known as Osie Villeneuve (28 June 1906-25 Sept. 1983), political figure. Born at Dyer, in Roxborough Township, three miles west of Maxville. Parents: Frank B. Villeneuve and his wife Fabiola Marion. He was brought to Maxville with his parents in 1907, and attended public and secondary school there. He spoke English and French. In Maxville, he worked with his father as a drover, and continued as drover after his father’s death. On 20 Oct. 1930, he married Alma MacLeod of Maxville, a nurse. (three children) She remained a Protestant; the Villeneuves, of course, were Roman Catholics. Though Alma Villeneuve seems to have found many of the aspects of political life oppressive, she was his tireless supporter and fellow-worker in his long political career–the perfect political wife.

     Osie Villeneuve was on Maxville village council 1934 to 1938. In 1934, he assisted his brother J. Domina in his unsuccessful electoral campaign. Osie was coach (1936-1937) and manager (1938-1940) of the Maxville Millionaires, the well-known and highly-successful hockey team. In the Ontario general election of 4 June 1945 Osie Villeneuve was the Conservative candidate for the electoral district of Glengarry (Glengarry County plus a portion of Prescott County). In the meeting which selected the Conservative candidate, he defeated Col. Douglas M. Bowie. (Glengarry News 4 May 1945) In the resulting election Osie Villeneuve was defeated by Eddie MacGillivray, who was victor by a wide margin.

     This was a poor beginning for what was to be by far the most successful political career enjoyed by anyone other than Mackenzie King involved as a candidate in GC politics during the period of very approximately one century from the eclipse of the Sandfields in the 1870s or 1880s to Osie’s own death in the 1980s. Putting defeat behind him, he returned to business and public life in Maxville. He was president from 1946 to 1948 of the Kenyon Agricultural Society, and was one of the founders of the Glengarry Highland Games in 1948. He was elected reeve of Maxville for the year 1948, defeating Dr J.H. Munro. But in the Ontario general election of 7 June of that year he was again the Conservative candidate, and this time he was the victor, defeating Eddie MacGillivray. Again, there was a wide margin between the winner and the loser, but now it was in Villeneuve’s favour. Clarence Ostrom wrote about Villeneuve at this time in his manuscript history in terms of praise unusual in that stern, unillusioned commentator. Osie Villeneuve was re-elected as MLA in 1951 and 1955, defeating Dr Dolan on both occasions. In 1957, Villeneuve resigned his seat in the Ontario Legislature to run as the Conservative candidate for Glengarry-Prescott in the federal election of 10 June 1957, and was elected. On moving from provincial to federal politics, he gave up his business as a drover to concentrate on political life. He was re-elected as MP in 1958, in the election which brought Conservative Prime Minister John Diefenbaker his huge majority, but Osie Villeneuve was defeated by Viateur Ethier in the federal election of 18 June 1962. His immediate reaction to his defeat was to say that this was “the end of the political road for me; this is my last election,” and his wife (in what she defined as her first and last public address) stated her satisfaction that he was leaving politics. (Glengarry News 21 June 1962)

     However, he did return to politics, and in the Ontario general election of 25 Sept. 1963, he was elected MLA for the electoral district of Glengarry. This time, he would remain MLA till his death, which fell exactly 20 years later to the day, winning five more electoral victories in his GC-area constituency (of which the boundaries were variously redefined). In May 1983 he was honoured at a dinner-dance (attended by Premier Bill Davis) at Maxville and District Sports Complex (afterwards renamed the Osie F. Villeneuve Arena). At that time, his intention was not to seek re-election. He died in Toronto a few months later, a few hours after being struck down with a heart attack. At the time of his death he was the dean of the Ontario legislature in terms of years of service. His funeral at St. James Roman Catholic Church, Maxville, was attended by Premier Bill Davis, future premiers David Peterson and Mike Harris, future prime minister Brian Mulroney, and many other political figures, including Lionel Chevrier. The principal celebrant of the funeral Mass was his nephew, Mgr Rudolph Villeneuve. Osie Villeneuve and his wife are buried together in what used to be known as the Maxville Protestant Cemetery, but which since recent years has been used for interdenominational burials.

     Osie Villeneuve spent his whole career as a representative on the back benches, and seldom spoke in the debates. He had, however, a great reputation in his constituency, where his success at the polls was often defined as based more on himself personally than on his party. He was widely seen as a man who, while he did not bother much with expressing his views on public issues, had great influence with the government. In this role, he was seen as excellent for his ability to get access for GC-area municipal officials to elusive Queen’s Park bureaucrats. A Glengarry News editorial said on his death that “members on both sides of the [Ontario] legislature knew his influence was often immense.” The words seem extreme, but presumably the writer was Eugene Macdonald, who rarely exaggerated (and liked least of all to exaggerate where praise was concerned!), and who had followed the story of GC politics, with all its secrets, over many decades. Osie Villeneuve maintained a reputation for integrity throughout the multiplied dangers and temptations of a long political career. Once, and memorably, he broke his silence on the broader public issues. His speech in the Ontario Legislature on 6 May 1980, in which he states his position on the national unity issue, is marked by dignity, intelligence, shrewdness, and substance, and at moments even by elegance. The speech includes illustrations from the history of the Villeneuve family in Eastern Ontario. In his home town of Maxville, the Maxville Manor has always been seen as very much his particular gift, both in his role in promoting it and in securing the necessary grants. He was also seen as an essential force in getting the grants for the Maxville and District Sports Complex.

     Mrs Osie Villeneuve, born Alma MacLeod, was the daughter of John Angus MacLeod (d. 1926) and his wife Catherine Chisholm. John Angus owned and operated a cheese and butter factory at Fournier, Ont., c. 1894-1913, and afterwards moved to Maxville and then to a farm at Dominionville south of Maxville. He was the grandson of Duncan MacLeod (1805-1889). Alma trained as a nurse in Cornwall and Ottawa before her marriage. Gordon Winter wrote, “The story of how Mrs. Villeneuve assisted her late husband, Osie, with his duties as our local MPP for many years is well known. Her home was his office and she was his secretary for the riding. She was also his taxi driver on the weekends when he came home from Toronto by train to Cornwall. She also attended so many political and social functions with him, always looking so regal and poised.” She died at Maxville Manor, 9 Oct. 1999, aged 95.

Globe and Mail 27 Sept. 1983 (“Down-to-Earth Tory Dean of Ontario House,” with portrait and political appraisal), Le Point 27 sept. & 4 oct. 1983, Glengarry News 28 Sept. & 5 Oct. 1983 (includes two editorials, a biog. article by Angus H. McDonell), Vankleek Hill Review same dates, Ottawa Citizen 30 Sept. & 3 Oct. 1983 * observations on the continuity between Osie Villeneuve and his successor in the riding, Noble Villeneuve, Globe and Mail 28 Nov. & 1 Dec. 1983 (article & Orland French column), Ottawa Citizen 19 & 27 Dec. 1983 (editorial “The Villeneuve Era Goes on” & article) * letters to editor by Osie Villeneuve on various public topics, GN 27 June 1974, 8 June 1977 * Russ Dewar, “Villeneuve Was More Than Just a Politician” : biog. article on occasion of Osie Villeneuve’s induction into Glengarry Sports Hall of Fame (with fine portrait), GN undated clipping from summer 1995 * Angus H. McDonell, “Villeneuve Earns Record of 12 Campaigns,” GN 15 June 1977 (largely biog.) * Legislature of Ontario: Debates 6 May 1980 pp. 1563-5 * Ostrom 339 * dinner-dance: Le Point 31 mai 1983; VKHR 1 June 1983, with superb portrait of Osie and Alma Villeneuve with a pipe-smoking Bill Davis * interview with Osie Villeneuve, recorded 15 Aug. 1977 for the Multicultural History Society of Ontario * Maxville (1991) : various * Roderick Lewis, 96-97 * Osie Villeneuve, “1970 Was Difficult Year in County of Glengarry,” Standard Freeholder 20 March 1971 * Jim Romahn, farm writer, Kitchener-Waterloo Record, 26 Nov. 1976, on Osie Villeneuve’s defence of his dairy-farmer constituents * good group portrait of Osie and Ben Villeneuve, Fern Guindon, Dr Don Gamble, and others, GN 17 March 1977 * photog. of Osie Villeneuve and Bill Davis holding up print of painting by Toronto artist Andy Donato; the print includes a view of St. Andrew’s Church, Williamstown, and is to be an Ont. Government gift to Prime Minister Begin of Israel, GN 4 Jan. 1979 * his home, the old Ottawa House hotel, Maxville, burns, GN 22 May 1931 * honoured at Green Valley Pavilion on 25th wedding anniversary, GN 17 Nov. 1955 * photog. of Alma Villeneuve (in wheelchair), Noble Villeneuve & others at opening of redeveloped Maxville Manor, GN 10 May 1995 * Alma Villeneuve: obituary GN 20 Oct. 1999 (portrait) & Gordon Winter’s column same issue (QF); MacLeods, i, 145, 275, ii, 138, 139, 345;Parker Fournier 584-588; Maxville (1991) 649, 717-721; private information, personal knowledge; nurse training, GN 7 April 1922, 19 Dec. 1924