J. Augustin Gallant

GALLANT, J. AUGUSTIN, teacher, principal, and lawyer; b. 4 August 1916 in Egmont Bay, son of Peter Gallant and Eleanor Arsenault; m. 27 December 1943, Marcella Bernard of Tignish, and they had seven children, Peter, Michael, Carroll, John, Patrick, Richard, and Robert; Roman Catholic; d. 5 May 1994 in Summerside. Gallant, a Liberal, was first elected to the Legislative Assembly in a by-election held 29 November 1954 for 3rd Prince. He was re-elected in the general election of 1955. Gallant was defeated in the general election of 1951. Gallant served as Speaker from 21 February 1956 to 1958. "Gus" Gallant attended Summerside High School and Prince of Wales College in Charlottetown. He also spent a summer studying at Mount Allison University in Sackville, New Brunswick, and received a first class teaching licence. Gallant returned to the province, where he taught for two years in Urbainville and was principal of the Dalton School in Tignish for three years. In the spring of 1940, he joined the Royal Canadian Air Force as a pilot, and saw action in France and England during the Second World War. In 1943 Gallant returned to Canada and trained pilots on the West Coast during the final years of the war. Following this he returned to Mount Allison University, betore moving on to study at Dalhousie University in Halifax where he earned his law degree. In 1950 Gallant established a legal practice in Summerside. After retiring from politics, he and his family moved to Bagotville, Quebec, where Gallant worked as the principal of the high school. After 20 years in Quebec, he and his family returned to the Island, and in 1979 Gallant established a legal practice in Alberton where he worked until his retirement in 1990. On returning to the Island, he lived in Duvar until he retired. He then moved to Summerside. He was a member of the Prince Edward Island Law Society and the RoyalCanadian Legion in Summerside. J. Augustin Gallant died 5 May 1994 at his home in Summerside. Marcella Gallant was the daughter of Joseph Alphonse Bernard*, former MLA and Lieutenant-Governor, and Zoe Chiasson.