Charles Champagne

Who was Charles Champagne?

Charles Champagne was a lawyer and political figure in Quebec. He represented Hochelaga in the Legislative Assembly of Quebec from 1888 to 1890 as a Liberal. His name also appears as Charles Laplante dit Champagne.

He was born in Saint-Augustin, Canada East, the son of Charles Laplante dit Champagne and Marie Brien dit Desrochers. He was educated at the Collège de Sainte-Thérèse and the Collège de Terrebonne. For a time, Champagne served as the personal secretary for Louis Riel. He was admitted to the Quebec bar in 1873 and set up practice in Sainte-Scholastique. Champagne was married twice: to Mary Jessey Fletcher in 1873 and to Mary Louisa Fletcher, his first wife's sister, in 1883.

Champagne was an unsuccessful candidate for the Hochelaga electoral district in 1886, losing to Joseph-Octave Villeneuve, but was elected in an 1888 by-election held after Villeneuve's election was appealed. He was defeated by Villeneuve when he ran for reelection in 1890. Champagne was registrar for Montréal-Est from 1890 to 1922. He served on the town council for Rigaud from 1899 to 1906 and from 1910 to 1913 and was mayor in 1913. Champagne died in Montreal at the age of 76 and was buried at Rigaud.