LA PAROISSE DE DONNELLY (8) (170 ENGLISH -- 169 fran)

LA PAROISSE DE DONNELLY (8) (170 ENGLISH)

THIRD GROUP OF PIONEERS ARRIVED IN AUGUST 1912

 The arrival of the third group of settlers meant that the Télesphore family was finally completely united.  Marie-Ange was the only white woman in the West and she now received the support of her mother and elder sisters.  Mrs. Télesphore Leblanc would serve as mid-wife and never hesitated to offer her help when she was asked to.

The construction of the dwelling place was finished before Mrs. Leblanc and her three daughters arrived and it was with great joy to all to be together.  The dwelling place could  accommodate the whole family with just a few inconveniences.


The Leblanc family had to be a courageous one; of course the two deaths were considered but still these were accepted in faith; then one continued on with work and life.

Marie-Rose told us that once they arrived in Grouard before leaving for Peavine Creek, the Leblanc family took time to get various provisions.  Amongst her purchases, she had bought dried prunes.  Once the family arrived at the shack, there was little room and few cupboards, even for the dried prunes! So Marie-Rose decided to put them in a pillow-case and to tie it to the ceiling. This seemed like a good idea which it was until they had a heavy downpour of rain.  The dwelling place  was spacious enough for the whole family; however there were some inconveniences. For example, the sod roof did not prevent the rain from dripping inside the house, and  the prunes were not exempted.  In fact, since they had absorbed the rain, they swole up so much that the pillow-case burst!!

In 1912, Marie-Rose said she was the only white woman of the area so of course, she was the most beautiful white woman!!

 MARIE-ROSE LEBLANC (1907)

Once the construction of the shack was finished, with Marie-Roses's help, the men started to clean and open a bit of land which was larger than that for a garden. Before the arrival of winter, they decided to  increase the area and open more land again which they would seed in the spring.  This was getting exciting!

In October, Father Jean-Marie Dréau was named to serve the new area as much as his health permitted.  Therefore he went to visit the Leblancs and told them he'd come back to say mass twice a month for them: one Sunday at the Leblancs' and the next Sunday at the Legaults'. Marie-Rose has said that hee always went there even if it was very, very cold One Sunday itg was minus 40 below zero , maybe even colder, and he had ridden 65 miles by horseback.  He was so cold when he arrived that he could not speak,


N.B.  In 1951, in the film "The Peace River" made by the Office of the National Film Board had very well explained the story of Mrs. Marie-Anne Leblanc-Gravel; she was 80 then when she told  this story.

ref: mbc