3 months ago
St. Jean Baptiste First Church
Smoky River No. 130, Alberta
Smoky River No. 130, 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