John Charles Kaine

Who was John Charles Kaine?

John Charles Kaine was a Quebec politician. He was born in the parish of Notre-Dame de Québec, October 18, 1854, son of John Kaine and Ellen McGowan.

He studied at the Commercial Academy of Quebec.

He entered the business world in 1886 and was a ship-owner and wood merchant. He became president of the Kaine and Bird transport company. He represented the Lake Champlain Transportation Co., and Burleigh and Weeks, a wood-pulp import company in Whitehall, New York.

He was elected the Liberal member for Québec-Ouest in 1904. He was sworn in as a Minister Without Portfolio in the Gouin cabinet on January 3, 1906, and was re-elected in 1908 and 1912. His seat became vacant when he was named Legislative Councillor for Stadacona on April 23, 1915. He became Minister Without Portfolio in the Taschereau cabinet on July 9, 1920.

While sitting as a Member of the Assembly, Kaine organized independent Members to form a voting bloc that for a time held the balance of power. He was the last Member to sit in all three Chambers of the Parliament of Quebec: the Legislative Assembly, the Legislative Council and the Executive Council.