The Government of Canada Commemorates the National Historic Significance of Curé Antoine Labelle

News release

Curé Labelle played an important role in the history of the Laurentians, including the development of its railway

May 6, 2022                    Saint-Jérôme, Quebec               Parks Canada Agency

A prominent figure at the end of the 19th century in Quebec, Antoine Labelle was a Catholic priest who was parish priest of Saint-Jérôme from 1868 to 1891. Nicknamed the "king of the North", he designed a project aimed at establishing French Canadians in the territories of northwestern Quebec, northern Ontario and Manitoba to counter their exodus to the United States. Main architect of the colonization of the Laurentians and promoter of its economic development and its railway network, Labelle participated in the founding of some twenty parishes and in the establishment of nearly 5,000 inhabitants in this region. It has been occupied by various populations for nearly 6,000 years, and is part of the territory of the Algonquins-Anishinabeg.

Today, Ms. Yolande Cohen, representative of the Historic Sites and Monuments Board of Canada, on behalf of the Government of Canada, commemorated the national historic significance of Curé Antoine Labelle during a special ceremony to unveil a plaque to Saint-Jerome, Quebec.

Born in 1833 in Sainte-Rose (Laval), Lower Canada, Antoine Labelle left home at age 10 to attend the Petit Séminaire de Sainte-Thérèse, where he studied until 1852 and, subsequently, did his theological training. Known as “Curé Labelle,” his memory lives on in place names and popular television series. 

The Government of Canada, through the Historic Sites and Monuments Board of Canada, recognizes significant people, places, and events that shaped our country as one way of helping Canadians and youth connect with their past. The commemoration process is largely driven by public nominations. To date, more than 2,000 designations have been made.

National historic sites and designations commemorate all aspects of Canada's history. Designations can lead us to contemplate the complex and challenging times that helped define the Canada of today. By sharing these stories with Canadians, we hope to foster greater understanding and open discussions about the histories, cultures and realities of Canada's history.

The Government of Canada is celebrating families with free admission to Parks Canada places for youth 17 and under, and free admission for one year for new Canadian citizens. We invite Canadians to learn more about our history – from lighthouses to battlefields, historic neighbourhoods to Indigenous contributions to Canada, there is an amazing array of places and stories to discover.

                                                                                                       -30-

Quotes

“Curé Labelle is a legendary Quebec figure thanks to his work. He participated in the founding of some twenty parishes and the establishment of nearly 5,000 inhabitants in the Laurentians in order to counter the exodus of French Canadians to the United States. On behalf of the Government of Canada, I am pleased to officially recognize today the national historic significance of Curé Labelle. »

The Honorable Steven Guilbeault,
Minister of Environment and Climate Change and Minister responsible for Parks Canada, and MP for Laurier-Sainte-Marie, Quebec

“The City is very proud of this new tribute paid to our good priest Labelle, a man of imposing stature whose contribution to the development of our region is even more impressive. On behalf of all Jérômiens, I would like to thank Parks Canada and the Historic Sites and Monuments Board of Canada for helping to keep the memory of the "King of the North" alive, an emblematic figure of the establishment of French Canadians in the Laurentians, but also, of Saint-Jérôme who will never forget it. »

Mark Bourcier,
Mayor of the City of Saint-Jérôme

“At Histoire et Archives Laurentides, we are proud to have contributed to this national recognition of Curé Antoine Labelle. An essential figure in the colonization of our Laurentian region in the 19th century, he also deserves to be better known for his vision of the establishment of French Canadians in a vast territory that extended towards the lands further west, even to Winnipeg. »

Henri Prevost,
President, Histoire et Archives Laurentides

 

Quick facts

  • From 1855 to 1856, he completed his studies at the Grand Séminaire de Montréal and was ordained a priest at the age of 23. Over the next 12 years, he worked in a number of parishes and was given his first posting as parish priest in Saint-Antoine-Abbé, in the county of Huntingdon, in 1859.

  • On May 15, 1868, Labelle was appointed parish priest of Saint-Jérôme where he spent 22 years serving the community.

  • Created in 1919, the Historic Sites and Monuments Board of Canada advises the Minister of Environment and Climate Change regarding the national historic significance of places, people and events that have marked Canada’s history.

  • The designation process under Parks Canada’s National Program of Historical Commemoration is largely driven by public nominations. To date, more than 2,200 designations have been made nationwide. To nominate a person, place or historical event in your community, please visit the Parks Canada website for more information: https://www.pc.gc.ca/en/culture/clmhc-hsmbc/ncp-pcn/application.

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Contacts

Kaitlin Power
Press Secretary    
Office of the Minister of Environment and Climate Change
819-230-1557
Kaitlin.power@ec.gc.ca

Media Relations
Parks Canada Agency
855-862-1812
pc.media@pc.gc.ca

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