The Quick Answer
St. Albert began in 1861, when Father Albert Lacombe, an Oblate missionary, set up a Roman Catholic mission on the Sturgeon River with the help of Métis families. Bishop Alexandre Taché named it St. Albert after Lacombe's patron saint, Albert of Louvain. The log chapel built that year, now the Father Lacombe Chapel, is considered Alberta's oldest surviving building.
I'm John Carle, a REALTOR with Homes & Gardens Real Estate Limited, and I've been selling homes in St. Albert since 1999. I sell homes a few minutes from where this city started, and the story is worth telling right.
On this page
Who was Father Albert Lacombe?
Albert Lacombe was born in 1827 in Saint-Sulpice, Quebec, and ordained a Roman Catholic priest in 1849. He spent most of his life as a missionary in the West. He learned Cree and was often called on as a go-between with First Nations communities.
How was St. Albert founded?
In 1861 Lacombe moved his mission from Lac Ste. Anne to a hill above the Sturgeon River. Métis families helped build a log chapel there, and farms and a school followed. The Grey Nuns came over from Lac Ste. Anne in 1863.
Who was St. Albert named after?
Bishop Alexandre Taché chose the name, after Father Lacombe's patron saint. That's Albert of Louvain, a bishop of Liège who was born around 1166, elected bishop in 1191 and killed on November 24, 1192. St. Albert Trail is named after him too. Strictly speaking, the city was named for the saint, in honour of Lacombe.
Where can you see this history today?
- Father Lacombe Chapel on Mission Hill, a provincial historic site.
- Musée Héritage Museum in St. Albert Place, for the city's wider story.
Key takeaways
- Father Lacombe founded the St. Albert mission in 1861 with Métis families.
- Bishop Taché named it after Lacombe's patron saint, Albert of Louvain.
- The Father Lacombe Chapel is considered Alberta's oldest surviving building.
Mission Hill and the old downtown streets are some of my favourite places in the city. If you'd like to live close to that history, let's talk.
Just Call John. 780-937-7534
Sources
- Alberta Register of Historic Places, Father Lacombe Chapel: https://hermis.alberta.ca/ARHP/Details.aspx?DeptID=1&ObjectID=4665-0212
- The Canadian Encyclopedia, Father Lacombe Chapel: https://thecanadianencyclopedia.ca/en/article/father-lacombe-chapel
- City of St. Albert, A History of Street Names in St. Albert (2018): https://stalbert.ca/site/assets/files/2960/historyofstreetnamesinstalbert_dec2018.pdf
- Grey Nuns of Montreal, Edmonton: https://sgm.qc.ca/en/the-grey-nuns/the-sisters-in-america/edmonton/