HENRY LACROIX.
Prince Albert owes her present prosperity to men of the type of
Henry LaCroix, who are not only energetic and progressive business
men but public-spirited citizens. He is the founder of LaCroix Brothers
& Company, Limited, a representative enterprise of its kind in the dis-
trict and province. Mr. LaCroix was born in Sarnia, Ontario, on the
2d of March, 1858, a son of Gilbert and Elizabeth (Carrier) LaCroix,
the former a native of Detroit, Michigan, and the latter of Three Rivers,
Quebec. Gilbert LaCroix located in Sarnia, Ontario, as a boy with his
parents and there learned the plasterer's trade, following that trade the
remainder of his life and was unusually successful. His death occurred
in 1913 and his wife died about two years later.
The boyhood of Henry LaCroix was spent in Sarnia and there he
received his education. He learned the trade of carriage painting after
putting his textbooks aside and followed that line of work for two years.
In 1882 he went to Winnipeg, where he worked at his trade for nine years,
and in 1891 came to Prince Albert and operated a blacksmith shop for a
time. Subsequently he engaged in the farm implement business and in
1911 disposed of that interest and made his initial step into the hard-
ware business, in which he has been very successful. His sons are as-
sociated with him and under the name of LaCroix Brothers & Company
they carry on an extensive and ever-increasing business. They erected
a fine store building when the enterprise was first organized and have
since occupied it. Aside from the hardware business Mr. LaCroix is
vice president of Prince Albert Mines, Limited, having extensive min-
ing interests in the region of Beaver Lake. He is a self-made man in
the truest sense of the word and as such commands confidence and esteem.
One of the dominant factors in his success has been his adherence to the
highest principles of honesty and integrity.
In April, 1880, Mr. LaCroix was married to Miss Rose Louise Deco-
teau, a daughter of Joseph and Rose (Chapagne) Decoteau, natives of
Quebec. Joseph Decoteau engaged in the lumber business in Sarnia
throughout his life and was one of the representative citizens of that com-
munity. Both parents died in 1878. Mr. and Mrs. LaCroix have become
the parents of twelve children: Frederick William, Charles Sylvester,
Francis Gilbert, Mary Adeline, Joseph Henry Nelson, James Ernest,
Wilfred Cleophus, Mae Irene, Albert Harold, two sons who died in in-
fancy; and one daughter who died in infancy. The seven sons are all
splendid business men and are in business with their father. Mr. LaCroix
is justly proud of his fine family, for they are all worthy representatives
of the name they bear.
Mr. LaCroix has always given his political allegiance to the Con-
servative party and has taken an active part in civic affairs. He was a
member of the city council from 1906 to 1914 and was chairman of the
school board from 1892 to 1913; has been a member of the board of the
Collegiate Institute since 1916 and for eighteen years has been con-
nected with the Prince Albert Agricultural Society and was vice presi-
dent one year. He has been an executive of the Board of Trade for six-
teen years, is a member of the Prince Albert Historical Society, and since
1917 he has been president of the Round Lake Outing Club. Fraternally
be is identified with the Knights of Columbus and he is a consistent com-
municant of the Catholic church.
Bibliography follows:
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