Edouard Fabre Surveyer

Edouard Fabre Surveyer, who throughout his professional career has been a representative of the Montreal bar and equally well known as an educator and author in the field of his profession, was born in this city in 1875. His father, L. J. A. Surveyer, is a Montreal merchant and a past vice president of the Chamber of Commerce. He married Hectorine Fabre, a daughter of the late E. R. Fabre and a sister of the late Archbishop Fabre, the late Hon. Hector Fabre, C. M. G., and of the late Lady Cartier.

E. Fabre Surveyer was a student in St. Mary’s (Jesuit) College, where he made an excellent record, winning the Angers bronze medal for letters in 1890, the Mercier gold medal for rhetoric in 1891 and the alumni gold medal for philosophy in 1893. He took up his law course in Laval University and was graduated LL. L. with first class honors in 1896. The same year he won his B. C. L. degree with first class honors from McGill University, but not content with the preparation that he had already made for active practice at the bar, he went abroad and completed his law course in Paris and took part in the first International Congress of Lawyers at Brussels in 1897. He was a delegate to the Universal Congress of Lawyers and Jurists at St. Louis, Missouri, in 1904 and is correspondent for several Canadian, American, French and Belgian law reviews.

It was in 1897 that Mr. Surveyer entered upon active practice in Montreal in connection with McGibbon, Casgrain, Ryan & Mitchell. He has not only obtained success in practice but has also gained recognition for his ability in other professional connections. He has been the editor of the Quebec Practice Reports since their establishment in 1897 and since 1905 has been a lecturer in practice and pleading in McGill University. He was made a king’s counsel by the government of Quebec in 1909. On withdrawal from the firm of McGibbon, Casgrain, Mitchell & Surveyer in 1909 he entered into a partnership with H. A. Lovett, K. C., a connection that was continued until the following year. Since September, 1913, Mr. Surveyer has been the senior member of the firm of Surveyer, Ogden & Mariotti. Mr. Surveyer also has an office in New York city in connection with the firm of Daly, Hoyt & Mason, attorneys at law. He has published a pamphlet, The Bench and Bar of Montreal, and there are few who are more familiar with the history of the courts of this city than Mr. Surveyer. In 1903 he was president of the Junior Bar Association of Montreal, while in 1914 he became the secretary of the newly formed Canadian Bar Association. A fluent speaker, forceful and earnest, Mr. Surveyer has as ready a command of English as he has of French.

Aside from his professional duties and interests Mr. Surveyer is connected with various business enterprises which feature in the material development and prosperity of the city. He is vice president of the Union Land Corporation, Ltd., and the Lachine Land Company, Ltd.; is a director of the Capital Trust Corporation (Ottawa), of the Franco-Canadian Land & Development Company, Ltd., and of the Rothesay Realty Company, Ltd. In all business affairs his judgment is sound and his discrimination keen, and he falters not until his purpose has been accomplished and success has rewarded his efforts.

In October, 1906, Mr. Surveyer was married to Miss Elodie Barnard, a daughter of the late Edmund Barnard, K. C., of Montreal. In religious faith Mr. Surveyer is a Catholic and in political belief a conservative. He is regarded as one of the prominent members of the party among its younger representatives, and of him the Windsor Record (liberal) said: “He has a splendid platform presence, speaks English fluently, and has the appearance of an all round campaigner.” Mr. Surveyer’s social connections are with the University Club, Club Lafontaine and Canadian Club of Montreal; the Albany Club, of Toronto; and the Colonial Club, of London, England. He has been president of the Canadian Club, as well as vice president of the Federation of Canadian Clubs and is a member of the executive board of the University Club and a director and honorary solicitor of the Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals.

Among Mr. Surveyer’s other connections, he is vice president of L’Alliance Française and a member of the board of the Federation de L’Alliance Française aux Etats Unis et au Canada.

He is a member of the executive committee of the Liberal-Conservative Association, and thus in a number of the organizations with which he is allied he has been honored with office. He regards the practice of law, however, as his real life work, and he has at times been heard by the judicial committee of the privy council of England. He has been throughout life a student, and since his admission to the bar has remained a close and discriminating student of law principles, thoroughly qualifying himself for the conduct of all legal business intrusted to his care.