George-Étienne Cartier

Sir George-Étienne Cartier, 1st Baronet
Born	Saint-Antoine-sur-Richelieu, Lower Canada
Died	20 May 1873(1873-05-20) (aged 58) London, United Kingdom
Occupation(s)	Politician, lawyer
Years active	1848–1873
Known for	Father of Canadian Confederation

Sir George-Étienne Cartier, 1st Baronet, (pronounced ; September 6, 1814 – May 20, 1873) was a prominent Canadian politician and one of the Fathers of Confederation. The English variant of his first name—George instead of the traditional French Georges—was chosen to honor King George III.

Before the establishment of Confederation, Cartier emerged as a leading political figure in Canada East, heading the Parti bleu. Following a brief exile due to his involvement in the Lower Canada Rebellion, he returned to Montreal in 1838 and formally entered politics a decade later in 1848. His contributions included the implementation of the Civil Code of Lower Canada, which replaced the antiquated Custom of Paris, and advocating for the expansion of primary education within the province. Concerned about American territorial ambitions, Cartier was a strong proponent of Confederation. He passed away in London on May 20, 1873. Alongside Macdonald and George Brown, he is recognized as one of the most significant Fathers of Confederation, often referred to as “The Kingpin of Confederation.”

Early career

Born on September 6, 1814, in Saint-Antoine-sur-Richelieu, Lower Canada (present-day Quebec), George-Étienne Cartier pursued his education at the from 1824 until 1832 before being admitted to the bar in 1834, marking the start of his legal profession. His legal expertise extended into the railway sector, notably representing clients such as the Grand Trunk Railway.

Early inspiration from Louis-Joseph Papineau led Cartier to join the , where he took part in the 1837 Lower Canada Rebellion, including fighting at the Battle of Saint-Denis. After a short exile in Vermont, he returned to Montreal in 1838 and resumed his law practice.

Once back in Canada East, Cartier became politically engaged as campaign manager for Louis-Hippolyte Lafontaine. He abandoned law in 1848 to stand as a Reformer and secured election to the Legislative Assembly of the Province of Canada. In 1852, he introduced legislation establishing the Grand Trunk Railway Company of Canada. Elevated to cabinet status in 1854, he served as co-premier alongside John A. Macdonald from 1857 until 1862. Along with Macdonald and George Brown, he helped form the Great Coalition in 1864 to restore political stability after six governments had collapsed within six years.

The Great Coalition played a pivotal role in advancing Canadian Confederation; Cartier participated in all three major conferences: Charlottetown, Quebec, and London. He was crucial in rallying French-Canadian backing for union.

Cartier also spearheaded legislative changes that dismantled the semi-feudal seigneurial system in Lower Canada, reformed its legislative council into an elected chamber, and promoted adoption of the Civil Code.

Political career in the Dominion of Canada

Following Confederation in 1867, Cartier was appointed Minister of Militia and Defence under Prime Minister Macdonald. He held a dual mandate, having been elected as a Conservative in the 1867 Quebec provincial election representing Montréal-Est, while simultaneously serving as a federal Member of Parliament for Montreal East.

During the 1872 federal election, Cartier lost his seat in Montreal East amid the fallout from the Pacific Scandal. However, he quickly regained a position in the House of Commons by winning the Provencher riding in Manitoba, which became available after Louis Riel and Henry James Clarke resigned. Cartier had initially intended to advocate for amnesty for Riel’s involvement in establishing the Provisional government in the Northwest Territories, but the Conservative administration did not fulfill this commitment. It is noteworthy that Cartier and Riel were distantly related through early Canadian pioneer ancestry.

In Ottawa, Cartier played a pivotal role negotiating with Britain and the Hudson's Bay Company to facilitate Canada's purchase of Rupert's Land and the North-Western Territory. He was instrumental in founding Manitoba as a province and promoting British Columbia's entry into Confederation. Reflecting his interest in railway development, Cartier introduced legislation in 1872 that led to the establishment of the Canadian Pacific Railway. He maintained his position as Minister of Militia and Defence until 1873.

Health decline

In 1871, Cartier began exhibiting symptoms of Bright's Disease, a serious kidney ailment. After the 1872 election, he traveled to London to seek medical treatment, but his condition worsened. He passed away there on May 20, 1873, at the age of 58. Despite being acclaimed as an MP for his Manitoba riding, he never visited it. His remains were repatriated to Canada and laid to rest at Cimetière Notre-Dame-des-Neiges in Montreal following a public funeral service.

Family

George-Étienne Cartier wed Hortense Fabre, daughter of former Montreal mayor Édouard-Raymond Fabre, on June 16, 1846. The couple had three daughters; one died during infancy and another passed away in 1886. After Cartier’s death, Lady Cartier was granted a pension of $1,200 in recognition of his public service. Their eldest daughter Caroline died in 1886 and was buried beside her father in Montreal. Lady Cartier and their surviving daughter Hortense later resided in Cannes, France until Lady Cartier passed away on February 27, 1898; she was interred at Notre Dame des Neiges Cemetery in Quebec alongside her family members. In 1892, Lady Cartier donated a marble bust of her husband to Quebec’s Legislative Assembly. Additionally, Cartier’s niece Victoria Cartier gained prominence as a Canadian pianist and music educator.

Legacy

Cartier’s most significant contribution lies in securing Canada East (Quebec)’s participation in Confederation. After the rebellions of 1837–1838 and the recommendations of the Durham Report, Upper and Lower Canada were united into a single colony as Britain gradually reduced its control over North America. Facing increasing pressure from the expanding United States, George Brown of Canada West (Ontario) proposed an alliance with Macdonald and Cartier’s Conservative faction in 1864. This Grand Coalition paved the way for Confederation agreements reached at the Charlottetown and Quebec conferences culminating in 1867. The newly formed federal government subsequently convened in Ottawa. In 1834, Cartier co-founded the Société Saint-Jean-Baptiste patriotic organization and was known for reciting his poem , which is distinct from Canada’s national anthem.

Honours and memorials

In 1868, Cartier was granted a baronetcy of Montreal within the Baronetage of the United Kingdom by Queen Victoria. As he left no direct heirs, this title became extinct upon his passing. Additionally, from 1 July 1867, he was entitled to use the honorific prefix The Honourable and the postnominal letters PC as a member of the Queen's Privy Council for Canada.

Several significant landmarks commemorating Cartier and fellow Confederation Father John A. Macdonald bear their names. These include Ontario’s Macdonald-Cartier Freeway (Highway 401), Ottawa’s Macdonald-Cartier International Airport, and the Macdonald-Cartier Bridge, which links Ottawa to Gatineau, Quebec. The former Macdonald-Cartier High School in Saint-Hubert, Quebec, has since merged into what is now Heritage Regional High School.

Cartier’s former home at 458 Notre-Dame Street East in Montreal has been preserved as the Sir George-Étienne Cartier National Historic Site, showcasing his contributions and exemplifying upper-middle-class architecture of the 19th century.

In 1931, Canada Post released a ten-cent postage stamp featuring Cartier’s likeness alongside a maple leaf. Numerous streets throughout Quebec and other Canadian provinces are named after him, including the Cartier station on the Montreal Metro system located in Laval.

Six educational institutions carry his name:

• George-Étienne Cartier French Catholic primary school in Ottawa, Ontario
• George-Étienne Cartier primary school in Gatineau, Québec
• George-Étienne-Cartier French preschool in Longueuil, Quebec
• Sir George-Étienne Cartier primary school in London, Ontario
• George-Étienne Cartier French Catholic primary school in Toronto, Ontario
• École secondaire Macdonald-Cartier high school in Sudbury, Ontario

David La Haye portrayed Cartier in the 2011 CBC production John A.: Birth of a Country.

In 2017, to mark Canada 150 celebrations, the Bank of Canada issued a commemorative ten-dollar bill featuring portraits of Cartier alongside Sir John A. Macdonald, Agnes Macphail, and James Gladstone.

Furthermore, Mount Cartier, located near Revelstoke, British Columbia, is named in tribute to him.

See also

• List of presidents of the Saint-Jean-Baptiste Society of Montreal

Archives

The George-Étienne Cartier fonds can be found at Library and Archives Canada.

External links

• Alastair Sweeny, George-Étienne Cartier: A Biography Web version
• Photograph: Sir George-Étienne Cartier, 1861 – McCord Museum
• Photograph: Sir George-Étienne Cartier, 1863 – McCord Museum
• Photograph: Sir George-Étienne Cartier, 1865 – McCord Museum