Dorion, Sir Antoine Aimé

Dorion, Sir Antoine Aimé (äNtwän` ĕmā` dôryôN`), 1818–91, Canadian politician and jurist, b. Lower Canada (Quebec). In 1854 he was elected to the Canadian Assembly and held several cabinet posts before confederation (1867). Although an opponent of confederation on the grounds that it would imperil French Canadian interests, he accepted it when dominion status had been won. In the Liberal government of Alexander Mackenzie he briefly held (1873) the post of minister of justice, resigning to accept appointment (1874) as chief justice of the court of Queen's Bench, Quebec. Dorion presided over this court until his death.