1868-1926

Father Louis-Pierre Gravel, or “Père” Gravel as the people liked to call him, missionary-colonizer and founder of Gravelbourg, was born in Stanfold, Québec (now named Princeville), in the diocese of Nicolet on August 8^th, 1868. He completed his secondary levels of school in the religious institutions of Trois-Rivières and Nicolet and continued his theological studies at the Major Seminary of Montréal. He was ordained into priesthood in Arthabaska, where his family lived, by Bishop Elphège Gravel of Nicolet, on August 28^th, 1892. Soon after, he was called to exercise his ministry in the Canadian Parish of Saint Jean-Baptiste in New York City (1892-1900) and in the St.Joseph’s Parish, also in New York City (1900-1906). 

On September 28^th, 1906, His Grace Most Reverend Adélard Langevin, Archbishop of Saint Boniface, whose diocese at the time extended to the Alberta border, authorized Father Gravel to found a French-Canadian Parish in the southwest of Saskatchewan. He was thirty-eight years old and had only fifteen years of ministry when he founded the town of Gravelbourg in 1906. Joining him between 1906 and 1908 were his brothers, Emile and Alphonse, lawyers, Henri and Maurice, doctors, Guy, a pharmacist, and sister, Laurianne, who was married to Georges Hébert, a lawyer. On February 22^nd, 1907, Father Gravel was appointed Missionary-Colonizer by the Government of the Honourable Wilfrid Laurier, Prime Minister of Canada, which in turn facilitated the task of recruiting French-Canadian Catholics to establish themselves on the fertile lands of the western plains. Due to a change of government in 1911, he was no longer the official agent of colonization (the main office was located in Moose Jaw). He took permanent residence in Gravelbourg and devoted his entire time to the foundation and development of the Gravelbourg colony. Father Gravel initiated the importance of having French-Catholic institutions for the youth of Gravelbourg and surrounding communities. He persistently encouraged the Sisters of Jesus and Mary to open a school and was one of the founders of Collège Mathieu. He planned and erected many other buildings in Gravelbourg. He had even envisioned that the church would one day be the Cathedral of the diocese. Father Louis-Pierre Gravel passed away on February 10^th, 1926, in Montréal at the age of 57. Following his wishes, Father Gravel was interred in the Gravelbourg Cemetery on February 18^th, 1926. At his funeral in Gravelbourg, a crowd filled the church to pay honour to their kind-hearted founder. 

Testimony of Mr. J.G. Crépeau, Barrister & Solicitor, Prince Albert, Sask.
” Father Gravel’s work was of national importance and significance. For too many years, thousands of Canadian born, left Canada to settle in the United States of America, particularily in the States of Maine, New Hampshire, Michigan and Minnesota; a great number of these were of French descent, who unfortunately were not attracted as settlers to Western Canada. The slogan : “Go West, Young Man” was never used in French in the Province of Québec.

For twenty years, Father Gravel toured these settlements in the United States, for the purpose of inducing them back to Canada and to re-establish themselves on the plains of the West.

The work of Father Gravel has also been beneficial to the people who settled here at his insistence, because of educational facilities for the establishment of which he was responsible.

Father Gravel’s memory should be perpetuated as an example of vision in what truly was the first step towards the concept of national unity, springing from mutual understanding and trust of two great races. It was his task to dissipate the narrowmindedness and distrust that had harboured in some Canadian minds, and sow the seeds of understanding, tolerence and respect, the fruits of which have been so apparent during the past twenty years.”