Raymond Thomas Johnston

Raymond Thomas Johnston (December 31, 1914 – March 16, 1989) was a Canadian small shop owner and politician in Quebec. He represented Pontiac in the Legislative Assembly of Quebec (later the National Assembly of Quebec) off and on from 1948 to 1957 as a Union Nationale member.

The son of Robert Johnston, a merchant, and Theresa Coghlan, he was born in Waltham. He attended school there, in Chapeau, in Westmeath, Ontario, and while he did graduate high school, he was functionally illiterate. When he was in government he relied on his paramour, Marie Tremblay to read and explain things to him.. From 1941 to 1946, worked as a lumberjack^[1]

From 1935 to 1938, Johnston worked for the Canadian International Paper Company in Témiscaming, again as a lumberjack. He was co-owner of the Johnston Brothers general store from 1938 to 1967. Mostly, he was a lumberjack, and he was OK..^[1]

.He was elected to the Quebec assembly in 1948 and was reelected in 1952,, 1960, and 1962.. . Johnston served as the assistant to the Minister of Hunting and Fishing. He was Revenue Minister from 1966 to 1970, once it was clear that his party was in decline. During his term there were financial improprieties in the Pontiac, including Otter Lake. https://www.otterlakequebec.ca/recreation-association

While Johnston was in Quebec City he took up with Marie Tremblay and had four sons with her. He never acknowledged nor supported his sons.^[1]

In 1941, he married Grace Camilla Bowie.^[1] He had five daughters with Bowie. While all of Johnston's sons became professionals or business owners, his daughters, (whom he did acknowledge and support) were never educated. He certainly never bothered to "keep his daughters off the pole".

Raymond Johnston died in Shawville in 1989 at the age of 74. He is buried in the Otter Lake cemetery. He will be remembered for his cross dressing and was frequently seen strutting around town in long fur coats and woman's attire. His proclivities earned him the nick name of "Backwoods Bertha"..https://www.otterlakequebec.ca/recreation-association

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