Monarch Victoria Role Canadian Politician Name Narcisse-Fortunat Belleau | Appointed by Royal Proclamation Succeeded by Rene-Edouard Caron | |
 | ||
Governor General The Viscount Monck
The Lord Lisgar
The Earl of Dufferin Premier Pierre-Joseph-Olivier Chauveau Preceded by George Okill Stuart, Jr. Died September 14, 1894, Quebec City, Canada Party Conservative Party of Canada | ||
Preceded by Office created in 1867 | ||
Sir Narcisse-Fortunat Belleau, (October 20, 1808 – September 14, 1894) was a Canadian politician, lawyer and businessman. Belleau was the first post-Confederation vice-regal and first francophone to assume the post.
He was born in Quebec City in 1808. He studied at the Petit Séminaire de Québec and went on to article in law, receiving his license to practice in 1832. In 1835, he married Marie-Reine-Josephte, the daughter of Quebec merchant Louis Gauvreau. In 1848, he ran unsuccessfully as a Reformer in Portneuf. In the same year, he was elected to the city council for Quebec and served as mayor from 1850 to 1853. During his term as mayor, a system providing drinking water was installed in the city. He served on the board of the Quebec Bank, later merged with the Royal Bank of Canada, from 1848 to 1893.
In 1852, he was appointed to the Legislative Council of the Province of Canada. He became a Queen's Counsel in 1854. In 1857, he was named speaker of the Legislative Council and so became a member of the Executive Council. He was knighted in 1860. He became premier for Canada East and receiver general in 1865 on the death of Sir Étienne-Paschal Taché and served in that role until Confederation. He was nominated for a seat in the Senate of Canada in 1867 but withdrew when he was named the first Lieutenant Governor of Quebec in July of the same year. He refused a seat in the Senate when he retired from this post in 1873. He was made a Knight Commander of the Order of St Michael and St George in 1879.
He died at Quebec City in 1894.