How Girouard Avenue Got Its Name

Stephen Morrissey outside of 2226 Girouard Avenue, his
grandmother`s home from around 1925 to 1966; photo from 1994.

The following information was written by Jeanne Randle, of the Fraser-Hickson Library, in 1984:

Désiré Girouard, after whom Girouard Avenue was named, was known to his friends as Jérémie. He combined an outstanding career in law and politics with important contributions to historical studies of the island of Montreal. His family had been in Canada for over a hundred years by the time he was born in St Timothée in 1836. The family was descended from Antoine Girouard, a native of Mont Lucon, Bourbonnais, France, who became secretary to Governor De Ramezay in 1720 in Montreal. Girouard studied law at McGill University where he won the first prize for three consecutive years. He joined the law firm of his former principal and was soon associated with the most important lawyers of his time. Always a scholar and researcher, he published several treatises on commercial law and was considered an expert in his field. But he was a history buff as well and contributed to several journals of his time, one of which, La Revue Critique, he conducted. He also lectured at l'Institut Canadien Français.

Girouard's political start is rather interesting. He ran for Parliament in 1872 in Jacques Cartier riding, but was defeated by an obscure Liberal, R.Laflamme. He was again defeated in Beauharnois in 1874, but finally won Jacques Cartier by 2 votes in 1876 on appeal to the courts. Afterwards his real majority was found to be 200. Girouard is best known politically for the spirited stance which he took against his own party's decision to execute Louis Riel. He with 16 other French Conservative members, formed a group of rebel parlementariens rebels known as the "Bolters" and his letter defending Riel's plea of insanity was widely circulated.

As a result of long and patient research in the archives of the young country, Girouard began a series of essays dealing with early history of the Lake St Louis area and the Indian wars. In 1883, at the World's Fair in Chicago, his compilation of these essays was given to the public in a book entitled Lake St Louis, Old and New, Illustrated and Cavelier de Lasalle. For his effort he was awarded the Confederation Medal. He published several other historical works in English and French.

Girouard was appointed to the Bench as a Judge of the Supreme Court in 1895. He was married three times; all three wives were English speaking. He was the father of six sons and four daughters. One of his sons also Désiré, became a lawyer and assisted his father in his literary endeavors. Edouard Percy Cranville, another son, attended Royal Military College in Kingston and became a distinguished soldier and railway engineer. He worked for the Canadian Pacific and British railway companies before joining Kitchener in several Africa campaigns. Edouard Girouard built many railways in South Africa and was awarded a D.S.O. while working in Egypt in 1896. He also was an author, but his topic was railway history. For two years, Maj. General Girouard was Governor of northern Nigeria, but finished his career during World War I as Director General of munitions in Britain. Désiré Girouard Sr. died in 1912, and Girouard Avenue was named for him in that year. The avenue was formerly called Plateau, Toronto and Chapleau.