Armand Foucher
J.-Armand Foucher (1898–1976) was a businessman and local politician in Shawinigan, Quebec. He was the 14th Mayor of Shawinigan from 1957 to 1963. Biography. Joseph Armand Foucher was born November 20, 1898, in Saint-Paulin, Mauricie. He was the youngest son of Joseph Foucher and Herménégilde Leblanc. In 1921, he married Estelle Frigon (daughter of Joseph-Auguste Frigon). The family lived in the village of Sainte-Flore, then moved in 1929 to the neighboring city of Shawinigan Falls. In 1938, he began the publication of the small weekly newspaper "Les Chutes" in Shawinigan, which he published for 30  years, until 1968. He also published six other weekly newspapers in as many cities, including "Le Laurentien" in Grand-Mère, "Le Réveil" in Louiseville, "La Sentinelle" in La Tuque, "Les Cheneaux" in Trois-Rivières, "Le Drapeau" in Berthierville and "L'Industrie" in Arvida, Jonquière, Kénogami. In 1949, he started his own printing business. He independently owned a service station in the Christ-Roi neighborhood in Shawinigan, at the corner of boulevard Saint-Sacrement and avenue St-Prosper (across from Alcan's aluminum plant #2), and was an advocate of buying locally. Foucher would use his newspaper to advertise lower prices on  gas. He ran for mayor in the special election that was held in February, 1957 to fill the vacancy caused by the resignation of mayor Gaston Hardy and won. He was re-elected as mayor in the regular election of November, 1957. He ran unopposed in the election of November, 1960, but resigned in August, 1963 before the end of his second term. The city council appointed Henri Désaulniers to succeed him. Under his administration, the annexation of Shawinigan-Est was completed and the following facilities were established: He died on May 15, 1976, in Shawinigan. "Rue Foucher" in the  Shawinigan-Nord neighbourhood was named to honour him. The "Parc industriel J.-Armand-Foucher" was also named after him in 2008.