Maurice Bourget

Maurice Bourget, born on October twentieth, nineteen oh seven, in Lauzon, Quebec, was a prominent Canadian politician and civil engineer. His early years were marked by a passion for sports, as he played semi-professional baseball and softball in Levis. After training as a civil engineer, he began his professional career in Levis, where he laid the groundwork for his future in public service.

A dedicated member of the Liberal Party since the age of nineteen, Bourget first entered the political arena in nineteen forty when he was elected to the House of Commons. His political journey was not without challenges; during the Conscription Crisis of nineteen forty-four, he and several other Quebec Liberal MPs broke away from the party to oppose the government's decision to send conscripts overseas. This bold move led him to run as an 'Independent Liberal' in nineteen forty-five, where he successfully defeated a Social Credit candidate.

After reconciling with the Liberal Party, Bourget was re-elected in nineteen forty-nine and continued to serve until his defeat in nineteen sixty-two, a result of the rising popularity of the Social Credit party. His contributions to Canadian politics included serving as a delegate to the United Nations General Assembly in nineteen fifty-one and as parliamentary assistant to the Minister of Public Works from nineteen fifty-three to nineteen fifty-seven.

In nineteen sixty-three, Bourget returned to parliament when he was appointed to the Senate by newly elected Liberal Prime Minister Lester Pearson. He also took on the role of Speaker of the Senate, where he represented Canada at various international conferences, including the Canada-U.S.A. Interparliamentary Group meeting in Washington in January nineteen sixty-four and the Interparliamentary Conference in Ottawa in September nineteen sixty-five. After stepping down as Speaker in January nineteen sixty-six, he was appointed to the Privy Council the following month and continued to serve as a Senator until his passing in nineteen seventy-nine.