Compton’s very own Prime Minister: Louis-Stephen St-Laurent

Many know Louis-Stephen St-Laurent as the twelfth Prime Minister of Canada and the second Francophone to hold that position in Parliament, but it may come as a surprise to some to know that Mr. St-Laurent also grew up right here in the area in the small village of Compton. Although St-Laurent would go on to establish a successful career in both politics and law, his story starts humbly, in Compton, where his father owned a general store and his mother was a teacher. Louis St-Laurent was born in Compton on February 1st, 1882. He was the son of a Francophone man named Jean-Baptiste Moïse St-Laurent and his mother, Mary Ann Broderick, was an English-speaking Irish Canadian. St-Laurent’s father was fluent in both languages and he was known as the bridge between the French and English communities in Compton. When there were issues that needed to be resolved, he took on the role as mediator and when translating was needed, he was there to help. He was known as “the pacifier” and this role his father had in the community, as well as his mother’s want for her kids to learn both French and English, would have a huge influence on his future career in law and politics. See full story in the Wednesday, Sept. 4 edition of The Record.