Charles-Séraphin Rodier (mayor)

Charles- Séraphin Rodier ( born October 4, 1797 in Montreal, † February 4, 1876 ) was a Canadian politician. He was mayor of Montreal from 1858 to 1862 and a member of the Legislative Council of Quebec from 1867.

Biography

Rodier completed his training at the Sulpizianerkollegium in Montreal from 1816 and opened a shop for ready-made clothing. He was the first merchant of the city, the imported his goods directly from the UK and France. He crossed several dozen times for this purpose the Atlantic. He later went into the wholesale, until he finally retired in 1836 from the business. He then completed a law degree and was admitted to the bar in 1841. However, he rarely practiced, because he mainly worked as an investor. He was also a director of the Banque Jacques Cartier.

From 1833 to 1836 Rodier was a member of the City Council of Montreal. In 1837 he was appointed Justice of the Peace and was entrusted in that capacity with the administration of the city. 1840 Governor Baron Sydenham put him back as a city council. This office practiced Rodier from to 1843. From 1840 to 1850 he headed the Port Commission. As mayor, Henry Starnes in 1858 resigned, Rodier successfully ran to its successor. 1859, 1860 and 1861 he succeeded in each case the rotation, whereas the second time only 24 votes were decisive. Finally, he lost the 1862 election against Jean -Louis Beaudry.

Rodier had managed to stabilize the financial situation of the city. During his tenure, new port facilities were built that Pont Victoria opened on the St. Lawrence River and the first horse-drawn railway was put into operation. After his election defeat, Rodier moved temporarily retired from politics. In 1867 he was elected a member of the Legislative Council, the upper house of the province of Quebec, appointed. He was a member of the Conservative Group at the party. Nine years later he died in office.