The first French Canadians to settle in the area were mainly retired voyageurs and Métis families of both Québécois and French descent. In the mid-1800s, the Oblates of Mary Immaculate, French Roman Catholic missionaries, came to the area. In 1853, they founded a mission on the south shore, Notre Dame des Victoires. The Sisters of […]
A gambling term from an old card game and the birth province of composer Antonio Vivaldi. What could the two possibly have in common for Alberta’s history? The answer lies within our region. These were the namesakes of two of our communities, Hylo and Venice. They were part of the first Italian colony in Western Canada, initiated […]
Lac La Biche has the highest percentage of Lebanese people per capita in Canada (14%) and the Lebanese have greatly contributed towards the growth of Lac La Biche into the community it is today. Most Lebanese in our community are Islamic, but they did not have a mosque, or masjid (مسجد), for several decades after […]