Mr. Speaker, today is a sad anniversary. It was on December 14, 1837, that General Colborne's army of 1,200 attacked Dr. Chénier's 200 or so Patriots in the village of Saint-Eustache.
Eleven of the patriots who had taken refuge in the church, including Dr. Jean-Olivier Chénier, were executed. We should add to the list the name of 7-year old Jean-Baptiste Marineau who, after having been shot in retaliation by a volunteer from Saint-André, died in March 1838 of the injuries he had sustained.
At the time, the legislative council appointed by London had power over elected representatives. After more than 30 years of sterile parliamentary battles to achieve democracy, a large segment of the population, including some English leaders, took up arms and participated in the uprising.
Our patriots fought for the national recognition of our people, for freedom and for a democratic government.