25 Facts About Marc-Amable Girard

Marc-Amable Girard was the second premier of Manitoba, and the first Franco-Manitoban to hold that post.

The Canadian Parliamentary Guide lists Girard as having been Premier from 1871 to 1872, but he did not have this title at the time and was not the government leader.

In 1874 Marc-Amable Girard led Manitoba's first ministry to be constituted on principles of "responsible government".

Marc-Amable Girard worked as a Notary Public between 1844 and 1870, and was active in local political life.

Subsequently, Marc-Amable Girard attempted to ensure that the new province remained open to French-Canadians.

Marc-Amable Girard was appointed Provincial Treasurer by Lieutenant-Governor Adams George Archibald on September 16,1870, and remained in this position until March 14,1872.

Archibald was effectively his own Premier during this period; Marc-Amable Girard was his leading minister from the francophone community.

In Manitoba's first provincial election, Marc-Amable Girard was elected by acclamation for the riding of St Boniface East.

Marc-Amable Girard continued to hold his provincial seat after being appointed to the Senate of Canada on December 13,1871, maintaining a controversial "dual mandate" for several years.

On December 28,1872, Marc-Amable Girard acquired a triple mandate being appointed to the Temporary North-West Council of Northwest Territories.

Marc-Amable Girard maintained an interest in the rights of French Canadians in the North West for the rest of his career.

On June 22,1874, Marc-Amable Girard voted with the French party on a non-confidence motion which brought down the government; he was called to form his own administration the next day.

Marc-Amable Girard was the first elected official in Manitoba to choose his own cabinet and act as head of government.

Marc-Amable Girard's government was founded on an unstable alliance with Hay's English party, and fell as a result of ongoing recriminations over Louis Riel's Red River Rebellion.

Marc-Amable Girard was succeeded as Premier by Robert A Davis on December 3,1874.

Marc-Amable Girard was re-elected for the restructured riding of St Boniface in Manitoba's second general election.

The Davis government soon won the confidence of most elected members, and Marc-Amable Girard played only a minor role in provincial politics for the next four years.

Marc-Amable Girard intended to run for re-election in 1878, but was opposed by a "citizen's committee" which argued against his continued double mandate.

Marc-Amable Girard was probably at the height of his popularity with the French community during this period, securing a compromise on bilingualism and receiving guarantees on education and representation.

Marc-Amable Girard returned to the Manitoba legislature in the Province's fourth general election, being acclaimed for the riding of Baie St Paul.

On November 16,1881, Marc-Amable Girard resigned as Provincial Secretary and became Minister of Agriculture and Statistics.

Marc-Amable Girard was unable to run in Manitoba's fifth general election due to a recent legal change which made his "double mandate" illegal.

Marc-Amable Girard remained on the province's Executive Council until September 6,1883, when he resigned.

Marc-Amable Girard was a member of the Senate until his death, where he supported the Conservative Party.

Marc-Amable Girard opposed the efforts of Thomas Greenway and D'Alton McCarthy to eliminate French-language services in Manitoba and the North West Territories, though he condemned Louis Riel's second rebellion in 1885.