Albert Frédéric Saint-Martin

Saint-Martin, Albert Frédéric

Albert Frédéric Saint-Martin, educator, social activist, militant socialist (b at Montréal 1 Oct 1865; d there 9 Feb 1947). He was a leading Québec socialist, anti-conscriptionist and anti-clerical who headed the Socialist, then the Social-Democratic Party of Canada (French Canadian section), a union and civil rights supporter, and was secretary-archivist of the Parti ouvrier (1904-06).

A stenographer-translator-clerk for the Montréal Superior Court from 1898, he ran unsuccessfully as workers' candidate provincially (1905) and as a socialist federally (1908). He was an indefatigable worker in socialist and labour causes, establishing teaching leagues, workers' clubs, libraries, a farming collective and grocery store, printing and housing co-operatives, unemployed committees, l'Université ouvrière in 1925 (closed by the state in 1933), and the Spartakus movement.

Saint-Martin taught political economy at Montréal's Labour College (1920-22) and also lectured on women's rights, socialism and esperanto. He was a forceful publicist and orator, 2 provocative works being T'as Menti (1920) and Sandwiches à la "shouashe" (1933). He achieved the right to conduct May 1 Labour Day parades.