Gilbert's surprise victory in what had been a safe Liberalriding, occurred as a result of his opposition to the Laurier government's Naval Service Act. The Act was seen by Quebec nationalists, such as Henri Bourassa, as a sign of Laurier's support for British imperialism and, in particular, that Canada would send troops to support Britain in a future European war.
Gilbert's by-election victory in Drummond—Arthabaska, a riding once held by Laurier himself, was interpreted as a sign that the once solid support for Laurier's Liberals in Quebec was eroding, a trend that would contribute to Laurier's defeat at the hands of Robert Borden's Conservatives in the 1911 federal election. Gilbert's victory also indicated a growing nationalist mood in Quebec, which would later erupt in the Conscription Crisis of 1917.
Gilbert's political career was short-lived, however. He sat in parliament for less than a year before losing his seat in the 1911 election to Liberal Joseph Ovide Brouillard.
