Joseph Miville Dechene
{{Short description|Canadian politician (1879-1962)}}
{{Use Canadian English|date=September 2021}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=September 2021}}
{{Infobox officeholder
| image = Joseph Miville Déchêne PA-047010 a047010-v8.jpg
| imagesize =
| name = Joseph Miville Dechene
| caption = Joseph Miville Dechene as an MP
| birth_date = October 22, 1879
| birth_place = Chambord, Quebec
| death_date = {{death date and age|1962|12|1|1879|10|22}}
| residence =
| office = Member of the Legislative Assembly of Alberta
| constituency = Beaver River
| term_start = July 18, 1921
| term_end = June 28, 1926
| predecessor = Wilfrid Gariépy
| successor = John Delisle
| constituency1 = St. Paul
| term_start1 = June 19, 1930
| term_end1 = August 22, 1935
| predecessor1 = Laudas Joly
| successor1 = Joseph Beaudry
| office2 = Member of the Canadian House of Commons
| constituency2 = Athabaska
| term_start2 = March 26, 1940
| term_end2 = February 1, 1958
| predecessor2 = Percy Rowe
| successor2 = Jack Bigg
| party = Alberta Liberal
federal Liberal
| otherparty =
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| spouse =
| children =
| occupation =farmer and politician
| branch =
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}}
Joseph Miville Dechene (October 22, 1879 – December 1, 1962) was a Canadian farmer and politician who served at all three levels of government. He served as a councillor of the town of Bonnyville from 1928 to 1934, as a Liberal MLA in the Legislative Assembly of Alberta from 1921 to 1926 and again from 1930 to 1935, and as a Liberal MP in the House of Commons of Canada from 1940 to 1958.
Early life
Dechene was born on October 22, 1879, in Chambord, Quebec.{{Canadian Parliament links|ID=7154|nolist=yes}}
Provincial politics
Dechene ran for a seat to the Alberta Legislature in the 1921 Alberta general election. He won the Beaver River electoral district by a comfortable margin to hold it for the Liberals.{{cite web|url=http://www.abheritage.ca/abpolitics/administration/maps_choice.php?Year=1921&Constit=Beaver_River| title=Beaver River Official Results 1921 Alberta general election | publisher=Alberta Heritage Community Foundation | accessdate=April 29, 2010}}
In the 1926 general election he was defeated by United Farmers candidate John Delisle.{{cite web|url=http://www.abheritage.ca/abpolitics/administration/maps_choice.php?Year=1926&Constit=Beaver_River| title=Beaver River Official Results 1926 Alberta general election | publisher=Alberta Heritage Community Foundation | accessdate=April 29, 2010}}
Dechene made a comeback in the 1930 general election. He ran in the electoral district of St. Paul and defeated incumbent Laudas Joly by just 18 votes.{{cite web|url=http://www.abheritage.ca/abpolitics/administration/maps_choice.php?Year=1930&Constit=St._Paul| title=St. Paul Official Results 1930 Alberta general election | publisher=Alberta Heritage Community Foundation | accessdate=April 29, 2010}}
Dechene faced Joly again in the 1935 general election. Both were defeated by Social Credit candidate Joseph Beaudry. Beaudry, although leading in the first count of votes, did not have majority (as required for election under Alternative Voting) so Joly was eliminated and his votes transferred based on back-up preferences marked on the ballots. Beaudry then won on the Second Count.{{cite web|url=http://www.abheritage.ca/abpolitics/administration/maps_choice.php?Year=1935&Constit=St._Paul| title=St. Paul Official Results 1935 Alberta general election | publisher=Alberta Heritage Community Foundation | accessdate=April 29, 2010}}; A Report on Alberta Elections (1982)
Local government involvement
He served as a member of council in the small town of Bonnyville, Alberta from 1928 to 1934.
Federal politics
He served as a Liberal Member of Parliament from 1940 to 1958.
Dechene ran for the House of Commons of Canada in the 1940 federal election as a Liberal candidate in the electoral district of Athabaska. He faced two incumbents: William Hayhurst, who had moved from Vegreville after failing to retain the Social Credit nomination there, and Percy John Rowe, who had defected from Social Credit and joined the Cooperative Commonwealth Federation. Dechene won the election by 1,100 votes over Hayhurst while Rowe finished a distant third place.{{cite web|title=Athabaska Election Results|date=March 26, 1940|publisher=Parliament of Canada|accessdate=May 2, 2010|url=http://www2.parl.gc.ca/Sites/LOP/HFER/hfer.asp?Language=E&Search=Cresdetail&Election=638}}
In the 1945 federal election Dechene hung onto his seat with 35% of the popular vote in a five-way race.{{cite web|title=Athabaska Election Results|date=June 11, 1945|publisher=Parliament of Canada|accessdate=May 2, 2010|url=http://www2.parl.gc.ca/Sites/LOP/HFER/hfer.asp?Language=E&Search=Cresdetail&Election=707}}
In the 1949 federal election Dechene faced four other candidates, including former Member of Parliament Orvis Kennedy. He won with 45% of the popular vote.{{cite web|title=Athabaska Election Results|date=June 27, 1949|publisher=Parliament of Canada|accessdate=May 2, 2010|url=http://www2.parl.gc.ca/Sites/LOP/HFER/hfer.asp?Language=E&Search=Cresdetail&Election=775}}
In the 1953 federal election Dechene won a four-way race with almost 50% of the popular vote, the largest of his career in federal politics.{{cite web|title=Athabaska Election Results|date=August 10, 1953|publisher=Parliament of Canada|accessdate=May 2, 2010|url=http://www2.parl.gc.ca/Sites/LOP/HFER/hfer.asp?Language=E&Search=Cresdetail&Election=858}}
In the 1957 federal election.{{cite web|title=Athabaska Election Results|date=June 10, 1957|publisher=Parliament of Canada|accessdate=May 2, 2010|url=http://www2.parl.gc.ca/Sites/LOP/HFER/hfer.asp?Language=E&Search=Cresdetail&Election=858}} Dechene attained a narrow victory over Social Credit candidate Archie McPhail. He retired from Parliament at dissolution a year later.
References
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External links
- [https://web.archive.org/web/20101026192825/http://www.assembly.ab.ca/legislaturecentennial/pdf/membersBooklet.pdf Legislative Assembly of Alberta Members Listing]
- {{AlbertaMLAbio|ID=0133}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Dechene, Joseph}}
Category:People from Saguenay–Lac-Saint-Jean
Category:Alberta Liberal Party MLAs
Category:Members of the House of Commons of Canada from Alberta
Category:Liberal Party of Canada MPs
Category:Franco-Albertan people
Category:20th-century members of the House of Commons of Canada
Category:20th-century members of the Legislative Assembly of Alberta