====== Faubert, Albert ====== (25 Jan. 1908-23 July 1980), reeve. Born at Alexandria, GC. Parents:— Faubert and his wife Rachel Pilon (d. 1937). Albert Faubert farmed on Lot 13, 3rd Concession of Kenyon Township, on Highway 43 just west of Alexandria, and was an auctioneer. An active, popular and successful figure in the politics of Kenyon Township and SDG, he was intelligent and articulate, and prided himself on his outspoken views on a wide variety of subjects. In 1976 he charged that he had been passed over by the United Counties Council for his chance of becoming warden of SDG because of prejudice against French Canadians and Catholics. (//Glengarry News// 22 Jan. 1976, and again on this issue, //GN// 20 Jan. 1982, and reconfirmation of his views on this subject during interview 23 May 1977) Also in 1977 he criticized his colleagues on Kenyon Township Council for not placing enough emphasis on bilingualism in their advertisement for a township clerk-treasurer. (//GN// 10 Aug. 1977) While opposing social divisiveness and emphasizing the need for people of differing backgrounds to live together amicably, he believed that French Canadians had been poorly treated in Eastern Ontario in their first generations of settlement there. It should be emphasized that his views, as cited here, on the French Canadians represented rather a minor strain in a long and full political career and were never seen by his public as part of any aggression on his part, or as indicating anti-English feeling. To some degree, they were absorbed in his reputation for outspokenness. Velma Franklin has stated that as reeve of Kenyon he “was largely responsible for modernizing the facilities in the old township hall in Greenfield,” and has described his role in the 1977 recovery of a treasure trove of long lost Kenyon municipal records. His taped interview of 1977 for the Multicultural History Society of Ontario does not show him at his best, being wrecked by great political caution on his part, and showing no trace of something this quick-minded man showed in more informal conversational settings, namely his truly remarkable ability to deal with general or abstract ideas. In conversation, late in life, he recalled his disquiet in his earlier years at the mistreatment of blacks in Detroit or Buffalo, where he had been employed, probably on construction work. Albert Faubert was fully bilingual. Roman Catholic. He was president 1962 to 1970 of the Glengarry County Branch, Ontario Division, of the Canadian Red Cross Society. He was married to Lucille Cuerrier (five children) ---- //Glengarry News// 30 July 1980 * the present editor’s notes of his interview of 23 May 1977 with Albert Faubert * interview with Albert Faubert recorded 28 July 1977 for the Multicultural History Society of Ontario * Red Cross: Annual Reports, Ontario Division, Canadian Red Cross Society * Velma S. Franklin, //Glengarry Life// (1980 ), on Kenyon municipal records * elected reeve of Kenyon, //GN// 9 Dec. 1965 * policies and achievements as reeve: election advertisement (portrait) //GN// 25 Nov. 1976; GC reeves’ reports //GN// 8 Jan. 1976 * fine front page photograph of Albert Faubert on his farm, //GN// 17 Oct. 1974, in connection with news story about beaver damage in Kenyon Township; also Tom Van Dusen, “Beaver-Haunted Reeve Gets No Help,” //Ottawa Citizen// 27 July 1976 * fine portrait of Albert Faubert examining marijuana plant found growing wild on his farm, //GN// 6 Sept. 1973 * anecdote about his forthrightness of speech, Angus H. McDonell article //GN// 2 Sept. 1987 * honoured posthumously for service to Glengarry Memorial Hospital, //GN// 26 April 2000 [<6>]