Ernest Doin

Born in Bourges, France, in 1809, Ernest Doin later emigrated to North America and eventually settled in Lower Canada. Historical notes from La Prairie describe him as a teacher, lawyer for a time, and a man deeply involved in literary and dramatic life. He lived in places including Saint-Jean-d'Iberville and La Prairie before dying in Montreal in 1891.

Doin is remembered chiefly as a playwright. Sources from the Société d’histoire de La Prairie-de-la-Magdeleine say he founded a literary and dramatic circle in La Prairie and supplied it with many of his own theatrical works. Project Gutenberg currently lists several of his plays, including Le Conscrit ou Le Retour de Crimée, Le divorce du tailleur, Le dîner interrompu, and Le pacha trompé ou Les deux ours.

Though not widely known today, Doin stands out as one of those writers who helped shape local French-language cultural life through teaching, publishing, and performance. His work suggests an author close to the stage: practical, comic, and interested in bringing drama to everyday audiences rather than writing only for elite readers.