Samuel Genest

Samuel McCallum Genest (June 10, 1865 – June 25, 1937) was a Canadian politician and civil servant. He is known for his defence of francophone rights in Ottawa and Ontario.

Born in Trois-Rivières, Canada East, he was the son of Laurent-Ubald Genest, a lawyer who was for many years Clerk of the Peace to Trois-Rivières, and Marie-Charlotte-Emma McCallum, who was born in Montreal. Samuel Genest was educated at the Séminaire des Trois-Rivières.

Court case

He played an important role to one of the biggest struggles that has been conducted in Canada to defend the rights of fathers and the rights of the French language. When he was the Chairman of the Catholic schools of the city of Ottawa Samuel Genest was thrown into the battle over Regulation 17. He brought a case before the courts where he supported the right of francophone Canadians to have their children educated in French. This brought him much admiration from French-Canadians. He was even supported by Anglo-Protestants, like William Henry Moore, author of The Clash. The modest staff that the University of Ottawa had already made Doctor of Law was celebrated by the authorized representatives of all its people. Priests and laity, archbishops, ministers, senators, members (senators and deputies from all parties), came in a great public banquet this winter, to proclaim that the old soldier had won the Church, country, and race. The day before, children in French schools in Ottawa came to greet and cheer the man who, in large part, they should be able to learn in their own language.

Later life

He was employed by the Federal Administrative Service from 1885 to 1931 and subsequently served as the chair of ACFO in 1932 and 1933. From 1885 to 1895, he lived in Aylmer, near Ottawa. He lived in Ottawa during and after 1895. From his first marriage with Miss Charlotte McConnell, M. Genest had a daughter, Mildred, from his second marriage with Miss Emma Woods, he had two sons: Laurent Genest, surgeon, and Jean Genest, lawyer. Genest died in Ottawa in 1937.

References

Source : Raphaël OUIMET, éd., Biographies canadiennes françaises, treizième édition, Montréal, 1937, 461p., p. 377. Le texte a été reformaté et les erreurs typographiques ont été corrigées.