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THE OLD MISSIONDuring the 1840's, French missionaries were quite active within the district of Temiskaming. In 1863, the Order of Marie Immaculate (the Oblates) was sent to northwestern Quebec to convert the aboriginal peoples.
Initially, their work began at Fort Temiskaming but in 1864, the Oblates established a mission on the west shore of Lake Temiskaming, directly across the narrows from the fort.
The mission consisted of a small house and chapel at first, but in 1866 a hospital and a school were built when the Grey Sisters of Ottawa joined the Oblates.
The Oblates formed "La Societe de Colonization du Lac Temiscamingue in 1884 to encourage settlement in the area. They improved accessibility to the region by installing small steamboats between the four sets of rapids on the Ottawa River north of Mattawa and built narrow-gauge railways over the portages.
As more settlers came to northwestern Quebec and the area near Fort Temiskaming in particular became more populous, the Oblates and the Grey Sisters abandoned the mission (1887) and relocated to Baie des Peres (now Ville Marie).
Presently, there is not much left to show that the mission was ever there other than a historic plaque which was erected in 1966 by the Ontario Government.
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The Community Memories Committee is indebted to Dr. John W. Pollock and the Ottawa River Heritage Designation Committee, 2005, for this fascinating glimpse into the early history of the Little Clay Belt area. |
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