Date Published:
September 2010

L’Encyclopédie de l’histoire du Québec / The Quebec History Encyclopedia

Hon. J. Aldéric Ouimet, K. C.., LL. B.

President of Crédit Foncier Canadien

and Montreal City and District Savings Bank

Montreal, Quebec, Canada.

HON. J. ALDERIC OUIMET was born at Ste. Rose, Laval County, Quebec, May 20th, 1848. His father, Michel; his mother, Elizabeth (St. Louis) Ouimet. Ancestors on both paternal and maternal sides came from Normandy to Canada, about the year 1665. He was educated in the schools of his native place, after which he attended St. Thérèse College and finished at the Victoria University taking the degree of LL. B. He began the practice of law at Montreal in 1870, as a member of the firm of Bélanger & Desnoyers. At a latter period both these gentlemen became Judges, which dissolved the partnership. A new firm was established with J. Alphonse Ouimet, the latter also becoming a Judge, and then J. Aldéric Ouimet together with C. A. Cornellier and J. U. Émard organized a legal firm which for several years was very successful. In 1873, Hon. J. Aldéric Ouimet was elected to represent his native county in the House of Commons and held that office for twenty-three years when he became Judge of the Court of Queens Bench for the county of Quebec. He resigned (owing to illness) in 1907. While he was a member of the House he was, for one Parliament, 1887-1891, Speaker of the House. He became a member of the Canadian Government in November, 1891, having been called to the office of Minister of Public Works, and in 1896, he received the appointment of Judge of the Queens Bench. He has always been very prominent in military affairs. 1879-1890, he was in command of the 65th Mount Royal Rifles of Montreal, with title of Colonel. He made a campaign in 1885, of the Northwest to assist in putting down the Riel rebellion. He is president of Crédit Foncier Canadien (Headquarters in Paris, with assets at nearly thirty million dollars) He has been a director of the Montreal City and District Savings Bank since 1879, and became president in 1906. He is a director in the Mount Royal Fire Insurance Co., and in the Standard Life Insurance Co., and is president of the Farwell Mountain Copper & Gold Co., of Colorado. He is a member of the Mount Royal Jockey; the Forest & Stream; the Montreal Hunt; the Mount Royal and of other prominent clubs of Montreal. Mr. Ouimet was married July 3rd, 1874, to Thérèse La Rocque and they are the parents of six children. Paul, Eugène, Thérèse, Eugénie, Marie and Aldéric Ouimet.

Source: Canadian History Makers. A Volume Containing Accurate and Concise Sketches of Men who have Done Things in The Dominion of Canada Past and Present Together with Photogravures Made from their Latest Photographs, Montreal, Canadian Publication Society, 1913, 159p., p. 27. Proper French spelling has been restored.