Henri Sévérin Béland

Henri Sévérin Béland, born on October eleventh, eighteen sixty-nine, in Rivière-du-Loup-en-Haut, Quebec, was a distinguished Canadian politician and physician. The son of Henri Béland and Sophie Lesage, he pursued his medical studies at Université Laval. After practicing medicine in New Hampshire, he returned to Quebec, where he settled in Saint-Joseph-de-Beauce.

His political career began when he served as the mayor of Saint-Joseph-de-Beauce from eighteen ninety-seven to eighteen ninety-nine. In eighteen ninety-seven, he was elected to the Legislative Assembly of Quebec as a Liberal representative for the riding of Beauce, a position he was acclaimed for in eighteen hundred. He briefly resigned in eighteen hundred two to pursue a federal role, where he was acclaimed as a Liberal Member of Parliament for Beauce in a by-election.

Béland's political journey continued as he was re-elected in eighteen hundred four and eighteen hundred eight. His appointment as Postmaster General in Wilfrid Laurier's cabinet in August nineteen eleven marked a significant milestone, granting him the title of 'The Honourable' for life. Although he faced defeat in the nineteen eleven election for Montmagny, he regained his seat in Beauce and was acclaimed again in nineteen seventeen and re-elected in nineteen twenty-one.

In nineteen twenty-one, he took on the roles of Minister of Soldiers' Civil Re-establishment and Minister presiding over the Department of Health. His tenure included a controversial decision in nineteen twenty-three to add cannabis to the list of banned substances without parliamentary debate. Béland was appointed to the Senate in nineteen twenty-five, representing Lauzon, Quebec, and continued to serve until his death in nineteen thirty-five.

In recognition of his contributions, Henri-Béland Avenue in Montreal bears his name, ensuring that his legacy endures in Canadian history.