He was born Joseph-Rémi Vallières in Carleton in 1787, the son of a blacksmith, and moved to Windham Township in Upper Canada with his family in 1799. After the death of his father, he moved to Quebec City, where he was tutored by Monsignor Joseph-Octave Plessis, and then studied at the Petit Séminaire de Québec. He studied law with Charles Thomas and then with Edward Bowen and qualified to practice in 1812.
Joseph-Rémi Vallières was born in Carleton in 1787 as the son of a blacksmith. In 1799, he moved to Windham Township in Upper Canada along with his family. After his father's passing, he resided in Quebec City and received tutoring from Monsignor Joseph-Octave Plessis before attending the Petit Séminaire de Québec. He then studied law under Charles Thomas and Edward Bowen, eventually becoming a licensed attorney in 1812.