Hormisdas Laporte

The Honourable Sir Hormisdas Laporte
27th Mayor of Montreal
In office 1904–1906
Preceded by	James Cochrane
Succeeded by	Henry Archer Ekers
Personal details
Born	7 November 1850 Lachine, Province of Canada
Died	20 February 1934(1934-02-20) (aged 83) Montreal, Quebec, Canada
Profession	businessman, financier

Sir Hormisdas Laporte, PC (7 November 1850 – 20 February 1934) was a Canadian businessman and financier. He served as Mayor of Montreal from 1904 to 1906.^[1] His first name is given as Hormidas in some sources.

Biography

Laporte began working at the age of 17 in a nail factory and studied at night with a tutor. By the age of 20, he was working in a grocery and set up his own business within six months. He established Laporte, Martin and Co., a wholesale grocery, in 1881. The enterprise was successful despite instances of flooding and fire and he developed it into a chain.^[1] In 1892 he became the first president of the Alliance Nationale, a mutual aid society which evolved into a major Quebec insurance company.^[2]

He was elected to city council as an alderman in 1896 and became mayor eight years later. He was a reformer on council and wanted to curtail the growth of public expenditures and eliminate patronage and corruption. As mayor, he campaigned to abolish the public utility trusts in favour of public ownership of municipal services. As mayor with a strong majority, he brought the gas utility under municipal control but was unable to defeat the private trusts that controlled transit and electricity.^[1]

Laporte left the mayor's office in 1906 and, in 1907, became president of the Provincial Bank of Canada and remained so until his death.^[3]

During World War I he headed a government commission in charge of provisions and was appointed to the Queen's Privy Council for Canada. Following the war he was created a knight by King George V for his service.^[3]

After his death in 1934, he was entombed at the Notre Dame des Neiges Cemetery in Montreal.^[4]

References

1. "Democracy in Montreal: Hormidas Laporte". City of Montreal website. Retrieved 8 February 2007.
2. Industrielle Alliance - history Retrieved on 2007-02-08.
3. Sir Hormidas Laporte, Le Centre de généalogie francophone d'Amérique, Retrieved on 2007-02-08.
4. Répertoire des personnages inhumés au cimetière ayant marqué l'histoire de notre société (in French). Montreal: Notre Dame des Neiges Cemetery.

Further reading

• Saint-Pierre, Marjolaine (2022). Sir Hormisdas Laporte: Homme d'affaires et maire de Montréal, 1850–1934. Septentrion. ISBN 9782897913960.