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Born in Verchères, Ludger Duvernay settled in Trois-Rivières at the age of 18. So early installed, he published the city's first newspaper: La Gazette de Trois-Rivières. He founded successively L'Ami de la religion et de la Patrie, in 1821, Le Constitutionnel, in 1823 and L'Argus, in 1826. In 1827, he bought the newspaper La Minerve in Montreal. It is surrounded by a team of exceptional patriots: Louis-Hippolyte Lafontaine, Louis-Joseph Papineau, Denis-Benjamin Viger and others. Very close to the reality and the aspirations of his compatriots, Ludger Duvernay quickly became through his writings a man of action and an attentive observer who fiercely defends the faith and soul of the French Canadians of yesteryear. He will be one of the authors of the 92 Resolutions which demand that “Canadian” deputies control the government budget and that the Legislative Council be elected. They also ask England to recognize the independence of Lower Canada. In 1832, imprisoned for opposing the abuses of the English regimes, he was released by Governor Lord Aylmer. Ardent defender of the Patriots, in 1838 he opposes any form of condemnation against them. Noting that there is no association to defend the rights of its compatriots, Ludger Duvernay founded the Société Aide-toi et le Ciel will become, during a banquet held on June 24, 1834, the Société Saint-Jean-Baptiste de Montreal. On this occasion, Ludger Duvernay proclaims the objectives of the new Company: "To keep our language and our laws intact, to unite under one flag all French Canadians and, on National Day, remind them of the history of their ancestors and their mission. " This declaration is a prelude to the birth of all the Saint-Jean- Baptiste from Quebec, including that of Mauricie; some will later bear the name of National Society of Quebeckers. For more than 75 years, the SSJB of the Mauricie continues the work of this great patriot who bequeathed to the people of Quebec a patron, a celebration and a national movement. Ludger Duvernay was a journalist committed to action, a pioneer of publishing Trois-Rivières, a politician, a patriot, a dynamic and innovative citizen.
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