5 months ago
St. Jean Baptiste First Church
Smoky River No. 130, Alberta
Smoky River No. 130, Alberta
Grande Prairie County No. 1, Alberta
Grande Prairie County No. 1, Alberta
Recent status | Historic Location |
Location # | 20913 |
Site is gated but unlocked
Cannot find history on the web so this info is from the wall plaque inside the church
May 1912 - Dominion Government requested 10 acre land grant for the Presbyterian Church of Canada
July 1914 - Reverend Alexander Forbes opened the church (a year before land grant was issued)
1925 - The Presbyterian Church became part of United Church of Canada and the Clairmont Pastoral Charge. Two years later, also became part of the Wembley Pastoral Charge
1942 - The title of the 7.73 acres containing the graveyard was transferred to MD of Bear Lake while the Church sat unused and in disrepair
1960 to 1970 - Wembley United Church Minister gave local farmer permission to use Church building as grain storage
1977 - County of Grande Prairie #1 obtains title of remaining 2.63 acres including the Church
2007 - County requests the Cemetery to be reopen. A committee of local residents was formed to be the caretakers
2012 - Church site was designated as a Municipal Historic Resource by the County of GP
2017 - Collapsing Church was removed from the site
2019 - New Church construction was completed