The secret society of the Commandeurs de l’Ordre de Jacques- Cartier was formed on October 22, 1926 at the presbytery of Saint-Charles Parish. It was the brainchild of parish priest François-Xavier Barrette and a small group of French-Canadian civil servants. The mandate of this exclusively male society was to ensure the public interest of the French-speaking Catholics in Canada by training elite workers to promote their interests, in the public or in the private sector, while countering the influence of the Anglo-Protestant societies (such as the Freemasonry).
Known as La Patente, the organization included two main bodies: the Chancery (CX), which was the focal point of the Ordre with its head office in Ottawa, and the Commanderies (XC) established in Ontario, Quebec, New England, New Brunswick and Western Canada. Vanier held two commanderies: Victor- Barrette (Commanderie 444) and Notre-Dame du Saint-Esprit (Commanderie 360).
The power of the Ordre could be felt in all aspects of life in French Canada, until its dissolution in Ottawa on February 27, 1965. The breakdown of the Ordre is believed to be the consequence of the Quiet Revolution in Quebec and implied, for several researchers, the end of French Canada.
At its peak, the Ordre had 504 local groups divided in 1140 communities. The number of members may have exceeded 11000 in 1960. The Ordre de Jacques-Cartier has developed various groups and organizations, among which we find the Fédération des caisses populaires de l’Ontario and the Richelieu international, composed today of 275 clubs, including 8 in Ottawa.
