FRECHETTE, LOUIS HONORE French Canadian poet, was born at Levis, Quebec, on Nov. 16, 1839, and died on June 1, 1908. He was called to the Canadian bar in 1864. He started the Journal de Levis, and his revolutionary doc trines compelled him to leave Canada for the United States. After some years spent in journalism at Chicago, he was in 1874 elected Liberal member for Levis in the Canadian parliament. He lost the seat in 1878. He edited La Patrie and other French papers in the Dominion; and in 1889 was appointed clerk of the Quebec legislative council. He was long a warm advocate of the political union of Canada and the United States, but in later life became less ardent, and in 1897 accepted the honour of C.M.G. from Queen Victoria. His works include: Mes Loisirs (1863) ; La Voix d'un exile (1867), a satire against the Canadian Govern ment ; Pete-mele (1877) ; Les Flews boreales, and Les Oiseaux de neige (188o), crowned by the French academy; La Legende d'un people (1887) ; two historical dramas, Papineau and Felix Poutre (188o) ; La Noel an Canada (1900), and several prose works and translations.
See H. D'Arles, Louis Frechette (Toronto, 1924) ; Makers of Canadian Literature.