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CA-K417Economy & trade

Alphonse Desjardins and the caisses populaires

Alphonse Desjardins in Montréal, April 1882 (Notman & Sandham).
Alphonse Desjardins in Montréal, April 1882 (Notman & Sandham). Alphonse Desjardins 1882 · Notman & Sandham · Photo source · Photo licence: Public domain. Resized for display; item previews may be cropped. The image remains under the licence shown.
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Alphonse Desjardins of Lévis, a journalist and parliamentary stenographer, founded the caisse populaire movement in Quebec. Concerned about ordinary people’s finances and the lack of French-Canadian banks, he devised co-operative savings and loan societies organized by parish, founded the first in Lévis in 1900, and spent the last 20 years of his life spreading the movement.

Scope & context

Desjardins and the founding of the movement, not today’s Desjardins Group.

Sources behind this record

1
Alphonse Desjardins National Historic Person ↗

Parks Canada (Directory of Federal Heritage Designations)

Importance; plaque text