Jean René Allard facts for kids

Jean René Allard (born September 22, 1930 – died December 2, 2020) was a Canadian politician from Manitoba. He was elected to the Manitoba legislature in 1969 as a member of the New Democratic Party (NDP). Later, he decided to leave the party and served as an MLA (Member of the Legislative Assembly) on his own, as an independent.

Life and Political Journey

Early Life and Education

Jean René Allard was the son of Alfred Allard and Donalda Champagne. He went to school at the Collège de Saint-Boniface and the University of Manitoba. After his studies, he became a lawyer.

Family Life

In 1952, Jean married Catherine Whyte. They had one daughter named Sylvette. Sadly, Catherine passed away in 1955. Later, in 1975, Jean married Beverley Rose Bohonos. Together, they had five children: Paul, Pierre, Luc, Marika, and Marc.

Community Involvement

Beyond his legal work, Jean Allard was very active in his community. He was a leader of the Union Nationale Metisse, which is a group for Métis people. He was also a member of the Louis Riel Society and the St. Boniface Historical Society. These groups work to preserve the history and culture of the Métis people and the St. Boniface area.

The Louis Riel Statue

In 1966, Jean Allard had an idea to put up a statue of Louis Riel. Louis Riel was an important Métis leader in Canadian history. Allard suggested placing the statue next to the one of Queen Victoria at the Manitoba legislature building. This idea was approved, and the statue was officially revealed in 1971.

Years later, in 1994, the government decided to replace this original Louis Riel statue with a new one. Jean Allard was very upset by this. He chained himself to the statue to protest the decision. He was quoted saying, "It would hurt me if they tear it down." Even though he protested, the original statue was moved to the grounds of Collège de Saint-Boniface.

Entering Politics

Jean Allard first tried to become an MLA in the 1966 election. He ran as a member of the Liberal Party in the area called Rupertsland. He came in second place in that election.

He then joined the social-democratic NDP for the 1969 election. He won the election for Rupertsland in a very close race. However, he didn't stay with the NDP for long. He disagreed with some of the party's ideas, especially about socialism. He later said he only joined because he liked the party leader, Edward Schreyer.

On April 7, 1972, Jean Allard decided to leave the NDP and become an independent MLA. He felt that "left-wing radicals" had taken over the party. He did not run for re-election in 1973.

Later Political Attempts

In the 1974 federal election, Jean Allard ran again as a Liberal. This time, he ran for a seat in the Canadian Parliament in the northern area of Churchill. He did not win this election. After this, he did not return to politics.

Ideas for Indigenous Communities

In 2002, Jean Allard wrote an article for a journal called Inroads. In his article, he suggested a big change in how money is given to Canada's Indigenous communities. He believed that the current leaders were not always meeting the needs of their people. So, he proposed that the Canadian government should pay every Indigenous citizen $300 each month directly. This money would go straight to individuals, instead of through bands or councils. He often mentioned the ideas of Big Bear, a 19th-century chief, saying his methods could help with responsibility and personal choice.

Passing Away

Jean René Allard passed away on December 2, 2020, at the age of 90.