Camillien Houde facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
His Worship
Camillien Houde
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Camillien Houde in 1930
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| 34th Mayor of Montreal | |
| In office 1928–1932 |
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| Preceded by | Médéric Martin |
| Succeeded by | Fernand Rinfret |
| In office 1934–1936 |
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| Preceded by | Fernand Rinfret |
| Succeeded by | Adhémar Raynault |
| In office 1938–1940 |
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| Preceded by | Adhémar Raynault |
| Succeeded by | Adhémar Raynault |
| In office 1944–1954 |
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| Preceded by | Adhémar Raynault |
| Succeeded by | Jean Drapeau |
| Leader of the Conservative Party of Quebec | |
| In office 1929–1932 |
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| Preceded by | Arthur Sauvé |
| Succeeded by | Charles Ernest Gault |
| MLA for Montréal–Sainte-Marie | |
| In office 1923–1927 |
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| Preceded by | Joseph Gauthier |
| Succeeded by | Joseph Gauthier |
| In office 1928–1931 |
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| Preceded by | Joseph Gauthier |
| Succeeded by | Gaspard Fauteux |
| In office 1939–1944 |
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| Preceded by | Candide Rochefort |
| Succeeded by | Camille Côté |
| Member of Parliament for Papineau | |
| In office 1949–1953 |
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| Preceded by | Riding created |
| Succeeded by | Adrien Meunier |
| Personal details | |
| Born | August 13, 1889 Montreal, Quebec, Canada |
| Died | September 11, 1958 (aged 69) Montreal, Quebec, Canada |
| Resting place | Notre Dame des Neiges Cemetery |
| Political party | Conservative Party of Quebec Conservative Party of Canada Independent |
Camillien Houde (born August 13, 1889 – died September 11, 1958) was an important politician from Quebec, Canada. He was known for serving as the mayor of Montreal four times. He also worked as a Member of Parliament for Canada and as a member of the Legislative Assembly of Quebec. This means he worked at all three levels of government: city, province, and country. During World War II, he was held by the government because he spoke out against a rule called conscription.
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Political Career
Camillien Houde was born in Montreal on August 13, 1889. He passed away in the same city on September 11, 1958. People sometimes called him "l'imprévisible" which means "the unpredictable one." He was the only child of Azade Houde and Josephine Frenette to survive. His family came from France to New France in 1647.
Houde first became a politician in Quebec. He was elected to the Legislative Assembly of Quebec in 1923. He represented the area of Montréal–Sainte-Marie for the Conservative Party. He lost his seat in 1927 but was re-elected in 1928.
In 1929, he became the leader of the Conservative Party in Quebec. His party lost the election in 1931, and he also lost his own seat. He then stepped down as the party leader in 1932.
A famous story about Houde happened in 1939. George VI and Queen Elizabeth visited Montreal. Large crowds cheered for them. Houde, who was mayor at the time, turned to the King and said, "You know, Your Majesty, some of this is for you."
Houde also tried to become a politician at the national level. He ran for a seat in the House of Commons of Canada in 1938 but did not win. In 1940, during World War II, he was arrested. This happened because he spoke out against conscription. Conscription was a rule that forced people to join the army. He was held in a camp in Ontario until the war ended.
After the war, he ran for national office again in 1945 but lost. However, in 1949, he won a seat in the area of Papineau. He ran as an independent candidate, meaning he was not part of a major political party. He won by a very small number of votes. He did not run for re-election in 1953.
Besides his work in provincial and national politics, Houde was also the mayor of Montreal for many years. He served as mayor from 1928 to 1932, from 1934 to 1936, from 1938 to 1940, and from 1944 to 1954.
Honours
Camillien Houde received several important awards. In 1935, he was made a Chevalier of the Légion d'honneur by France. He also became a Commander of the Order of the British Empire (CBE) in the same year. In 1953, he was named an Officer of the Order of St John.
Legacy
When Camillien Houde passed away in 1958, he was buried in the Cimetière Notre-Dame-des-Neiges in Montreal. His tomb is made of Italian marble and looks like the tomb of Napoleon.
As mayor, Houde worked to improve Montreal. He tried to reduce unfair hiring practices and help people who were unemployed. He also worked to fight organized crime in the city. He was responsible for making big improvements to public parks. This included the park on Mont Royal, where a man-made lake and other facilities were built. He also created "Camilliennes," which were public washrooms built during the Great Depression.
After his death, another mayor, Jean Drapeau, named a new road over Mount Royal after Houde. Many people found this interesting because Houde himself had been against building roads over the city's famous mountain.
See also
- Politics of Quebec
- List of Quebec general elections
- List of Quebec leaders of the Opposition
- Timeline of Quebec history
- Conscription Crisis of 1944
