Ernest Pacaud

Who was Ernest Pacaud?

Ernest Pacaud was a Quebec lawyer and journalist.

He was born Philippe-Olivier Pacaud in Trois-Rivières, Canada East in 1850, the son of Philippe-Napoléon Pacaud. He attended school in Trois-Rivières and then studied at the Séminaire de Nicolet. Pacaud articled in law with his uncle Édouard-Louis Pacaud, was called to the bar in 1872 and set up practice in Arthabaska. He joined the local militia during the Fenian raids.

Pacaud is credited with convincing Wilfrid Laurier to enter politics. Pacaud himself ran unsuccessfully for a seat in the Quebec assembly in an 1874 by-election. He married Marie-Louise, the daughter of Joseph-Édouard Turcotte, in 1876. In 1877, he founded Le Journal d'Arthabaska. In 1878, he was named protonotary in the Quebec Superior Court, clerk for the Circuit Court and crown clerk for the Trois-Rivières district. When the Conservatives came to power the following year, he was relieved of these appointments and he returned to the practice of law in Trois-Rivières. He became editor of a local newspaper, La Concorde.

In 1880, he helped found the Liberal newspaper L'Électeur at Quebec City and became its editor and later its owner.