(21 Oct. 1837-26 July 1906), clergyman. (Louis-Guillaume Leclair; S. S. used after name to denote order) Born at what is now North Lancaster, GC. Parents: Charles Leclair and his first wife Thérèse Guindon. He was educated in Montreal and at Rome, and joined the community of St. Sulpice. In 1861 he was ordained to the priesthood at Rome by Cardinal Morlet. Fr Leclair was a curate in Montreal at St. Anne’s Parish (1861-1871) and at St. Patrick’s Parish (1871-1881), and then priest at Oka from 1881 to 1885. Chosen to supervise the building (1885-1888) of the Canadian College at Rome, he served afterwards as assistant superior of the College (1888 to 1896) and as superior (1896 to 1902). On retirement, he returned to Montreal, where he served in the Sulpician Parish of Notre Dame. Twice he served as director of St. Patrick’s Orphan Asylum, Montreal, first 1870-1880, and, secondly, from 1902 till his death. On the second occasion, he began the work of relocating and rebuilding the orphanage on a large new plot of ground purchased for the purpose, leaving the work well advanced when he died. Fr Leclair died at the Hotel Dieu in Montreal. It appears, somewhat surprisingly, that he was the first French Canadian Glengarrian ordained to the priesthood. His father built a chapel for him in the Leclair family home at North Lancaster. He was the brother of Alexander and Dr Peter Napoléon Leclair, both of this dictionary.

Glengarry News (portrait) & Cornwall Standard both 3 Aug. 1906 * Dr Norbert Ferré, “The Leclairs of Glengarry,” Glengarry Life (1977) * MacGillivray & Ross 159 (portrait) * Morgan (1898) 571 * has recovered from severe haemorrhage of the lungs, at Rome, Cornwall Freeholder 14 Jan. (1887 or 1888), cited DTL, Standard Freeholder 10 Jan. 1948 * L’Abbé J.-B.-A. Allaire, Dictionnaire biographique du clergé canadien-français: Les anciens (1910) 324