Ligue nationaliste canadienne
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The Ligue nationaliste canadienne, also known as the Ligue nationaliste (Nationalist League), was a nationalist and anti-imperialist organization in Quebec, Canada, during the early 20th century. Founded by Henri Bourassa and journalist Olivar Asselin,[1] the newspaper Le Nationaliste was its official organ until 1910, when Bourassa founded Le Devoir which became the Ligue's mouthpiece.
The party was created on 1 March 1903 to counter what was perceived to be the evils of imperialism and to instill a pan-Canadian nationalist spirit in the Francophone population. The League opposed political dependence on either Britain or the United States, supporting instead Canadian autonomy within the British Empire.[2][additional citation(s) needed]
In the 1908 Quebec election, the Ligue won three seats in the Quebec Legislative Assembly; Bourassa won in two seats (Montreal Division #2 and Saint-Hyacinthe) and chose to sit for the latter, and Armand Lavergne was elected in Montmagny. Bourassa did not run for re-election in 1912 Quebec election; Lavergne served as the party's only member until leaving office in the 1916 election.
