St. Jean Baptiste Church and Rectory

Falher, Near

Street Address:
Community:	Falher, Near
Boundaries:	Portion of the northwest quarter of Section 27, Township 77, Range 21, West of the Fifth Meridian.
Contributing Resources:	Building: 1

ATS Legal Description:

Mer	Rge	Twp	Sec	LSD
5 5 5 5	21 21 21 21	77 77 77 77	27 27 27 27	11 12 13 14

PBL Legal Description (Cadastral Reference):

Plan	Block	Lot	Parcel

Latitude/Longitude:

Latitude	Longitude	CDT	Datum Type
55.705068	-117.176437	GPS	NAD 83

UTM Reference:

Northing	Easting	Zone	CDT	Datum Type

Recognition

Recognition Authority:	Province of Alberta
Designation Status:	Provincial Historic Resource
Date of Designation:	2012/05/15

Historical Information

Built:	1914 to 1914
Period of Significance:	1914 to 1919
Theme(s):	Building Social and Community Life : Religious Institutions Expressing Intellectual and Cultural Life : Architecture and Design Peopling the Land : Migration and Immigration
Historic Function(s):	Religion, Ritual and Funeral : Religious Facility or Place of Worship
Current Function(s):
Architect:	Augustin Dumas
Builder:
Context:	HISTORICAL CONTEXT In 1909, the Dominion government established a Land Office at Grouard and began the orderly township survey of the Peace River Country. Among the areas subdivided was a track of land east of Lake Kimiwan and west of the Smoky River which, by the fall of 1911, was still unsettled. This drew the attention of Bishop Grouard, who had long been interested in settling large numbers of Francophone farmers in the region. He therefore appointed Father Jean Baptiste Giroux as a special colonization agent for the region on behalf of the Congregation of Oblates of Mary Immaculate, and instructed him to begin preaching the gospel about the wonderful Peace River Country to people in Quebec, and, more importantly, to those Quebequers who had lately settled in the northeastern United States. During the winter of 1911-12, Giroux made many presentations to groups in Quebec, the New England states, and Minnesota. He spoke about the richness of the soil, and how, if the Fancophone people homesteaded as a group, they would be able to derive benefit from mutual assistance. More importantly, to his thinking, they would be able to bring the trappings of their culture and their religion to the new Northwest. In May 1912, some 35 families set out from Montreal en route to Edmonton and, from there, to Grouard, where they intended to file for land west of Lake Kimiwan, which was still unsettled. They were led by Father Giroux, who was assisted by Father Constant Falher. Upon arriving in Grouard on 26 May, the group was treated to a lavish reception. The following day, they set out to the land of their new hope. After scouting the area for several days, they congregated at a spot of the Peavine Creek and agreed that this district would be their new home. But what to call it? One settler suggested Giroux, but Father Giroux thought Falher would be better. They compromised and combined the first name of Father Giroux with the last name of Father Falher to make Jean-Baptiste de Falher. The settlers returned to Grouard to file for their quarter sections, and soon, the Francophone community of Donnelly-Falher came into being. By the end of 1914, 297 homesteaders were on their land. Other settlers joined them and, before long, the district featured the largest Francophone settlement northwest of Morinville. The first resident priest was Father Marie Dreau, and, in 1913, he constructed a small combined church and rectory on his homestead quarter section: the northwest quarter of Section 27, Townshio 77, Range 21, West of the Fifth Meridian. The following year, with much volunteer help in the district, he erected a much larger, two and one-half story log structure right next to it, which came to serve as the Parish Church. This church, St. Jean-Baptiste de Falher, soon became the focal point of Francophone culture for the entire area, which, by the end of 1914 was over 85 percent Francophone in orientation. Most other district settlers were Roman Catholic. Indeed, with so many local residents being committed Roman Catholics, attendance at St. Jean-Baptiste de Falher was very high. Indeed, for years, this was the only public facility in the district. In 1915, the Edmonton, Dunvegan & British Columbia (ED & BC) Railway passed through the district, and more Francophone settlers took up residence. Over the years, the Francophone culture survived, with many important ceremonies taking place in the original church, although it eventually became overshadowed by several other larger structures in Donnelly, Falher, Girouxville, and McLennan. In 1978, the church was designated a registered historic site, and restoration work was undertaken. Today, this church stands as the most cherished structural symbol of the original Francophone settlement in northwestern Alberta. HISTORICAL SIGNIFICANCE The historical significance of the St. Jean de Baptiste de Falher Church near Falher lies in its provision of structural evidence of the Francophone community which began to settle in the district beginning in 1912. This is the most visible symbol of the origins of this community. (D. Leonard, October 2005) ******************************************************************************** HERITAGE SIGNIFICANCE The Saint Jean Baptiste Mission at Falher was the first permanent church built in the French Canadian settlement at Falher signifying the beginnings of a permanent settlement. It served the area for a seven mile radius. The building was used as a church from 1914 to 1919 and as a private residence thereafter. It never played an active role as a Roman Catholic Mission, but rather served the settlers of the area as a community church for just over 5 years, when it was replaced by a new church. The structure was built by the congregation with the help and direction of Brother Augusta Dumas, who also built the St. Bernard Church and convent at Grouard. The original design of the two-storey church had the same symmetrical style façade found in other Roman Catholic Mission buildings such as convents and bishop's residences. The convent has been destroyed while the church survives. The building represents an unusual solution to the problem of providing both a church and a priest's residence.

Additional Information

Object Number:	4665-0970
Designation File:	DES 0424
Related Listing(s):
Heritage Survey File:	HS 74961
Website Link:
Data Source:	Alberta Culture and Community Spirit, Historic Resources Management Branch, Old St. Stephen's College, 8820 - 112 Street, Edmonton, AB T6G 2P8 (File: Des. 424)