Calixa Lavall%C3%A9e
Calixa Lavalle, , born Calixte Paquet dit Lavalle, was a FrenchCanadianAmerican musician and Union Army band musician during the American Civil War. He is best known for composing the music for O Canada, which officially became the national anthem of Canada in 1967, after a vote in the Senate and the House of Commons. The modern version became official with an Act of Parliament in 1980.
Calixa Lavalle was born near Verchres, a village near Montreal, Quebec. His father, Augustin Lavalle, was accomplished in many trades, including those of blacksmith, logger, bandmaster, selftaught luthier and bandleader. Calixas father also worked for the pipe organ builder Joseph Casavant. Calixa Lavalles mother was CharlotteCaroline Valentine. He was the eighth generation of the Pasquier family . On his fathers side, his ancestor was Isaac Pasquier from Poitou, France. Issac Pasquier arrived in NouvelleFrance in 1665 as a soldier in the CarignanSalires regiment. On his mothers side, he was related to James Valentine, a man from Scotland who moved to Verchres, a Montreal suburb, where he married Louise Leclerc.
Source: Wikipedia