Joseph-Roland Comtois

J.-Roland Comtois
Member of Parliament
for Terrebonne
In office
1968–1984
Preceded byLéo Cadieux
Succeeded byRobert Toupin
Personal details
Born(1929-03-03)March 3, 1929
Sainte-Julie, Quebec
DiedOctober 31, 2020(2020-10-31) (aged 91)
Political partyLiberal Party of Canada
Professionprofessional engineer, soldier

Joseph-Roland Comtois (3 March 1929 – 31 October 2020) is a former a Liberal party member of the House of Commons of Canada. He was a professional engineer, soldier and reservist by career.

History

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Comtois' first attempts to enter national politics were unsuccessful as he was defeated at the Joliette—L'Assomption—Montcalm riding in the 1962 and 1963 federal elections.

Comtois won the riding on his third attempt in the 1965 federal election after its Progressive Conservative incumbent, Louis-Joseph Pigeon, did not seek re-election. Following rearrangement of riding boundaries, Comtois was re-elected at Terrebonne riding in the 1968, 1972 and 1974 federal elections.

In 1976, Comtois resigned his federal seat to become a candidate in the Quebec provincial election. This attempt was unsuccessful and he won back his federal seat at Terrebonne in a 24 May 1977 by-election. He won further re-election in the 1979 and 1980 federal elections. He left federal politics after his defeat to Progressive Conservative Robert Toupin in the 1984 federal election.

Comtois served in the 27th through 32nd Canadian Parliaments, except for his brief resignation during the 30th Parliament.

In 2005, Comtois was the recipient of the Distinguished Service Award of the Canadian Association of Former Parliamentarians.[1]

Electoral record

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1984 Canadian federal election: Terrebonne
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Progressive Conservative Robert Toupin 43,822 60.30
Liberal Joseph-Roland Comtois (incumbent) 19,040 26.20
New Democratic Brian Umansky 6,454 8.88
Parti nationaliste Jean-A. Bonin 3,060 4.21
Commonwealth of Canada Claude Brosseau 292 0.40
Total valid votes 72,668 100.00
Total rejected ballots 1,634
Turnout 74,302 74.93
Electors on the lists 99,162
Source: Report of the Chief Electoral Officer, Thirty-third General Election, 1984.
1980 Canadian federal election: Terrebonne
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Liberal Joseph-Roland Comtois 36,089 68.3 +6.0
New Democratic Gilles Bertrand 6,917 13.1 +7.5
Progressive Conservative Jacques Dupuis 4,807 +9.1 -1.4
Social Credit Georgette Grenier 2,839 5.4 -12.9
Rhinoceros Pédro Gervais G.D. Drapeau 1,844 3.5 +1.2
Union populaire Réal Godin 233 0.4 -0.1
Marxist–Leninist Jacques Coderre 131 0.2 0.0
Total valid votes 52,860 100.0
lop.parl.ca
1979 Canadian federal election: Terrebonne
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Liberal Joseph-Roland Comtois 34,839 62.3 +7.2
Social Credit Georgette Grenier 10,239 18.3 +14.0
Progressive Conservative Louis-Rhéal Tremblay 5,845 10.5 -23.8
New Democratic Roland Francis 3,114 5.6 +2.7
Rhinoceros Jean-Marie Da Silva 1,306 2.3
Union populaire Réal Godin 298 0.5
Marxist–Leninist André Cousineau 164 0.3
Communist Gaétan Trudel 122 0.2
Total valid votes 55,927 100.0
Canadian federal by-election, 24 May 1977: Terrebonne
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
On Mr. Comtois' resignation, 25 October 1976
Liberal Joseph-Roland Comtois 25,006 55.1 -1.1
Progressive Conservative Roger Delorme 15,539 34.2 +14.8
Social Credit Jean Léveillé 1,949 4.3 -11.7
New Democratic Pierre Demers 1,299 2.9 -4.6
Independent Gilles Mélançon 1,151 2.5
Communist Claude Demers 290 0.6 +0.1
Independent J. Noël St-Michel 167 0.4
Total valid votes 45,401 100.0
1974 Canadian federal election: Terrebonne
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Liberal Joseph-Roland Comtois 28,652 56.1 +9.1
Progressive Conservative Gilles Mélançon 9,897 19.4 -5.4
Social Credit Guy Meunier 8,138 15.9 -4.6
New Democratic Pierre Demers 3,812 7.5 -0.1
Marxist–Leninist Françoise Daoust 272 0.5
Communist Nicole Ledoux 265 0.5
Total valid votes 51,036 100.0
lop.parl.ca
1972 Canadian federal election: Terrebonne
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Liberal Joseph-Roland Comtois 24,928 47.1 -15.0
Social Credit Guy Meunier 13,136 24.8 +20.8
Progressive Conservative Michel Coté 10,885 20.5 +0.3
New Democratic Pierre Demers 4,022 7.6 -3.7
Total valid votes 52,971 100.0
Note: Social Credit vote is compared to Ralliement créditiste vote in the 1968 election.
Source: lop.parl.ca
1968 Canadian federal election: Terrebonne
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Liberal Joseph-Roland Comtois 21,191 62.0 +17.8
Progressive Conservative Jacques Vachon 6,934 20.3 -7.1
New Democratic Jean-Maurice Sénécal 3,860 11.3 -2.9
Ralliement créditiste Rosario Therrien 1,363 4.0 -10.2
Démocratisation Économique Pierre Therrien 824 2.4
Total valid votes 34,172 100.0

References

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  1. ^ 2005 Distinguished Service Award Recipient - Summary of Remarks, Canadian Association of Former Parliamentarians. Retrieved 2011-01-24.
[edit]
  • Joseph-Roland Comtois – Parliament of Canada biography
  • "Canada Votes 2006: Terrebonne-Blainville". Canadian Broadcasting Corporation. 2006. Archived from the original on 3 November 2007. Retrieved 5 July 2007.