(died 20 March 1951, in his 83rd year) (Joseph E. Chevrier, J. E. Chevrier, Joe Chevrier) and his son Lionel Chevrier (2 April 1903-1987), political figures. Joseph E. Chevrier, born in Vaudreuil County, east of Glengarry County, became a prosperous merchant of groceries, coal and wood in Cornwall, and mayor of Cornwall. In the federal general election of 6 Dec. 1921, he was the Liberal candidate for the constituency of Glengarry-Stormont, but was defeated by J. W. Kennedy, a Progressive. (For this election, see also David Courville) At a Liberal meeting (Glengarry News 4 Sept. 1925) held in Alexandria as the 1925 federal general election approached, Chevrier was one of the candidates proposed for the Glengarry constituency (which by now had reverted to being Glengarry County alone, without Stormont), but he was defeated by Archibald J. Macdonald, who secured the Liberal nomination and went on to win the election.

     Lionel Chevrier, born in Cornwall, son of Joseph E. and his wife Malvina De Repentigny, was a Cornwall lawyer, and a vigorous promoter of the construction of the St. Lawrence Seaway, so much desired by Eastern Ontario. In a political career of unusual distinction, he was MP for Stormont County 1935-1954, and for Laurier (Montreal) 1957-1964, and he was minister of transport (1945-1954), president of the St. Lawrence Seaway Authority (1954-1957), minister of justice (1963-1964), and high commissioner to the United Kingdom (1964-1967).

     He was one of the five or six people principally involved in making Prime Minister King the MP for GC in 1945. A press report at the time stated that Chevrier, who was described as “looking after Mr. King’s interests in the constituency,” had stated that the Liberals would not conduct an election campaign of their own in GC against Dr Monahan, and that King would not make speeches there on his own behalf, and that the Liberals had resolved to “ignore” the campaign of Dr Monahan, who was touring the constituency with a soundtruck that broadcast speeches. (Montreal Gazette 2 Aug. 1945)

     One may guess that the gravity field set up by Chevier was great enough to have considerable effect in Glengarry and its politics over many years. Intimately associated with Cornwall, and a man of national importance, and never a GC resident full time in any sense, he maintained a cottage at Fraser’s Point in GC. He was completely bilingual. He was the author of The St. Lawrence Seaway (Pp. 174, Toronto, Macmillan of Canada, 1959). A postage stamp in his honour, containing his portrait, was issued in 1997 (Glengarry News 3 Dec. 1997)

Harkness, Marin, Senior: index all * Paul-François Sylvestre, Nos parlementaires (1987) 88-89 (with portrait) * Johnson (1968) * Mabel Tinkess Good, Chevrier (1987) * Bernard Chevrier, as per W. L. M. King * Bernard Chevier, Tales of Courage (2002), abbreviated Chevrier this dictionary * Fraser (1959) 30 * Angus H. Macdonell’s recollections of the victory night, 1921 election, Glengarry News 11 Jan. 1973