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Sir George-Étienne Cartier, politician (born on September 6, 1814, at St-Antoine, Lower Canada [Quebec]; died on May 20, 1873, at London, England). Cartier was one of the most important Fathers of Confederation and a longtime friend and ally of Sir John A. Macdonald. He grew up in the Richelieu Valley, graduated from the Sulpician's college in Montreal, and trained as a lawyer. As a young man, he was also a poet and Patriote. He wrote a song to his country ("O Canada, mon pays, mes amours"), and he fought against the British at St-Denis during the Rebellion of 1837. With the collapse of the rebellion, Cartier escaped to the United States, but was able to return home in 1838. In 1848 Cartier was elected to the Province of Canada's Legislative Assembly. A member of the Parti Bleu, he joined Macdonald in the government of 1857, and he became premier in the Cartier-Macdonald government of 1858-62. Cartier was the key figure in persuading French Canadians to accept Confederation. Between 1864 and 1867 he devoted himself to this cause. After Confederation, he was a senior member of Macdonald's Cabinet, handling such important matters as British Columbia's entry into Confederation. In 1872 Cartier's long-standing loyalty to the Sulpicians got him into a quarrel with the Bishop of Montreal, and he lost his Montreal seat in the elections. He took a Manitoba seat instead. By this time, Cartier was already ill with kidney disease. He went to England for treatment but there was no cure, though he was optimistic to the last. By nature, Cartier was energetic and confident. His Saturday night parties in Ottawa were legendary, with Cartier sitting on the dining-room table, singing paddling songs in his unlovely voice, pretending the table was a canoe and he was paddling it. Related Articles: CONFEDERATION; PARTI BLEU; PROVINCE OF CANADA.
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