Lac La Biche - Information - Lac La Biche Historical Society

Who we are | Chronological History | Inventory from 1864

LAC LA BICHE HISTORICAL SOCIETY

Who we are

In case you wondered whom you'll be meeting when you get here, have a look at our ambitions and our mission statement. Here at Lac La Biche Mission we are very, very passionate about our local history, and by the time you leave we guarantee you will have strong feelings about it too.

***

Our History
In 1977 research was done by the Metis Local 114 spearheaded by Eugene Huppie and Donna Fabbro. The data compiled dealt with the preservation and maintenance of the Lac La Biche Mission Site. As well there were lots of other people who had gone to see Fr. Peroni in regards to preserving the Mission buildings, because of all this interest an informational meeting was held in Lac La Biche in 1978.

The following year, a gathering of concerned citizens was held at the rectory in Plamondon. Those present were Lucille Joncas, Millie Lansing, Laura Dyksley Fr. Peroni, Sr. Laura Veaugeois, Leo, Louis, Andre, & George Cloutier, Reed Gauthier, Wilfrid and Fern Plamondon.

The first meeting for the Mission preservation was held in the basement of the Mission school in Feb, 1980. Contacts were made to Alberta Culture & two members from their office came to see the condition of the buildings.

Later on in May a committee was formed from within the Metis Local. Those members were Lucille Joncas- chairman, Millie Lansing- secretary- treasurer. Councilors were Jan Kozina, Sr. Laura Veaugeois, Mrs. Justine Fortier, Art Gingras, Laura Dyksley.

The following year the Cloutiers, the Connelly's, Ladouceur's, Bourque's, Ostapezuk's, Miller's, and Plamondon families gathered to clean and restore the facilities at the Mission Site.

The Lac La Biche Mission Historical Preservation Society stemmed from this committee.

The Society's Role and Goals

All of the described activities have provided a learning experience for the Society, which jealously guards its role. The staff of Alberta Culture realize that the Society does not believe in blind subservience and that recommendations must be justified and inaction questioned. There are occasions when the Society questions the recommendations of the Historic Sites Service; for example, only historians were included in a list for proposed work on the historic structures! Are we to believe that an historical archaeologist is less competent than an historian in this regard?

The Society's motto is "Perseverance." It has appeared to the Society at times that Alberta Culture's guideword is "Intransigence." The restoration of the Lac La Biche Mission has not been an easy task to date despite its now-indisputable status as one of the most important historic sites in Alberta. The Society has not seen eye to eye with Alberta on the plain and ordinary meaning of Section 2 of the Alberta Historical Resources Act: .

2. The Minister is responsible for

(a) the co-ordination of the orderly development, (b) the preservation, (c) the study and interpretation, and (d) the promotion of appreciation of Alberta's historic resources.

A Plea for the Future of the Past

It is to be hoped that the archaeological community in Alberta will lend its voice to that of the Society in order to convince Alberta Culture of the urgent need for a proper Master-Plan or Interpretive Development Plan in order to direct future development of the Lac La Biche Mission. The Lac La Biche Mission must be restored to the grandeur and status ' which earned it the reputation, "l'entrepôt du nord," and the title, "la belle reine du Lac," during the latter part of the 19th century. A proper translation of the wealth of historic documents and publications is also essential. The accurate preservation and restoration of the Lac La Biche Mission is impossible without access to this information, which would also shed much additional light as to how much the Lac La Biche Mission contributed to the development, history and heritage of western Canada.

The Society needs everyone's assistance if the Mission is to become a household word once more. Its enormous contribution to the development history and heritage of Alberta must be rescued from oblivion now. Only thus will Albertans better understand and appreciate the role it played in the development of Western Canada as a region. Only thus will the Society, in turn, gain lasting satisfaction from knowing that future generations will also be able to visit the Mission; and be grateful that we rescued it from oblivion despite formidable odds and a race against time.

The Lac La Biche Mission has the "right stuff" to become a world-class tourist destination point. The Society has provided leadership in the fields of education, awareness, and example. Surely adequate funding for the protection of our birthright is the responsibility of senior levels of government. Unfortunately, the Mission appears at times to be the victim of petty, puerile, partisan politics at the hands of a Provincial Government which can find $345,000,000 for infrastructure for a needy multinational corporation in connection with a proposed nearby kraft bleach pulp mill, but then says it lacks funds for a Master Plan for the Mission and for its proper restoration and preservation as a major tourist destination point of great beauty and historic importance.

The moral cost of the Provincial Government's questionable priorities is very high. It could be the irrecoverable loss of a vital part of our history and consequently of our collective memory. With a loss of memory, there usually follows a loss of dignity.

"A nation that does not honor its past has no future." Lycurgus of Sparta