Lachaîne. By 1923, his family moved to Saint-Eustache and he began his studies at the Séminaire de Ste-Thérèse and was transferred to the Collège Sainte-Marie de Montréal where he graduated in 1927. As a law student at the Université de Montréal, he succeeded and was appointed to the bar on July 8, 1930.

Arthur Sauvé, his father, was the Conservative party leader in opposition to Taschereau and left the provincial political scene in 1930, when he was elected as a Member of Parliament. He became Postmaster General in the R. B. Bennett administration. Paul Sauvé's political career began in 1930, when he was elected as a Conservative, to the Quebec legislature as the youngest elected member at the age of 23. He took over his father's seat as Conservative deputy of the comté des Deux-Montagnes. He was defeated in the 1935 election but re-elected in 1936 and returned to the Legislative Assembly of Quebec that year. That same year, at the age of 29, he became the youngest Speaker of the House [Orateur de la Chambre] in Quebec.

When Canada entered the Second World War in 1939, Paul Sauvé reported to the Fusiliers Mont-Royal, the regiment to which he belonged as a reserve officer, and served overseas in the Canadian military for the duration of the Second World War, and took part in the Normandy landing. In 1945, he came home from the European front and resumed his official duties with the Quebec government. In 1946, he became the first cabinet minister for Social Welfare and Youth, a ministry just created by the Quebec government.

After the death of Premier and UN leader Maurice Duplessis on September 7, 1959, Sauvé succeeded him in both positions. He also retained and cumulated the position of Minister for Social Welfare and Youth while Premier. Sauvé died in St Eustache whilst in office on January 2, 1960, having served as premier for only 112 days.

[edit] Achievements

In 1936, he married Luce Pelland, with whom he had three children: Luce-Paule (1937), Pierre (1938) and Ginette (1944).

During those "hundred days", as historians of the period call them, Sauvé undertook a wide-ranging review of issues facing the Quebec government, including many that had been ignored during the Duplessis era. Sauvé is viewed as having upheld his convictions and had not succumbed to fear of demotion by "The Chief" (Duplessis). Some say that he stood alone in a cabinet of "yes men".

When he became Premier (also called "Prime Minister" in Quebec), he announced radical changes in the ways Quebec would run. His resolve was conveyed in the motto he adopted: "Désormais" (from now on). He undertook to implement these changes immediately, but died suddenly in office, leaving the Union Nationale government in disarray.

Paul Sauvé Arena in Montreal is named after him, and was used by the Parti Québécois for their election night rally in 1976 where they celebrated victory in the provincial election. In the CTV TV-movie "Separation", the arena was depicted as rented by federalist forces to celebrate a hoped-for negative vote in the referendum.

[edit] Elections as party leader

None; he died in office in 1960.

[edit] See also

[edit] References

Paul Sauvé - Un homme tourné vers l'avenir (French). Bibliothèque et Archives nationales du Québec. Retrieved on 2006-10-24.

[edit] External links

Preceded by Maurice Duplessis	Premier of Quebec 1959-1960	Succeeded by Antonio Barrette
Preceded by Maurice Duplessis	Leader of the Union Nationale 1959-1960	Succeeded by Yves Prévost