St. Anthony's Seraphic College

Edmonton

Street Address:	6770 - 129 Avenue NW
Community:	Edmonton
Boundaries:	Lot 51, Block 19, Plan 2320485
Contributing Resources:	Building: 1

ATS Legal Description:

Mer	Rge	Twp	Sec	LSD

PBL Legal Description (Cadastral Reference):

Plan	Block	Lot	Parcel
2320485	19	51

Latitude/Longitude:

Latitude	Longitude	CDT	Datum Type
53.588143	-113.445357	GPS	NAD83

UTM Reference:

Northing	Easting	Zone	CDT	Datum Type

Recognition

Recognition Authority:	Province of Alberta
Designation Status:	Provincial Historic Resource
Date of Designation:	2007/07/16

Historical Information

Built:	1925 to 1925
Period of Significance:
Theme(s):	Building Social and Community Life : Education and Social Well-Being Building Social and Community Life : Religious Institutions
Historic Function(s):	Religion, Ritual and Funeral : Religious Facility or Place of Worship Religion, Ritual and Funeral : Religious Facility or Place of Worship
Current Function(s):
Architect:	Edward Underwood
Builder:	J.P. Desrochers
Context:	HISTORICAL CONTEXT With the completion of the Canadian Northern Railway (C.No.R.) to Edmonton in 1905, and the Grand Trunk Pacific (G.T.P.) in 1908, the northeastern portion of the City began to expand, and spill over beyond the City's boundaries. In January 1910, the Village of North Edmonton was incorporated, and, in July 1912, it was annexed by Edmonton. The inhabitants of the district were largely working class people, employed by the railways or the many industries which sprang up near the tracks, like grain elevators, the City stockyards, and Swift's Packing Plant. Many of the newcomers were eastern European and Roman Catholic. Indeed, their numbers grew so rapidly that the Francophone Bishop of St. Albert, Emile Legal, made an appeal to the Franciscan order in Montreal to establish themselves in the area. The Franciscans were, essentially, a mendicant order of Brothers, and perhaps Bishop Legal felt they would best suit the needs of the rapidly growing community. Bishop Legal initially offered them Our Lady of St. Lourde's parish at Lamoureaux, where the resident Oblate priest had just passed away. This was located across the North Saskatchewan River from Fort Saskatchewan. However, after three Brothers arrived in the spring of 1908, they quickly realized they were needed more in northeast Edmonton. On 1 November 1908, they celebrated the first of several Masses at the site of Swift's packing plant, and, the following year, the decision was made to establish a Franciscan Parish in this district. In June 1909, a small, temporary friary was built by contractor P. Bernier to facilitate several newly arrived Brothers. It was located at the site of present day 129th Avenue and 66th Street. Almost immediately, work began on a larger facility next door, and, when it was completed in October, the Brothers who were located at Lamoreaux were re-located to this friary. The friary also served as a church until a regular church was constructed in 1911. On 1 July 1911, Bishop Legal granted the Canonical Election of the Parish of St. Francis of Assisi. Shortly thereafter, the Separate School Board of North Edmonton established the St. Francis School nearby. At the time, Bishop Legal estimated the Roman Catholic population of the parish to be 712. The new parish was plagued by fires. The church was severely damaged in 1915 and completely destroyed in 1947. The friary was destroyed in 1934, and the new one severely damaged in the fire of 1947. Both were eventually replaced. In 1925, another facility was added to the complex. This was St. Anthony's College, which appealed, among others, to young men who had, by now, completed their schooling in the district and were ready to advance to working vocations. The Bishop of Edmonton, H.J. O'Leary, gave his permission for a Seraphic College, and plans were drawn up by Edward Underwood. The contractor was J.P. Derochers, who completed the three-story brick structure in September, 1925 at a cost of $39,633. That fall, seven students were enrolled at St. Anthony's Seraphic College. In 1926, there were 20 students enrolled at the College, and it soon became evident that the building would not be able to accommodate what was anticipated to be an even greater demand. As a result, a large extension was added in 1931-32 at a cost of $83,000, with Underwood and Derochers again serving as architect and contractor. A small addition to the original building was erected after fire destroyed the friary in 1934, and the College came to serve as a friary as well. The St. Francis Parish Hall was also build in 1931 across 129th Avenue. It was used at various times over the years as a school, a residence, and a chapel. In 1946, a gymnasium was added to the complex, designed by George Heath MacDonald and constructed by Mill & Olsen at a cost of $69, 693. With such an elaborate facility, it is not surprising the St. Francis Parish and Friary, and St. Anthony's College were identified as the head office of the Major Superior of the Ecclesiastical Province of Christ the King of Western Canada, which included the region from the Ontario border to Vancouver Island. The complex served western Canada until 1970, when the College buildings were made over into a private boarding school. In recent years, they were acquired by the Bosco Child & Family Services Foundation and used as schools for at risk children, a food bank, and other benevolent purposes. HISTORICAL SIGNIFICANCE The historical significance of St. Anthony's Seraphic College and Friary lies in their service as the major Franciscan training college in western Canada, and the site of the head office of the western Canadian diocese of the Franciscans. (D. Leonard, March 2006)

Additional Information

Object Number:	4665-1335
Designation File:	DES 2182
Related Listing(s):	4664-0157
Heritage Survey File:	HS 56136
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. 2182)