Born in La Malbaie, Quebec, the son of Ferdinand Asselin and Eugénie Tremblay, he was called to the Bar of Quebec in 1951. He became a Queen's Counsel in 1967. From 1957 to 1963, he was the mayor of La Malbaie.
Asselin was defeated in the 1962 election. Despite no longer having a seat, Diefenbaker appointed Asselin to the position of Minister of Forestry in 1963, in the hope that he and the Tories would both win the upcoming 1963 election.[citation needed] He served for only a month until the defeat of the Conservatives and Asselin's failure to regain his seat.
Above a helmet mantled Azure doubled Argent on a wreath of these colours an eagle wings addorsed and inverted Azure beaked and membered Or armed and langued Azure wearing a coronet alternately érablé and fleurdelisé Argent holding in its dexter talons scales of justice Argent.
Escutcheon
Azure a chevron Argent cotised Or between in chief two mullets and in base a fleur-de-lys Or.
Supporters
Two stallions Argent crined and queued Or langued and unguled Azure gorged with a coronet fleurdelisé Azure charged on its rim with mullets Or.