Thomas Chapais

Sir Joseph Amable Thomas Chapais, (French pronunciation: [ʒozɛf amabl tɔma ʃapɛ]; March 23, 1858 – July 15, 1946) was a French Canadian author, editor, historian, journalist, professor, and politician.

Life and career

Born in Saint-Denis, Quebec (then Canada East), the son of Jean-Charles Chapais, a Father of Canadian Confederation, and Henriette-Georgina Dionne, he received a bachelor's degree in 1876 from Université Laval and was called to the Bar of Quebec in 1879.

From 1879 to 1884, he was the principal secretary to the Lieutenant Governor of Quebec, Théodore Robitaille. Turning to journalism, he became the editor-in-chief of the daily newspaper, Le Courrier du Canada in 1884 and from 1890 to 1901 was the owner. From 1907 to 1934, he was a professor of history at Université Laval.

In 1891, he ran unsuccessfully as a Conservative for the House of Commons of Canada in the riding of Kamouraska. He was appointed to the Legislative Council of Quebec in 1892 representing Laurentides. From 1893 to 1894, he was the Leader of the Government. In 1893, he was appointed Minister without Portfolio in the cabinet of Louis-Olivier Taillon. From 1895 to 1897, he was the speaker of the legislative council. From 1896 to 1897, he was the president of the executive council in the cabinet of Edmund James Flynn and was a Cabinet Minister. In 1917, he refused a seat in the Senate but was summoned to the Senate in 1919. A Conservative, he represented the senatorial division of Grandville, Quebec and served until his death in 1946.