Louis-Victor Sicotte

He was not convinced of the wisdom of the Rebellions of 1837 and opposed the Patriotes' border forays because he feared they would bring reprisals. First elected to the Assembly for St-Hyacinthe in 1851, he identified with the dissident Reformers whose position lay somewhere between Lafontaine's supporters and the Parti Rouge. In 1854 he was named Speaker over the government's candidate, George-Étienne Cartier. Commissioner of crown lands 1857-10 Jan 1859, he resigned to become leader of the opposition from Canada East. In May 1862, Sicotte formed a new government with John Sandfield MacDonald, but having had to lead the country in a period of deep economic and political trouble, the ministry was defeated in the Assembly on 8 May 1863. Sicotte refused a Cabinet position in the new Sandfield Macdonald-Dorion government and was named a puisne judge of the Superior Court for St-Hyacinthe on 5 Sept 1863, a post he held until 7 Nov 1887