(16 Oct. 1872-14 July 1939), press employee. (J. George Sabourin, George Sabourin, J. G. Sabourin) Born in Alexandria, GC. Parents: George Sabourin, who was a labourer, and his wife Rose Hamelin. He was educated in local schools, and joined the Glengarry News staff in 1892, the year the newspaper began publication. In 1906 he left the Glengarry News, and thereafter became what his obituary (Standard Freeholder) describes as “one of the founders” of the Hawkesbury newspapers the Echo and Le Moniteur. (see entry for J.H. Laurin, who was also involved with these newspapers) Sabourin returned to the Glengarry News in 1916, and from about 1918 till his death he had the position of plant foreman at the Glengarry News . He died at the Ottawa Civic Hospital, where he had gone for an operation. He was a member of Sacré-Coeur parish, Alexandria, and is buried at the Sacré-Coeur cemetery. His obituary praised his skills as a printer, calling him “a craftsman of the old school.”

     He was married twice, (1) to Delphine Miron of Ste-Justine-de-Newton, in 1893 or 1894. She died in 1907 (four children) One of their children was J.L.O. Sabourin, and (2) to Mrs Joseph Hurtubise (née Marie Louise Quesnel) of Rigaud, at Hawkesbury in 1907. She died in Montreal on 27 Dec. 1941. George Sabourin’s sister was married to Arcade Meloche.

     George Sabourin was a member of the Alexandria town council. In 1934 he ran for mayor of Alexandria but was defeated by J. A. Laurin. (Glengarry News 30 Nov. & 7 Dec. 1934) In his election appeal he promised “to find suitable work for our labouring classes” and complained that for 10 or 15 years “no effort has been made by our successive Town Councils to induce manufacturers to locate in Alexandria.” (GN 30 Nov. 1934) His grandson Gerald O. Saxton, who in 1991 established his own newspaper at Red Lake, Ont., remembered that “My Grandfather George Sabourin frequently held my hand as he walked along the main street on his way to work at the Glengarry News. He was an amazing and jolly person who would stop to talk with everyone and could converse in fluent English, French or Gaelic. I thought he was a genius.” (letter, GN 5 May 1993)

Glengarry News 14 & 21 July 1939 (portrait), Standard Freeholder 17 July 1939 * St. Finnan’s CRNI, III, 743 * obituary of his wife, GN 2 Jan. 1942 * leaves Glengarry News, returns, GN 9 March 1906, 10 March 1916