The Government of Canada recognizes the national historical importance of the Saint-Eustache Church

May 23, 2017                        Saint-Eustache, Quebec                      Parks Canada Agency

On behalf of Catherine McKenna, Minister of the Environment and Climate Change and Minister responsible for Parks Canada, Linda Lapointe, MP for Rivière-des-Milles-Îles, today recognized the national historical importance of the Saint-Eustache Church.

The Government of Canada is committed to recognizing the people, places, and events of national importance that contributed to our country’s rich and diverse history. A special ceremony took place at the Saint-Eustache Church in the presence of members of the Historic Sites and Monuments Board of Canada.

The first Saint-Eustache Church was constructed between 1780 and 1783. Rather small in size, it was expanded in 1831. The new facade, completed in 1833, is still standing today. On December 14th, 1837, the church was ravaged by a fire set by British forces to flush out the Patriotes who had sought refuge there. The building was repaired and modified many times afterwards, the last time being in 1905-1907 when important work was completed on it. You can still see traces of the shelling inflicted on the church during the Battle of Saint-Eustache.

As part of the centennial of national historic sites, Parks Canada invites Canadians to be inspired and captivated by the stories of the people and events that shaped the Canada of today. Canada’s national parks, national historic sites, and national marine conservation areas enable Canadians to experience their rich history and heritage in a special way and will play a big part in the celebration of Canada 150.