Irénée Vautrin

Irénée Vautrin was a Canadian politician from Quebec.[1]

Irénée Vautrin, c. 1935

Background

He was born on December 21, 1888 near Napierville and became an architect.

Member of the legislature

Vautrin ran as a Liberal candidate for the Legislative Assembly of Quebec in the 1919 election for the district of Montréal–Saint-Jacques and won, but was defeated by Conservative candidate Joseph-Ambroise-Eusèbe Beaudoin in the 1923 election.

He was re-elected in the 1927 and 1931 elections. He served as Deputy Speaker from 1930 to 1934.

Cabinet Member

Vautrin was appointed to the Cabinet and served as Deputy House Speaker from 1930 to 1934, Minister without Portfolio in 1934 and Minister of Colonization from 1934 until his defeat in the 1935 election against Conservative candidate Henry Lemaître Auger.

Soon after he left office Vautrin appeared before the Standing Committee on Public Accounts and became one of the favorite targets of Conservative Leader Maurice Duplessis, who exposed the corrupt practices of the Liberal government. The undesired attention earned Vautrin the unflattering nickname of Les culottes à Vautrin.[2]

Death

He died on February 2, 1974 in Montreal and was entombed at the Notre Dame des Neiges Cemetery in Montreal.[3]

Footnotes

1. "Biography". Dictionnaire des parlementaires du Québec de 1792 à nos jours (in French). National Assembly of Quebec.
2. Les culottes à Vautrin, Les Archives de Radio-Canada
3. Répertoire des personnages inhumés au cimetière ayant marqué l'histoire de notre société (in French). Montreal: Notre Dame des Neiges Cemetery.