On this day in 1930, residents of St. Albert were preparing to mark its history.
While what is now St. Albert was founded in the mid-1800s, Indigenous people have lived near the Sturgeon River and Big Lake for thousands of years. In the early 1800s, many Métis families settled on river lots there to create the Big Lake settlement. The area offered access to fish and fresh water, and was close to Fort Edmonton, where Métis hunters sold furs and meat from buffalo hunts.
In 1861, Father Albert Lacombe arrived. The Catholic priest originally settled in nearby Lac St. Anne but found it unsuitable for agriculture, so he chose to travel south. He stopped when he reached Big Lake. Lacombe decided it was a perfect place for a Catholic mission. In addition to the local Métis families, the spot offered proximity to Fort Edmonton, which allowed him to minister to the Indigenous and European traders passing through the area. He founded the settlement as St. Albert, naming it after his patron saint, Saint Albert of Louvain.
Lacombe quickly worked to build a small log building to serve as the settlement's church. That building is now thought to be Alberta's oldest surviving structure and serves as an interpretive centre. A couple of years later, Lacombe was joined by members of the Grey Nuns. The Grey Nuns set up the region's first medical facility, and later, were the driving force behind Edmonton General Hospital.
Lacombe's original mission was built north of the Sturgeon River. That meant anyone wanting to travel south to Fort Edmonton had to use an unreliable ferry. Lacombe rallied the community to build the first permanent bridge in Western Canada. It was originally a toll bridge, though Lacombe promised anyone who helped build it could cross for free.
By the 1870s, the buffalo were nearing extinction due to over-hunting, disease, and other factors. The buffalo hunt, which formed a vital part of Métis lives, began to disappear. Residents were forced to turn to farming instead. Luckily, St. Albert proved to be better for agriculture than Lac St. Anne. The village soon became one of the most important farming settlements on the Prairies. Its success drew others to the area, including a large influx of French-Canadian settlers in the 1870s and 1880s. By 1887, St. Albert had 1,000 residents.
Today, St. Albert is the sixth-largest city in Alberta, with more than 65,000 residents. Much of the city's Métis history is preserved, including many family homes built along the river near the turn of the century. Much like residents were doing in 1930, this week, St Albert is preparing to mark its annual Métis Week. Events include special exhibits at the Musée Héritage Museum and a flag-raising ceremony at St. Albert Place.
This clipping was found on Vintage Edmonton, a daily look at Edmonton's history from armchair archivist @revRecluse of @VintageEdmonton.