Duvernay, Ludger National Historic Person
Verchères, Quebec
Ludger Duvernay
(© Bibliothèque et Archives Canada / Library and Archives Canada/MIKAN 4313019)
Address :
Verchères, Quebec
Recognition Statute:
Historic Sites and Monuments Act (R.S.C., 1985, c. H-4)
Designation Date:
2019-06-05
Life Date:
1799 to 1852
Other Name(s):
-
Ludger Duvernay
(Designation Name)
Research Report Number:
2018-02
Importance:
A printer-publisher, he was a key figure in the political and intellectual life of Lower Canada in the first half of the 19th century. He was directly involved in the reviving of Saint-Jean-Baptiste celebrations.
Plaque(s)
Existing plaque: 36 Dalpé Street, Verchères, Quebec
A key player in the political and intellectual life of Lower Canada, Duvernay was a printer, publisher, and owner of La Minerve, a newspaper sharing the views of the Patriote and Reform movements. Duvernay promoted democratic and republican ideas, including the principle of responsible government. His championing of freedom of the press resulted in his imprisonment and his support for the 1837 uprising led to his exile to the United States until 1842. In 1834, he initiated celebrations for Saint-Jean-Baptiste, the patron saint of French Canadians, founding the Association Saint-Jean-Baptiste de Montréal in 1843.