Ludger Dionne

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Ludger Dionne was born on 1 March 1888 in Ste-Hélène de Chester, Quebec, Canada. Dionne was a businessman and a politician in the Liberal Party of Canada in the Canadian House of Commons.

As a businessman, he operated a shoe factory, a heel factory and a rayon mill—all in St. Georges.

As a politician, he was first elected in 1945.

When faced with a worker's strike in his rayon mill in 1947, Dionne went to Poland and "hired" 100 Polish Catholic women and emigrated them to Canada to work as either nuns or to work in his rayon mill. During his visit to Poland, he was interviewed by Will Lang Jr. of Life (magazine) and discussed with Lang his intentions. When Dionne returned to Canada, the striking workers protested to the Canadian government about the immigrants stealing their jobs.

Outraged by Dionne's actions, the Canadian Parliament voted on 21 June 1947 to pass several laws regarding displaced foreign refugees. This action cost Dionne's political career for the rest of his life. He lost the next two Canadian elections held in 1949 and 1957

Ludger Dionne died on 4 June 1962.