Gaspard Fauteux

The Honourable Gaspard Fauteux
19th Lieutenant Governor of Quebec
In office October 3, 1950 – February 14, 1958
Monarchs	George VI Elizabeth II
Governors General	The Viscount Alexander of Tunis Vincent Massey
Premier	Maurice Duplessis
Preceded by	Eugène Fiset
Succeeded by	Onésime Gagnon
21st Speaker of the House of Commons of Canada
In office September 6, 1945 – September 14, 1949
Monarch	George VI
Governors General	The Earl of Athlone The Viscount Alexander of Tunis
Prime Minister	William Lyon Mackenzie King Louis St. Laurent
Preceded by	James Allison Glen
Succeeded by	William Ross Macdonald
Member of the Canadian Parliament for St. Mary
In office February 9, 1942 – October 3, 1950
Preceded by	Hermas Deslauriers
Succeeded by	Hector Dupuis
Member of the Legislative Assembly of Quebec for Montréal–Sainte-Marie
In office August 24, 1931 – November 25, 1935
Preceded by	Camillien Houde
Succeeded by	Candide Rochefort
Personal details
Born	(1898-08-27)August 27, 1898 Saint-Hyacinthe, Quebec
Died	March 29, 1963(1963-03-29) (aged 64) Montreal, Quebec
Nationality	Canadian
Political party	Liberal
Other political affiliations	Quebec Liberal Party
Relations	Honoré Mercier, Grandfather Joseph Godbout, Grandfather Lomer Gouin, Uncle Claude Castonguay, Son-in-law

Gaspard Fauteux, PC (August 27, 1898 – March 29, 1963) was a Canadian parliamentarian, Speaker of the House of Commons of Canada (1945–1949), and the 19th Lieutenant Governor of Quebec (1950–1958).

He was born in S^t-Hyacinthe, Quebec, to a political family. His grandfather, Honoré Mercier and his uncle, Lomer Gouin, were both former Premiers of Quebec. His grandmother's second husband was Liberal Member of Parliament (MP) and later Senator Joseph Godbout. His brother was the judge Gérald Fauteux.

Fauteux married Marguerite Barré, daughter of the Canadian artist and animator Raoul Barré, on September 18, 1923. The couple had 4 children; Roger, Paul, Marie (Mimi) and Gaspard Jr.

A dentist by training and then a businessman, he first entered politics at the provincial election defeating Quebec Conservative Party leader and Mayor of Montreal Camillien Houde to win a seat in the Quebec legislature for the Quebec Liberal Party. He lost his seat in 1935 and returned to business. He was first elected to the House of Commons of Canada from the Quebec riding of St. Mary in a 1942 by-election, and was re-elected in the 1945 federal election by again defeating Camillien Houde. He was re-elected in the 1949 election.

In Parliament, Fauteux opposed conscription and was a delegate to the United Nations Relief and Rehabilitation Conference that followed World War II.

Despite his lack of legal training or long tenure in the House, he was tapped by Prime Minister William Lyon Mackenzie King to become Speaker following the 1945 election.

His inexperience in parliamentary procedure caused him difficulties in the Chair. He had a habit of making decisions before MPs had presented their arguments. He preferred the social aspects of the position and entertained and travelled frequently.

He returned to the backbenches after the 1949 election and, in 1950 was appointed Lieutenant-Governor of Quebec by Governor General Harold Alexander, Earl Alexander of Tunis, on the advice of his prime minister, Louis St. Laurent.

After his death in 1963, he was entombed at the Notre Dame des Neiges Cemetery in Montreal.

References

• "Biography". Dictionnaire des parlementaires du Québec de 1792 à nos jours (in French). National Assembly of Quebec.
• The Quebec History Encyclopedia entry (in French)
• Gaspard Fauteux – Parliament of Canada biography