Alcide Courcy

Alcide Courcy (November 3, 1914 – May 22, 2000) was a Canadian politician, cabinet minister and a four-term Member of the National Assembly of Quebec.^[1]

Early life

Alcide Courcy was born in the town of Saint-Onésime-d'Ixworth, Quebec in 1914. He was educated at l'École d'agriculture de Sainte-Anne-de-la-Pocatière, where he received his bachelor's degree in agricultural science.^[1]

After college, Courcy moved to the Abitibi region, where he began working as an agronomist and agricultural consultant.^[1] He was active in the local community in the town of Macamic, working with local agricultural cooperatives and unions. Courcy, along with Lucien Cliche and Jean-Pierre Bonneville, founded Le Progrès de Rouyn-Noranda, a local newspaper in 1954.^[1]

Political career

Courcy first ran for the Liberals in the 1952 election, but was defeated by Émile Lesage of the Union Nationale. Four years later, Courcy defeated Lesage to become the MNA for Abitibi-Ouest.^[2] While the Liberals were in opposition, Courcy acted as the chief organizer for the party between 1958 and 1960.^[1] Upon the Liberal Party's victory in the 1960 election, Courcy served as Minister of Agriculture and Minister of Colonization from 1960 until 1962 when the two ministries were merged.^[1]

As Minister of Agriculture, Courcy streamlined services for farmers, decentralizing agricultural services for farmers in remote areas.^[3] Additionally, he helped the agricultural sector modernize in terms of production and marketing.^[3]

In the 1970 election, Courcy was defeated and replaced by Aurèle Audet of the Ralliement créditiste.

Later life

In his post political life, Alcide Courcy received honours from the agricultural community, receiving the Order of Agricultural Merit of Quebec and becoming a member of the Temple de la renommée de l'agriculture du Québec (Hall of Fame of Agriculture of Quebec) in 1992.^[3]

Courcy died in Sainte-Foy, Quebec on May 22, 2000 at the age of 85.^[1]

References