# Frederick Debartzch Monk

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Canadian politician (1856–1914)

The Honourable Frederick Debartzch Monk PC KC Member of the Canadian Parliament for Jacques Cartier In office 1896–1914 Preceded by Napoléon Charbonneau Succeeded by Joseph Adélard Descarries Personal details Born (1856-04-06)April 6, 1856 Montreal, Canada East Died May 15, 1914(1914-05-15) (aged 58) Montreal, Quebec, Canada Party Conservative Relations Pierre-Dominique Debartzch, grandfather Children Frederick Arthur Monk Cabinet Minister of Public Works (1911–1912)

**Frederick Debartzch Monk** [PC](/source/King's_Privy_Council_for_Canada) [KC](/source/King's_Counsel) (April 6, 1856 – May 15, 1914) was a Canadian lawyer and politician.

Born in [Montreal](/source/Montreal%2C_Quebec), [Canada East](/source/Canada_East), Monk was the son of Justice Samuel Cornwallis Monk (1814–1888) and Rosalie Caroline Debartzch (1819–1889), daughter of [Pierre-Dominique Debartzch](/source/Pierre-Dominique_Debartzch). His grandmother, Anne (Gugy) Monk was a daughter of [Louis Gugy](/source/Louis_Gugy). He received a [bachelor of civil law](/source/Bachelor_of_civil_law) degree in 1877 from [McGill University](/source/McGill_University) and was called to the [Quebec Bar](/source/Quebec_Bar) in 1878. From 1888 to 1914, he taught in the faculty of law at the [Université Laval](/source/Universit%C3%A9_Laval). In 1893, he was made a [Queen's Counsel](/source/Queen's_Counsel).

Monk was first elected to the [House of Commons of Canada](/source/House_of_Commons_of_Canada) in [1896](/source/1896_Canadian_federal_election) as a [Conservative](/source/Conservative_Party_of_Canada_(historical)) member of Parliament for the riding of [Jacques Cartier](/source/Jacques_Cartier_(electoral_district)). He was re-elected in [1900](/source/1900_Canadian_federal_election), [1904](/source/1904_Canadian_federal_election) and [1908.](/source/1908_Canadian_federal_election) In 1901 his political program, entitled "Canada for Canadians," presented his beliefs and hopes for Canada: respect for Canada's two founding "races," to whom, he said, it rightfully belonged, and a Canada autonomous in its relations with the British empire, and empowered to direct its own economic development.[1] However his aspirations for Canada were seen to be opposed to the Conservative Party's long-standing belief in ties to Britain.

In 1909, Monk pressed the House of Commons to appoint a committee of MPs to investigate methods of [proportional representation](/source/Proportional_representation).[2]

Monk was re-elected in [1911](/source/1911_Canadian_federal_election). He resigned from Cabinet on October 28, 1912, after disagreeing with [Robert Borden](/source/Robert_Borden) over the refusal of a referendum on Canadian purchase of three dreadnought class ships for [Wilfrid Laurier](/source/Wilfrid_Laurier)'s "[Tin Pot Navy](/source/Naval_Service_Act)."[3] From 1911 to 1912, he was the [minister of public works](/source/List_of_Canadian_Ministers_of_Public_Works). Monk continued as a backbench MP, though his relations with the Conservative Party were increasingly strained, until March 2, 1914, when he resigned from the House of Commons due to ill health. He died two months later and was entombed at the [Notre Dame des Neiges Cemetery](/source/Notre_Dame_des_Neiges_Cemetery) in Montreal.[4]

His son, [Frederick Arthur Monk](/source/Frederick_Arthur_Monk), was a member of the [Legislative Assembly of Quebec](/source/Legislative_Assembly_of_Quebec) from 1935 to 1936.

## Electoral record

v t e 1896 Canadian federal election: Jacques Cartier Party Candidate Votes Conservative Frederick Debartzch Monk 2,329 Liberal Arthur Boyer 2,216

v t e 1900 Canadian federal election: Jacques Cartier Party Candidate Votes Conservative Frederick Debartzch Monk 2,682 Liberal Jérémie L. Décarie 2,390

v t e 1904 Canadian federal election: Jacques Cartier Party Candidate Votes Conservative Frederick Debartzch Monk 3,095 Liberal Louis A. Boyer 2,755

v t e 1908 Canadian federal election: Jacques Cartier Party Candidate Votes % ±% Conservative Frederick Debartzch Monk 4,143 56.65 +3.75 Liberal Ucal Henri Dandurand 3,170 34.34 -3.75 Total valid votes 7,313 Conservative hold Swing +3.75

v t e 1911 Canadian federal election: Jacques Cartier Party Candidate Votes % ±% Conservative Frederick Debartzch Monk 5,782 56.55 -0.10 Liberal Louis-Joseph-Charles-Émile Boyer 4,442 43.45 +0.10 Total valid votes 10,224 Conservative hold Swing -0.10

By-election: On Monk being appointed minister of public works, October 10, 1911

By-election on 27 October 1911 Party Candidate Votes Conservative Frederick Debartzch Monk acclaimed

## Archives

There is a Frederick Debartzch Monk [fonds](/source/Fonds) at [Library and Archives Canada](/source/Library_and_Archives_Canada).[5]

## References

1. **[^](#cite_ref-1)** Béland, François. ["Monk, Frederick Debartzch"](https://www.biographi.ca/en/bio/monk_frederick_debartzch_14E.html). *[Dictionary of Canadian Biography](/source/Dictionary_of_Canadian_Biography)*. [Archived](https://web.archive.org/web/20250917151247/https://www.biographi.ca/en/bio/monk_frederick_debartzch_14E.html) from the original on September 17, 2025. Retrieved September 17, 2025.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-2)** Humphreys, John H. (1911). [*Proportional Representation: A Study in Methods of Election*](https://www.gutenberg.org/cache/epub/9630/pg9630-images.html). Retrieved September 17, 2025 – via [Project Gutenberg](/source/Project_Gutenberg).

1. **[^](#cite_ref-3)** [Morton, Desmond](/source/Desmond_Morton_(historian)) (2006). *A Short History of Canada, 6th ed*. Toronto, Ontario, Canada: [McClelland and Stewart](/source/McClelland_and_Stewart). p. 173. [ISBN](/source/ISBN_(identifier)) [0-7710-6480-2](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special:BookSources/0-7710-6480-2).

1. **[^](#cite_ref-4)** *Répertoire des personnages inhumés au cimetière ayant marqué l'histoire de notre société* (in French). Montreal, Quebec, Canada: [Notre Dame des Neiges Cemetery](/source/Notre_Dame_des_Neiges_Cemetery).

1. **[^](#cite_ref-5)** ["Finding aid to Frederick Debartzch Monk fonds, Library and Archives Canada"](https://data2.archives.ca/pdf/pdf001/p000001338.pdf) (PDF).

## External links

- ["Frederick Debartzch Monk"](https://www.biographi.ca/009004-119.01-e.php?&id_nbr=7607). *[Dictionary of Canadian Biography](/source/Dictionary_of_Canadian_Biography)* (online ed.). [University of Toronto Press](/source/University_of_Toronto_Press). 1979–2016.

- [Frederick Debartzch Monk – Parliament of Canada biography](https://lop.parl.ca/sites/ParlInfo/default/en_CA/People/Profile?personId=13692)

v t e Ministers of public works of Canada Public works (1867–1996) McDougall Langevin Mackenzie Tupper Langevin Smith Ouimet Desjardins Tarte Sutherland Hyman Pugsley Monk Rogers Ballantyne Carvell Reid (acting) Sifton Reid (acting) McCurdy Bostock King Perley Ryckman Elliott Stewart P. Cardin Michaud (acting) Fournier Harris (acting) Winters Green Walker Green (acting) Fulton Deschatelets L. Cardin McIlraith Laing Dubé Drury Buchanan Ouellet Nielsen Cosgrove LeBlanc Lapointe La Salle McInnes Jelinek (acting) MacKay Dick Dingwall Marleau1 Public works and government services (1996–2015) Marleau Gagliano Boudria Goodale Owen Brison Fortier Paradis Ambrose Finley Public services and procurement (2015–present) Foote Qualtrough Anand Tassi Jaczek Jean-Yves Duclos 1As part of substantial governmental reorganization, the position was merged with that of the minister of supply and services to create the position of Minister of Public Works and Government Services on July 12, 1995.

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