Antoine Labelle
Antoine Labelle | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Born | November 24, 1833 Sainte-Rose (Laval), Lower Canada |
| Died | January 4, 1891 (aged 57) Quebec City, Quebec |
| Occupation | Roman Catholic priest |
François-Xavier-Antoine Labelle (November 24, 1833 – January 4, 1891) was a
Biography
He was born Antoine Labelle in
Labelle immediately sought the construction of a railway line along the
On May 16, 1888, Quebec premier Honoré Mercier named Labelle deputy minister of the province's department of agriculture and colonization. The end of his life was marked by difficulties with the
Honours
A large statue of Labelle was created by sculptor Alfred Laliberté and was erected in front of the Saint-Jérôme cathedral. His efforts to colonize the Laurentides region figure prominently in the 1956-1970 television series Les Belles Histoires des pays d'en haut, in which he was portrayed by Paul Desmarteaux, and in the 2016-2021 remake Les Pays d'en haut, in which he was portrayed by Antoine Bertrand.
The Papineau-Labelle Wildlife Reserve[1] is named after him and Louis-Joseph Papineau.
A secondary school named after him was opened in Laval, Quebec, in 1961, near the Roi-du-Nord park, also named after him. Curé-Antoine-Labelle School currently has more than 2,600 students and more than 200 staff members.[2]
Many other sites and landmarks were named in honour of Curé Labelle. They include:
- Boulevard Curé-Labelle (Laurentides area, Quebec, Canada;
- The municipality of Labelle;
- The Antoine-Labelle;
- The provincial electoral district of Labelle, Quebec;
- Rue Labelle (Labelle Street), located in Shawinigan, Quebec.
