LAC LA BICHE – Thanks to some recent grant funding approvals, the Lac La Biche Mission Historical Society has orchestrated some new upgrades to the historic site. The funding will help upgrade the gift shop area along with other general facility fixups.
The society received grant funding through the municipality, the province and federal government during the COVID-19 pandemic to build the new features, said Mary Lehoux, the society’s site administrator.
The Mission that was established in 1853 by the Roman Catholic Church has been a preserved historical site since the 1980s . Lehoux says the rich history of the Mission that was once a boarding school and trading post, is going to offer even more with new improvements made available by over $35,000 in grant funding.
“We put a grant application in to ask to renovate our gift shop so we could have people come here and enjoy themselves and we can put items into the gift shop that they can buy and take home after their tours, ‘’ said Lehoux.
The renovation project will include a dedicated space in the gift shop to display the works of local artists. Lehoux says it will be a great place to highlight the rich Indigenous and local artwork in the community.
More to offer
The renovations also include a new children’s reading space filled with books next to a new genealogy corner that pays homage to the ancestral Indigenous families and residents that have lived in the community for generations and also attended the school, she said.
“We built the genealogy corner where people could research, and we could print copies for them if they want,” she said.
The funding for all the projects are provided by Lac La Biche County and also from the Historic Resource Conservation Grant from the the provinces Minister of Culture department totalling $35,930 with more improvements on the way, she said.
“Our next project we are doing right now is restoring the windows in the convent. The frames need work because some of the boards are rotten and need to be replaced,” including some damaged windowpanes.
Hosting guests
The Mission site is one of the unique gems in the community, Lehoux says, where visitors can always learn something new—even if they’ve been there for years like herself. With the doors open again after two years of limited offerings and tours due to pandemic restrictions, she is thrilled to come back and teach others about the local history.
“I greatly missed showing off this beautiful place and the really detailed histories.This place has a lot of firsts [in the county]; the first wheat [production], the first printing press, the first sawmill and so on. I love showing it off and telling people about the history and the beautiful preserved buildings.”
With the completed upgrades and future projects, she hopes to see the society continue to be an even better landmark.
