Joseph Gustave Avard

Joseph Gustave Avard, one of the best known men in real-estate circles in Montreal, has been instrumental in promoting some of the largest projects in this city during the past ten years, notwithstanding the fact that his life record does not cover one-half the span of time of many other real-estate dealers of the city. He was born January 29, 1881, at Shirley, Massachusetts, a son of Louis and Philomene (Sasseville) Avard, both of whom are natives of St. Hyacinthe county, Quebec. For some years the father was a saddler at Shirley, Massachusetts, but since 1883 has resided at St. Hyacinthe.

The son was educated in the schools of St. Hyacinthe, the Brothers of the Sacred Heart Academy and in the St. Hyacinthe Practical Business School. For a year he was a clerk in St. Hyacinthe Bank and through the ensuing four years was with the Eastern Townships Bank at St. Hyacinthe and Waterloo, Quebec.

In 1903 Mr. Avard came to Montreal as an accountant for the firm of McPherson & Company, wholesale dealers in cheese and butter. In 1905 he opened a real-estate office at 47 St. Vincent Street under the firm name of Avard & Dagenais. This firm continued in business successfully for five years at that location. On the expiration of that period the partnership was dissolved and Mr. Avard opened an office in the Royal Trust building, where he remained for two years, removing thence to the Transportation building at No. 120 St. James Street in 1912. In that year the business was incorporated under the name of J. G. Avard & Company, Ltd. He promoted the Viauville Lands, Ltd., one of the largest deals carried through in the past decade. The firm owns the Tetreauville Annex and are agents for Hudonville Lands, Ltd. Mr. Avard is also a director of the Dominion Quarry, Ltd., of the Metropolis Apartment Company, Ltd., Montreal Playhouses, Ltd., and of the Practical Business School of St. Hyacinthe. His offices in the Transportation building are models of good taste and the casual visitor has only to glance around to see that Mr. Avard is a lover of the fine arts.

On the 2d of October, 1904, Mr. Avard was married, in Montreal, to Rachel Eva Simard, a daughter of the late Adelard Simard, a well known lawyer of Waterloo, Quebec. To Mr. and Mrs. Avard have come three children: Elise; Gaston, who died at the age of eleven months; and Jean.

Active in the social life of the city, Mr. Avard is a member of the Canadian Club, the National Sporting Club, the Reform Club, St. Denis Club and is the vice president of the Laurentide Summer Home Company, Ltd. Politically he is a liberal, and his religious faith is indicated in his membership in St. Leon’s Roman Catholic church at Westmount, where he resides.