CHENE, Jean Dosithe (1885-1971) was born in Hull, Que. and articled in Ottawa with the firm of Burritt & Meredith from whom he gained much of his knowledge of architecture and construction. He attended the Ecole Polytechnique in Montreal in 1905-09 and graduated with distinction in civil engineering and chemistry. In 1910 he obtained the position of City Engineer for Hull, and in November 1910 went to Paris to study at the Pasteur Institute. After contributing a number of improvements to the town waterworks system in Hull, Que. he resigned abruptly in June 1911 citing his 'arbitrary treatment by aldermen who knew little about civic improvement and less about sanitary engineering' (C.R., xxv, 14 June 1911, 53). He quickly secured a new position within the Department of Indian Affairs as a draftsman and designer, and can be credited with several designs for schools and boarding houses on Indian lands across Canada built between 1911 and 1920, the most notable being the substantial Edwardian scheme for the Indian Boarding School at Portage la Prairie, Man., 1914. He was appointed staff architect to the Department on 1 April 1915 and was listed variously as a civil engineer, department engineer and as chemist with the federal government until after 1930. Chene died in Hull, Quebec on 4 April 1971 (death notice Ottawa Journal, 6 April 1971, 38; biog. and port. C.R., xxv, 31 May 1922, 54). Several sets of plans signed by Chene now form part of the Dept. of Indian Affairs Coll. in Ottawa (NAC, RG22M 77803/11).
(Works for the Dept. of Indian Affairs)
KINGSCLEAR, N.B., school, 1909
WHITEFISH LAKE, ONT., day school and teacher's residence, 1912
CAUGHNAWAGUA, QUE., Boy's School, c. 1912; teacher's residence, 1913; Central School, 1927
EDMUNDSTON, N.B., school, 1913
SONGHEES, B.C., school, c. 1913
PORTAGE LA PRAIRIE, MAN., Boarding School, 1914
CROWFOOT RESERVE, ALTA., residential school, c. 1914
FORT GEORGE, B.C., residence and Anglican Church, c. 1914
GOLDEN LAKE, B.C., school, c. 1914
MUNCEY, ONT., barn and implement house at the Mount Elgin Institute, 1915
LORETTE, QUE., day school and teacher's residence, 1917
TYENDINEGA, ONT., Indian Council House, 1920
J.D. CHENE
OTTAWA, ONT., hospital for the Grey Nuns, 1921 (C.R., xxxv, 19 Jan. 1921, 53)
HULL, QUE., Roman Catholic school, Champlain Street, 1926 (C.R., xl, 17 Feb. 1926, 52)