Joseph-Balsora Turgeon (1810 – July 17, 1897) was the first

French-Canadian French Canadians, referred to as Canadiens mainly before the nineteenth century, are an ethnic group descended from French colonists first arriving in France's colony of Canada in 1608. The vast majority of French Canadians live in the prov ...

mayor of

Bytown Bytown is the former name of Ottawa, Ontario, Canada. It was founded on September 26, 1826, incorporated as a town on January 1, 1850, and superseded by the incorporation of the City of Ottawa on January 1, 1855. The founding was marked by a sod ...

, Canada. He was born in

Terrebonne, Quebec Terrebonne () is an Greater Montreal, off-island suburb of Montreal, in southwestern Quebec, Canada. It is located in the North Shore (Laval), North Shore region of the Montreal area, north of Laval, Quebec, Laval across the Rivière des Mille-Îl ...

in 1810 and came to Bytown in around 1836. He was elected to the town council in 1848, 1849, 1851 and 1852. In 1852, he became a school trustee and also founded L'Institut canadien-français d'Ottawa. He became mayor of Bytown in 1853. Turgeon proposed the establishment of a

Separate School In Canada, a separate school is a type of school that has constitutional status in three provinces (Ontario, Alberta and Saskatchewan) and statutory status in the three territories (Northwest Territories, Yukon and Nunavut). In these Canadian ...

system in Bytown and also lobbied for more French-speaking teachers. He also suggested a new name rich in history,

Ottawa Ottawa is the capital city of Canada. It is located in the southern Ontario, southern portion of the province of Ontario, at the confluence of the Ottawa River and the Rideau River. Ottawa borders Gatineau, Gatineau, Quebec, and forms the cor ...

, for the town. He died in

Hull, Quebec Hull is the central business district and oldest neighbourhood of the city of Gatineau, Quebec, Canada. It is located on the west bank of the Gatineau River and the north shore of the Ottawa River, directly opposite Ottawa. As part of Canada's ...

in 1897 and buried at Notre Dame Cemetery.

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* 1810 births 1897 deaths 19th-century mayors of places in Ontario Mayors of Bytown People from Terrebonne, Quebec Politicians from Lanaudière Province of Canada politicians {{Ontario-mayor-stub